Kauai,Hawaii
ALTHOUGH THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
were
formed by a chain of undersea volcanoes,
Kauai’s lush greenery lends the sense that it
rose whole from the ocean floor like an ancient,
moss-covered turtle. At Tunnels Beach on the
island’s north shore, the verdant spire of Bali
Hai—named for the role it played in the 1958
film version of the musical
South Pacific
—
pitches
sharply down to peach-colored sand and
impossibly clear water. The sea itself provides
the source of the beach’s name: When the surf
is up, perfect barrel waves roll down the shore
with surfers inside like pimentos in olives.
When conditions are flat, snorkelers and the
odd intrepid diver pursue the beach’s more
celebrated pastime—namely, following parrot
fish, sea turtles and reef sharks through two
concentric circles of labyrinthine lava caves.
THE TRADITION
of wooden boatbuilding on
Grenada began among the Scottish settlers
who took up fishing from the island’s many
bays. The boats’ lively colors, however, are
more indicative of French, African and South
American heritage, which also inspired
the vibrant village of St. George’s. Arrayed
between 18th- and 19th-century forts, many
of the town’s brilliantly hued apartments
provide waterside rooms for visitors, who
spend their days exploring nutmeg fields,
swimming under waterfalls, watching cricket
games or tasting rum straight from the
barrel. In the evenings, people gather at local
eateries to dig into the day’s catch: jerked
marlin, barbecued snapper, conch cakes. And
should they tire of seafood, there’s always
the national dish—“oil down,” a spicy stew of
beef, chicken, breadfruit and coconut milk.
GRENADA
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
DECEMBER 2012
99
