Once Upon a Hawaiian Dream…

As I turn in my bed, I hear the water splash against the rocks in what seems to be a continuous chain of high-fives, with the waves riding high against the rocks. The bright and ever so golden sun gently licks my face like an adoring puppy as I turn to face the window. My eyes flutter and I open them straight on to the full glare of the rising beauty. A calm wind blows soflty on the beautiful silk curtain and as it sweeps in towards me, I catch the sweet fragrance of the sea, the flowers, the trees…all the beautiful pieces of nature’s hospitality.

Soon, I’m on the beach, wearing the two-piece bathing suit (which I got specially for the trip). The water looks a more beautiful shade of blue this morning. My bare feet are sinking into the soft, warm sand with every step I take and my hair is dancing gently in the wind. Not too many peple out here. Just enough to add some spice to the natural sounds of my island paradise. In my head, I’m singing “zip-a-dee-doo-dah…”. I find a spot and spread out my beach towel, then I lay down, facing upwards with my sunglasses on. It’s not like I need to get any darker but it just feels so right to lie down and soak in all this ‘beautiful-ness’. Just as I close my eyes, I hear someone screaming my name…it’s my boss! Oh my!…Please don’t tell me I fell asleep at work again.

Oh, well, it was just a dream. But I have to admit, the Hawaiian islands have become a familiar day dream destination for me. Do ‘exotic’ and ‘tropical’ get more beautiful than that? I don’t think so. It’s true that I have only seen Hawaii in the movies and in my dreams but it is by far, my favourite vacation spot in the whole wide world. I mean…what’s not to love?

Hawaii is mostly known for it’s resorts, beaches, wildlife, volcanoes, cuisine and all the fun activities available- hiking, swimming, surfing, snorkeling, even dancing. Seeing as the islands attract so many visitors yearly, there are several resorts on the islands that offer VIP-style holidays. I personally would like to experience the way they welcome their guests with singing, dancing and flower necklaces…Totally sweet. The hawaiian beaches are never lonely as people cannot get enough of the water, the sun and the fine sand. Even in the night, it’s pretty much satisfying to just lay on the beach and count the stars.

It would also be quite grand to swim in the ocean all morning with a hundred or more cheerful tourists, take exciting hikes and listen to the arrogant huffing and puffing sounds of the not-too-distant volcanoes. Then return to the resort for a night of dancing the hula dance around a big fire while wearing coconut bras, dried grass skirts and anlkets made out of dog teeth, whale bones and sea shells with flowers around my neck and in my hair.

I would love to wake up every morning to the sweet chirping of birds, golden rays of sunlight, and the promise of those tropical delights Hawaiian people call food. Talking about the cuisine…hmmmn… It is largely a reflection of the many cultures that have settled in the Hawaiian islands over time. For instance, the Chinese introduced the stir-fry rice and the Portugese brought their sweet bread. A little bit of this and that from around the world has made the Hawaiian cuisine quite unique as a whole.

The options of food are so many that a food connoisseur would have a hard time deciding what to eat. Imagine a breakfast of morning-kona coffee with Hawaiian french toast, topped with colourful tropical fruits and some sizzling tuna poke on the side. For lunch, a scoop of white rice and macaroni salad with a main entree of hamburger steak which is a hamburger patty on rice, covered with brown gravy and you can add fried eggs with the sunny side up for an extra umph! Don’t even get me started on dinner. And all the drinks…my! Think pina colada (or pina colada smoothie for those of us who don’t have the heart for alcohol but just have to drink something with a cool name). Also think, pineapple iced tea, banana-mango smoothie, blue hawaii…the list is endless. Fancy drinking pineapple-coconut juice ‘on the rocks’ out of an actual coconut with a straw and a cute little umbrella sticking out of it. Talk about extra-delicious.

In all of this, what I find the most soothing is the laid-back island culture that persists on these islands. It is so easy to relax body and soul and escape the tiring and over-demanding nature of modern city life. Hawaii basically has two seasons- winter and summer, the main difference being the amount of rainfall and not really the temperature. Best of all, the promise of serenity and tranquility is kept all year round.

Dear future husband, I sincerely hope Hawaii is on your list of likely honeymoon destinations. If it wasn’t, I hope you start considering it now. *whispering* It wouldn’t hurt to set some extra money aside too. Love, your future wife