Na Pali Coastline of Kauai

Photo credit: Wings Over Kauai

The Na Pali Coast takes center stage this month in an article in National Geographic Magazine. The writer, Joel K. Bourne, Jr., chronicles his hike on the 11 mile trail to the Kalalau Valley. Along the way he describes some of the history of the area as well as the mystical ambiance of the environment. As so many writers before him, he evokes heavenly adjectives to describe the setting: magical, spiritual, Shambala, Shangri-La, paradise…

The Na Pali is not only the primary location for the movie, Secret of the Crystal Skulls, but in many ways plays one of the starring roles. The archaeological ruins at Nu’alolo Kai provide the backdrop for some of the most dramatic scenes of the movie. This spectacular site, which is now only accessible by boat, is significantly featured in the article.

On his climb out of the Kalalau Valley, Bourne meets a “young outlaw” who is headed to a cave in the back of the valley for a two month stay. He tells Bourne that he will be “…meditating and getting centered with the universe. You go back up that valley and there are rock platforms, taro fields, sacred altars all the way up. It was a metropolis in there! It’s the land of the menehune, the ancient ones. It’s primal!”

I couldn’t have described it better myself.

Photo credit: Diane Cook and Len Jenshel

Singer/songwriter Shawna Carol composed a beautiful song for Secret of the Crystal Skulls called Magic of Na Pali. The character of Jill, also a singer/songwriter and poet, composes it as she is hiking the Na Pali Coast trail.  Listen to her song on the main website for the movie: 

 Kalalau Beach

Photo credit: Diane Cook and Len Jenshel

See an amazing archival photo of Nu’alolo Kai taken in the 1920′s.

Read the National Geographic Magazine article.

Please visit our main website for Secret of the Crystal Skulls