Posts Tagged ‘Lesson’

Camping Story = Life Lesson

Justin Popovic tells Brad Gosse a story about camping and bears.

Kauai Condos: Taking a History Lesson Before Your Visit Gives Perspective Few Have

If you’re opting to rent or buy one of the many beautiful Kauai condos, you likely already know that you are treating yourself to residence on one of the most beautiful and unique places on Earth. That said, you’d be surprised how many people visit this incredible Garden Isle paradise without truly understanding the historical context of how it came to be what it is today. Taking the time to understand that context will enrich your experience on Kauai, no matter how long you plan to stay!

The landscape diversity under the foundations of your Kauai condo

Like all the Hawaiian islands, Kaua’i was made by volcanoes pushing up, out of the sea. As the oldest island in the chain, its mountain tops don’t boast the height or size of its younger neighbors on the Big Island, but there is one claim to fame that sets Kauai apart from anywhere else: The eastern slopes of Kauai’s second highest mountain, Mount Wai’ale’ale, are one of the wettest spots on Earth – with over 460 inches of rain per yer!

Don’t worry though. Living on Kaua’i doesn’t mean you’ll be drenched all the time. Kaua’i actually has seven different distinct micro climates ranging from dry desert to tropical rain forest – which means that you have a wide range of climates to pick from when choosing where to rent or buy your Kauai condo or vacation home.

Understanding your lineage as a Kauai homeowner

Culturally, Kauai is very diverse as well. The Marquesans are believed to be the island’s first inhabitants, arriving from Polynesia around 400 A.D. 600 years later, the Tahitians arrived and overpowered the locals who called the island home. Much of the plant life, as well as the chickens that are ancestors to the scourge you currently see in Kauai, were originally brought by the Polynesian peoples.  

This island’s ruler, Kaumuali’i, managed to twice thwart invasion from King Kamehameha, even going so far as to negotiate with the Russians in an effort to maintain independence. He finally ceded Kaua’i on his deathbed to the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1824 in order to avoid further bloodshed.

The first well recorded European contact came in 1778 when Captain Cook landed in Waimea Bay. Starting in the mid-18th century, sugar plantations were Kauai’s most important industry, and opened the way for the waves of immigrants, whose ancestors make up Kauai’s multicultural population today.

Kauai originally had its own dialect, thought to be closer to its Polynesian origins than the other islands, and managed independence for so long in part because of its 1000-ft cliffs ringing the Na Pali Coast, a place that is accessible only by hiking, boat or helicopter even today!

Today, buying or renting Kauai condos means that you will take part in a line of paradise-seeking people dating back over a thousand years. Each era has left its mark, and if you understand what you’re looking at, there is nothing quite like hiking the Na Pali Coast or standing at an overlook on Waimea Canyon and envisioning history unfolding on this Eden-like island in the middle of the Pacific!