Kaua'i Hiking

We were fortunate enough to take a good two weeks off of work and use that time in the paradise. At least that's what most of you think when Hawai'i comes up. Hawai'i, however, is only the white sand beaches, scorching heat, surfing and laid back lifestyle. I have been to the islands as many times as I visited my home country, Hungary, since 2005. I definitely spent there more time when added together. Oahu and Maui were visited mainly in the summers and early fall while we went to Kaua'i in early March. The islands are so different and not by location or climate-wise but by how the people live there. Oahu is that fast paced rat-race style except maybe the North Shore. Maui (though we have not gone towards Hana) is a lot more laid back and slower. Kaua'i is basically the island where time rather stopped at one point. True, there can be a lot of tourists there, too, but by far less than on the other two island. I have no way to compare it to the Big Island as I have yet to go there. We backpaked for 5 full days, drinking from the same waterfall that we also used for showering. Of course, not in the same time. We had an absolute blast during those days. After coming off the Kalalau Trail we were back in civilization and everything was back to "normal". And normal is something that you feel normal. I loved not doing a thing, though we hiked a lot while out on the Kalalau Beach. I loved just reading my books and go to sleep shortly after 7pm after which you could not see farther than your nose. The island itself is home to probably more stray chicken and rooster than human beings. Those creatures were everywhere. From the deepest jungles to the city hall.

XTERRA Canada is back on my schedule!

They have had some problems finding sponsors but in the last minute it was all taken care of. I loved the venue and the Canmore Nordic Center is oen of the msot beautiful places I have raced so far. It was a cold morning for all of us with freezing rain and snow falling at higher elevations. The water was cristal clear but REALLY cold- my feet were numb and took a few minutes to thaw them out.. The bike course was very technical at least to my skills. The run course was windy and challenging, just like the way I like it! I will definitely register before the end of March to get the discount. Results from last year: XTERRA Canada Championships