Kauai's Tunnels Beach

A day after the tsunami scare we drove off to the end of Rt 56 on the northern side of Kauai to hike part of the Kalalau trail. Everyone has gone back to celebrating vacation and enjoying the Hawaiian beauty after the nervous moments on Saturday. Following our hike we had lunch at Bubba's Burgers in Hanalei and have now parked ourselves on Tunnels Beach to watch the huge waves and relax a bit.

Bubba Burger, Hanalei, Kauai

After a nice hike on Napali Coast we stopped here for lunch, a fun local joint with affordable and tasty food.

Water, Beer Sold Out At Hawaii Supermarkets

Walking into the Safeway in Kapaa, Kauai, this evening we noticed two nearly empty aisles: water and beer. It turns out that people in the tsunami scare had gone to the store to buy up both types beverages. We had gone to the same Safeway on Friday night to buy a case of water after we found out that ther was a tsunami advisory. In the evening, there was no crowd whatsoever.

Offshore View From Sleeping Giant Kauai

While we were watching for a tsunami to hit the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, I also snapped a quick shot land inward from the top of the Sleeping Giant. A nice view indeed!

Dodging A Tsunami Bullet

According to the headline on CNN.com Hawaii "dodged a bullet" today after a quake-triggered tsunami hit the islands with smaller-than-expected waves. A quake off Chile caused the tsunami. An anticlimax, if you ask me.

This is my first trip to Hawaii and it turned out to be more adventurous that I had expected. We were awakened at 05.00 AM by the owner of the beach front rental property in Kapaa who alerted us that sirens would start to sound at 0600 AM. We immediately started packing and prepped a picnic while picking out a place on higher ground to travel to.

Once leaving the house at about 0600 AM we saw bigger than usual crowds, according to the locals, at Safeway and McDonalds (but they were both open.) There were long lines at gas stations with people who apparently wanted to fill up before a potential disaster struck. Traffic was relatively light as we drove up to Opaekaa Falls and a state park where we parked our cars, set out the picnic chairs and waited while listening to local radio.

Turned out the spot we picked was near a trail that headed up to the Sleeping Giant, a rocky peak overlooking the Kauai shore and the town of Kapaa. A friend and I decided to hike up to see whatever might be hitting the shore from there. Turned out that a ton of other people had the same idea and we ended up having a very pleasant morning on the ridge of the Sleeping Giant with friendly and funny locals, tourists, kids and pets.

As we waited for the wave(s) to come crashing in on the coast the anticipation mounted and people started calling friends in other islands, listening to the radio and exchanging opinions on whether we'd have a disaster or not. Some locals commented on the state of the reef as an indication that something was up.

In the end, there was no significant event and we just returned to the beach house with gorgeous view over the ocean. We're planning a trip to the beach now, to swim and enjoy the water.

Aloha! A "Wave" While Tsunami Watching

People are really loosening up on the mountain, 1200 feet above Kauai. The hundreds of people who trekked up here just did the "wave" after a big "1, 2 3, Aloha!" The photo aims to show part of this human wave.

Tsunami Watchers High in Anticipation

Atop the sleeping giant the mood is almost jovial, they are now actually doing a "wave" on the ridge here.

Everyone is smiling, friendly, just like Kauai is advertised to be. People are awaiting waves in high anticipation. One local suggested that a good bit of damage will generate work for locals.

Tsunami View On Kauai

Here's my latest view from the top of the Sleeping Giant on Kauai. I heard CNN mentioned my blog, so here's an updated photo. People are coming up and down still to see if anything will happen on the coast line. The most treacherous conditions may actually happen when we all try to hike down the trail at the same time.

Tsunami Watching, A Bonding Experience

Locals, tourists, families, dogs, photographers, videographers, all climbed 1200 feet to the top of the Sleeping Giant on Kauai, Hawaii, to see the tsunami hit the coast.

People brought drinks, smokes, radios. Locals are giving expert commentary, calling friends/relatives on other islands, checking the water on the reefs to gage whether or not big waves will hit.

Some people have given up now, about 1150 AM local time, and are heading back down. Others are still hiking up.

Roads on Kauai are empty still because they are blocked by police, stores are closed, events and functions have been cancelled. People have sought higher ground en masse, hundreds of cars are parked at a Kapaa's "Mahilona" state hospital and other higher ground areas.

It is a beautiful day in Hawaii, this sure is a different vacation. We got up at 5 to pack our stuff and abandon the beach house after the landlord called.

Tsunami Watch Crowds Keep Swelling

We're up on the Sleeping Giant still, watching the Kauai, Hawaii coast. Hundreds of people have gathered on the top of the mountain here. (And meanwhile I lost my sunglasses up here, better that than potentially losing my life!.)

