Living In A Pandemic Bubble On Kauai, Hawaii

I feel like I am living in a pandemic bubble on Kauai. While the world continues to fight off the Corona Virus and the economy is at its breaking point, time seems to have slowed to a crawl on this little island in the Pacific. Our last confirmed case of Covid-19 was April 5th, bringing the total to 20. Our Governor and Mayor are very slowly and cautiously reopening aspects of society to residents, but the fear of allowing visitors back to the islands is visceral. Currently we have a 14-day quarantine for anyone (visitor or resident) arriving in Hawaii and vacation rentals are banned from operating. This, of course, breaks my heart as I have had to reschedule or refund 15 reservations so far. Waiting to hear each month if there is going to be another extension is stressful, to say the least.

It is hard for me to do what many here are doing, and that is to take advantage of this time to enjoy the island without crowds. The underlying reason always seems to crop up in my psyche. But, I will admit that not having helicopters and sightseeing airplanes flying overhead makes for some quiet and peaceful days. Being able to plan a trip to Lihue without considering Kapaa traffic is refreshing. And, quickly finding a parking space right in front of Foodland is Heaven! Yes, there are some advantages to having fewer people around.

The beaches are pretty idyllic as well. One trip to Ke’e found us at the end of the road sharing one of the most popular Kauai beaches with one woman and her son. Earlier Tom and I walked the stretch of Tunnels Beach passing a handful of people. SeaLodge Beach is generally empty and today we hiked down to Queen’s Bath (photo above) to find three local people searching for Opihi (Hawaiian shellfish) on the rocks. Yes, a few more people arrived before we left, but nothing like the numbers that are normally there when it is open.

The Hawaiian sea turtles were in abundance along the rocks and reef edge eating the algae that grows there:

Along with occasionally playing tourist, Tom and I have been spending a few days a week at Honu Point. I must say, the garden has never looked better as I have find trimming and fertilizing theraputic. This is a lovely time of year when days are filled with sunshine and the gentle trade winds help to keep one from overheating. There’s nothing better than after a few hours of hard work to jump in the infinity edge pool. Lately we have had a visitor who was well-trained by out last guest. He/she swoops in, whether we are at the pool or on the lanai, and demands to be fed. Our guests named him/her Axel and the name has stuck.

Just this last week we had a different visitor come through the property. It was quite a surprise because albatross generally take off on the next point over from our home. He/she probably came back from sea to feed one of the four chicks growing in the neighborhood. Each parent checks in and gives nourishment to sustain the chicks until they are ready to fledge. Most of the birds without chicks this year have left for points further north and will not return until November.

The best thing about being at Honu Point this time of year, however, is watching the sun drop into the ocean each night. The recent sunsets have been spectacular and I have been sharing them on Instagram (@honupoint). Here is a video of one taken just last week. The sunsets will continue to move north until they are right at the end of the point on June 21st. Sitting on the lanai or at the pool area gives you a front row seat to the beauty.

So, as you can see, the Kauai pandemic bubble is not a bad place to be. I feel safe and grateful. But, I miss my guests. It gives me great pleasure to share my wonderland with visitors from the mainland and I can’t wait to do that again soon! Stay safe, be well, and come visit us when you can. Aloha.

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