By Jim Farber
Were it not for my lack of a machete and a coiled whip, I might have been mistaken for Indiana Jones. There I was in the midst of the steaming jungle surrounded by crumbling walls caught in the grip of a thousand snaking vines.
Where was I, the depths of the Yucatan Peninsula? How could this be the north coast of Kaua'i? What could have caused so much devastation that it brought about the extinction of an entire civilization of joy-seeking tourists? And, what are those strange, deep-etched hieroglyphics that seem to resemble surfboards and beach umbrellas?
A study of the region's socio-archeologic-cinematic strata revealed that this was once the home of ancient Hawaiians, the site of a colonial-era sugar plantation and later, much later, home to one of Club Med's crown-jewel resorts.
At the height of its brief golden age in the 1970s, the club occupied 65.5 acres that included the grand plantation house, 52 cottages and 162 rooms perched atop a ridge overlooking the scenic splendor of Hanalei Bay.
Before that, however, the site was discovered by Hollywood, and the Hanalei Plantation's stately manor featured prominently in the 1958 film "South Pacific," while a beach away Mitzi Gaynor would do her best to "Wash that man right out of my hair."
There are various explanations as to why the Club Med went bust and was abandoned after less than a decade. Then the beginnings of a condo development on the site were quite literally blown away when, in 1992, Hurricane Iniki — the most powerful storm to strike Hawai'i in recorded history — slammed into Kaua'i.
Today the walk to what has become known as the "Club Med Ruins" attracts a fairly constant stream of visitors. Part of the town of Princeville, the "trailhead" consists of a locked metal gate at the end of Hanalei Plantation Road. There is also a delicious fruit juice stand (Nourish Hanalei) with a million-dollar view that provides the perfect place to stop and refresh yourself before or after your hike. They even provide squeeze bottles of water to shoo away the island's infestation of chickens.
After passing through the gate, it's a mile and half walk to the "ruins" — a bevy of concrete structures that are actually leftovers from the failed condofication. There are, however, several massive black lava stone walls on the site that really do look genuinely ancient.
Whatever its historic/architectural reality, this is a hike that abounds in natural botanical wonders, where leafy philodendrons wrap themselves around trees until they reach the skies and myriad plants for which you would pay dearly at a nursery grow like weeds.
Let's be honest. Don't expect to come upon the ruins of ancient Delphi or the vast city of Chichen Itza. Nevertheless, there is a genuinely haunting presence to these ruins that eloquently speaks to the transient nature of man's creations compared to the overwhelming power of nature. As Percy Bysshe Shelley declared in his ruminating poem "Ozymandias," "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair."
After wandering the well-marked paths (however overgrown) and taking in the panoramic views of the bay, mountains and ocean beyond, seek out the spur trail that leads down to the secluded beauty of Pu'u Poa Beach with its white sand, turquoise water and overhanging tree-lined shore.
Then it's time to head back and reenter the world of modern-day Princeville, with its cookie-cutter condos and perfectly manicured golf greens. It makes you pine for the crumbling walls and snaking vines behind you.
WHEN YOU GO
The Club Med Ruins trail is a moderately easy 3-mile round-trip walk that begins at the end of Hanalei Plantation Road in Princeville, Kaua'i: hvcb.org/about-hvcb/island-chapters/kauai-visitors-bureau.
Jim Farber is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
The Hanalei Bay Club Med was a popular place to stay on Hawai'i's island of Kaua'i during the 1970s. Photo courtesy of Jim Farber.
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