Tsunami Watchers Crowd Sleeping Giant

Another shot of people gathered atop Kauai's Sleeping Giant watching the coast, chatting, smoking, listening to the radio. We have 40 minutes before the wave should/could hit here.

Pre-"Disaster" Tourists Atop Sleeping Giant Kauai

Along with a throng of other people I climbed to the top of the Sleeping Giant on Kauai--a northern Hawaiian island-- to look at the Pacific Ocean and see a possible tsunami arrive.

People have evacuated their beach homes, roads and stores are closed. Everyone is just waiting to see what happens in the next hour.

There are tourists and local folks with radios, photo cameras, video cameras and binoculars.

Parking Lot With Tsunami Evacuees

The parking lot at the Wailua Heritage trail above the town of Kapaa, Kauai is filled with people camping out in case a tsunami ravages the coastal area. I am one of those camping out here for a couple of hours.

Found Higher Ground On Kauai (Hawaii)

We heeded the warnings and made our way to higher ground on Kauai. The owners of the beach house in Kapaa we rented woke us up at about 500 AM to say that the evacuation sirens would sound at 6 AM. They were right, the sirens sounded, the emergency alert system interrupted broadcast TV and radio, urging people in coastal areas to evacuate.

We packed a picnic, our bags and some extra supplies and drove to Opaekaa Falls where we are now camped out on a lawn with a gorgeous view of the sunrise (see photo.)

We drove by way of McDonald's where a long line snaked through the drive through and employees were complaining, wanting to go home. Along the way we saw really long lines at gas stations, people attempting to fill up before a wave hits.

Meanwhile, the radio was reporting the cancellation of sports events and other functions, including Little League and Pony League games, a golf tournament, dog training class and an event hosted by the Lihue mayor.

The wave(s) are supposed to hit after 11. We will wait and see what happens.

Follow me on Twitter for real time updates: http://twitter.com/jorisevers

Evacuation Sirens Sounding In Kauai

The sirens are sounding for evacuation in Kapaa, Kauai. We're evacuating the beach house we're staying in. I am going to try to keep blogging and tweeting in case anything eventful happens. Follow me at http://twitter.com/jorisevers

Tsunami "Warning" For Hawaii

The "tsunami advisory" has now been upgraded to a "tsunami warning." While waves may not hit until after 11 AM we're being prudent and are leaving out beach front rental for higher ground. The roads here on Kauai still appear relatively quiet, but there was a line at a local gas station. I sure hope that the was turns out to be a nonevent, but it is sure better to be safe than sorry.

Tsunami Advisory on Hawaii

I'm privileged to be spending a long weekend in a beachfront home on the gorgeous island of Kauai with some good friends. We were having a perfect evening with some food, drink and conversation when someone mentioned the news of a major earthquake off the coast of Chile.

My heart stopped because my parents are traveling in Chile at the moment and I didn't know exactly where they were. I dug through an e-mail from them and through Google Maps discovered that they'd be a good 2500 kilometers from the epicenter right now. My brother, who is based in Quito, Ecuador, was able to confirm with the hotel in Putre, Chile, that indeed mom and dad are fine.

Then there's a second scare. The quake triggered a "tsunami advisory" for Hawaii. The TV stations here are displaying banners to alert us to it. The local phonebook provides guidance on what to do when the tsunami alarm sounds and where to go. We went to the 24 hour Safeway in Kapaa to buy some extra water, just in case. (Nobody else was there at midnight on Friday.)

This tsunami advisory may be nothing, however there was a tsunami in Hawaii before, back in 1960. That tsunami caused damage and killed people in Hilo. That tsunami also was caused by a quake off the coast of Chile. We will have to see what happens to the alert level and what the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tells us. Let's hope the wave doesn't show and that tomorrow will be a day in paradise, like any other. Meanwhile, we're planning a hike up a mountain, just in case.

Meanwhile, my thoughts go out to everyone in the affected areas of Chile, including my colleagues in Santiago at McAfee Chile.

Qantas Airbus A380 at Heathrow

On a recent trip to Sweden I transferred through London's Heathrow airport. Right next to the small SAS jet that took me from Copenhagen to London stood two giants of the air: Airbus 380, the new two story planes. I can't wait to travel in one of those, especially if it is in first class. I'm sure that will be a cool experience.

Turning Torso in Malmo

Malmo, Sweden, architecture is quite varied. This building, named Turning Torso, is the city's current pride. (I call it Twisted Tower, perhaps more appropriate.) Much of the city, unfortunately, has dull apartment buildings that look like they were constructed in the 60s or 70s. The center still has some gorgeous turn of the century buildings and nice squares. Strolling through the city today was quite nice because of the fresh snow, making everything a bit more special.

Farthinder

You come across some funny signs when traveling. This is the latest one in Sweden. A few years ago I blogged about the "slut" signs that you see in store windows all over Sweden and advertise a "sale."