Enchanting Hawaii Evenings

 One of my absolute favorite things about Hawai‘i happens each evening and I try never to miss it.  It is the ability to enjoy sunset outside.  It seems like such a small thing and easily taken for granted on this balmy island.  But for most of my life, it was not possible.  I have lived in five states in the south and midwest.  For much of the year, it is either too hot, too cold or too windy to sit comfortably outside for extended periods.
 
And then there are the unwelcome guests.
 
A friend tried to have an outdoor wedding reception in central Texas.  Despite sprays and candles, dive-bombing mosquitoes quickly drove guests to the safety of their cars.  I kid you not, the mosquitoes were so large you could feel them land on your arm for refueling.  It was like the Hitchcock movie "The Birds" with only slightly smaller winged actors.  Last summer before we left Colorado, the impact was much the same.  We had a deck with a view of the mountains that would seem perfect for cocktails or dinner.  Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were smaller but just as persistent as their southern cousins.  It was impossible to be outside at dusk without a chemical coating, which makes food and drink somewhat unappealing.  The fact that some of them were carrying West Nile disease made me consider ordering a hazmat suit.
 
There are mosquitoes on forested trails, especially near water.  But evening is an opportunity to get outside on Oahu.  On Honolulu streets, people who have changed business attire for shorts and T-shirts jog or walk their dogs.  I watch children in the play area outside my kitchen window burning off steam before dinner.  When we go out for pau hana (happy hour) or dinner, I make it a point to sit at the may outside lanais (patios) available at island restaurants.  It seems like a stolen treasure to relax without searing heat, blowing dust, or marauding mosquitoes.

Locals here complain when the temperatures are hotter than usual, or it is cool due to rain, or the refreshing trade winds depart.  It is true that I feel those variations as well.  But evenings on Oahu have all fallen within the fabulous range for a solid 12 months now.  A bad evening here is better than the best conditions anywhere else.
 
Excuse me – I hear a martini and a lanai calling my name!
 

Posted by Cindy Scheopner  Follow me on Twitter @Scheopner 

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Published by Bruce Fisher

Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.

Entry Filed under: Customs, Practices and Pastimes,Fun Stuff

August 10th, 2009