EntryWorldNomads

Since a child, I have always found myself in all sorts of situations due to my overriding curiosity and thirst for exploration. Now that I'm older, nothing much has changed. I only have to see a small dark path and I'm gone.
When I decided to explore The Hawaiian Islands, my friends were expecting me to end up in an obvious location such as the charismatic and crazy Waikiki or perhaps one of those mouth-wateringly, luxurious beach resorts of Maui, but no, not me - I was off to 'The Garden Isle'. I lusted after lush, deep rainforests, tumbling waterfalls, echoing bird-call and the sound of a distant ukulele. My skin still stands on end as I write this, as every word transports me back to this scented and magical Island of Kauai.
Kauai is so utterly mysterious and astoundingly beautiful. It is the second eldest of the Hawaiian Islands and the maturity of time and rainfall has carved huge, imposing grooved cliffs into its coastline, an alien sight only ever witnessed in the fantasy world of Avatar. Kauai sits far north, indulging itself in a wonderful temperate climate of around 72 degrees all year, which supports both rainforest and dry desert terrain.
My thirst for exploration drags me out of bed at 6am combined with the sweetest smell of plumeria wafting through my coconut blinds and up my nose. I decide to head on up to the dry and hot Canyon side. After about an hour I see what I am seeking - DIRT! The so very RED dirt! So red in fact, that the locals tell me that tourists have to throw their boots away at the end of their trip. I eventually reach a spot where the road bends back on itself with a cartoon-like humour, as if to say 'Ha ha, I just made you drive back on yourself for no reason whatsoever'. I jump out as my explorer's nose has started to twitch erratically and I decide to walk off into the undergrowth. I gasp! I squeal with delight! I see what I am after...acres and acres of bright red dirt and a clear tumbling waterfall which flows and twists over it like a naughty school child. I walk for miles along this secret river listening to tourists in the distance barely making it past the food stops. I contentedly smile - not only do I love exclusion and peace, but I also love finding those hidden gems that make everything worth while.
So next time, when you take that journey out to Kauai, make sure to put on your hiking boots and listen to your twitching explorer's nose and don't come back until your boots are well and truly BRIGHT RED!