Talking-Stories: A tale of not-very-old Hawaii

Talking-Stories is a snapshot of life in Hawaii in the 1960's and 70's captured in conversation with seven friends at The Watering Hole in a remote section of Kauai.

Try to imagine yourself in a tropical paradise enjoying happy hour in a remote eatery consisting of two small rooms and a long lanai separated from the ocean by a three-foot stone wall.

The wall was supposedly built eons earlier by the first settlers of the Hawaiian Islands, the menehunes. Several contemporary guests reported actually seeing these small Islanders still scurrying around the underbrush guarding both sides of the Watering Hole.

But this was just about the time Colin, the Anzac, invented the Kauai Kamikaze incorporating native fruit juices, rum (a whaler staple), triple sec, vodka (a salute to detente), a shot of okolehau (in homage to the Merry Monarch) and a breath of brandy with small dollops of honey and a pinch of mint.

Colin was addicted to honey mixed with high-proof alcohol. The result was liquid TNT with a faint perfume of hibiscus.
The lanai contained three small, round tables and several captains' chairs, and it was here the Sedated Seven assembled for their every-other-Friday afternoon conferences. This their our haven.

As conversation became more animated and colorful it evolved into the Hawaiian tradition of telling stories.

Enjoy this snapshot of not-so-old Hawaii from the comfort of your favorite chair and then, hopefully inspired, plan a trip to the island paradise of your choosing. Mahalo