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Did I Miss the Collapse of Civilization?
It’s hard to tell if it’s already happened
Nine days ago, I stepped off a plane in Lihue, Kauai
That’s the nicest of the Hawaiian Islands, in my never-humble opinion. Unless you count Lanai, where since Larry Ellison bought 98% of it, the hotels are now out of reach for anyone not in the billionaire class. Or Niihau, which you can’t go to unless you’re a guest of the Robinson family, who has weird rules for the native residents (no alcohol or tobacco and no talking to the press about Niihau).
My point is, Kauai with its population of just under 74,000 is an accessible, if not cheap, refuge. And as a woman well past bikini age, it has a refreshingly low-key, low-pose vibe. At this time of year, with the kids in school, the tourists are mostly unself-conscious elders, happily flip-flopping along with their mai-tais in hand and smiling at the landscaping.
Kaui has no high rises, no jam-packed Waikiki-type beaches. It’s a world apart from the mainland, a true escape.
Especially in January, and most especially in January 2025.
Before you leave the Lihue airport, even as you emerge from the jetway, you’re surrounded by warm, fragrant breezes. Chlorophyll-enriched oxygen envelopes you, humidity gently plumping your scaly winter…
