Hawai'i - The Ninth, Equestrian Day

Today I hiked down into Waipi'o Valley, while the others experienced the land on horseback.

Waipi'o Valley


Waipi'o Valley

On our Kona shopping trip Kristen and Karen fawned over a "guy who had the whole package" and allowed this pretty boy huckster to sell them tickets on a guided horse ride through Waipi'o valley. There were only three spots available though, so one of us had to sit this activity out. It ended up being me, as I'd much rather hike and I'm not that fond of horses to begin with.

I dropped Chris, Karen, and Kristen off at the Last Chance Store where they met their guide. I drove around a little and ended up at the Waipi'o Valley Overlook, from which I made my way down into the valley. The walk *down* was bad enough - over a mile of very steep, four-wheel-drive-only road, and I didn't relish the idea of hiking back up.

Once down to the floor I was treated to the site of the falls cascading down into the valley. It was a beautiful area, though the sun was unrelenting. I forged a creek, but soon came across another. My time to meet up with the rest of the crew was approaching, so I decided to turn back. I hoped and prayed for a car to come by so I could hitch a ride back to the top, and my prayers were soon answered.

A different horseback tour was arriving at its stables, and the guide allowed me to ride back in his van.

The others enjoyed their ride, though I will leave it to them to describe their experience.

We returned to Kona and ate at LuLu's. This was it, the last day of fun. Tomorrow would begin our long flights home, and a return to the drudgery of a regular work week.

Hawai'i, I miss you already.

The End - Go back to the introduction or the main site.