John, an IBMer and ex-colleague of Guislain, introduced us to some of the locals' beaches.  The South side of the island is actually quite dry; sugar cane plantations have been mostly retired and supplanted with one coffee bean plantation.  We started our mornings with some Kauai Coffee, a strong & slightly acidic arabica coffee, a great way to start our morning.

As we found out all Kauai beaches are public, and there is always some beach access road or path every ½ mile or so, sometimes unmarked & well-hidden from the unknowing eye.  Thankfully John, who goes to Poipu every year, knows some of the locals' beaches, and he introduced us to the art of driving down unmarked bumpy, red dirt road to find some of these wild gems deserted of tourists and even locals if the weather is not perfect.

Since John was leaving the next day, he had to unload some excellent ahi-ahi & tuna which he had caught the day before - lucky for us.  He also recommended the Oki Diner in Lihue for a local eating experience, and it was wonderful.  The sampler plate was genuinely original, and the pancakes with the homemade coconut & vanilla syrup are out of this world.