Heat

The most important thing that I brought to Hawaii, after our passports and money, wasn't the medicines for the kids or diapers for Muffin but sun block.

Beach heat

 In Oahu where JED literally lived in the pool and on the beach, the sun was baking them a different shade of brown. The words "Slip, Slap, Slop" (the Australian-put-on-sun-block-to-prevent-skin-cancer campaign slogan) was constantly on the tip of my tongue. Even when we weren't on the beach, the heat was formidable.

To combat the Oahu heat and mindful to prevent heat stroke attacking my extremely stoked JED, I demanded

a. They dunk their heads constantly in the sea or the pool. Muffin was most displeased when I emptied an entire toy watering can over his head.

b. Constantly dragging them out of the water to drink water. Muffin proceeded to tell me that he peed in the ocean.

c. Go back to the apartment for lunch at mid day when the sun was at its fiercest.

d. Go back to the pool that was the shadiest; though that caused Muffin's lips to turn blue. The sun really made a difference in Oahu. The temperature between sun and shade was remarkable.

e.  Wear hats when they were on the sand or out with us. Pearl Harbour was beautiful for its significance and carefully manicured surroundings but there was so little foilage that JED sought refuge in the strangest places i.e. a cactus of sorts and under a Polaris Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM).

 Desert Heat

On Big Island or Kona where we are now, the heat is different. Dry heat. The Big Island is basically volcanic rock so the air is dry, the heat is dry and the brush is dry too. the threat of bush fire is always high. Desert heat, essentially.

Evan would not let us get away with being in Kona without going to see the volcano crater. He had fantasises of seeing red, molten lava flowing.

Note to anyone who wants to go visit a volcano, remember that a volcano is many thousand metres above sea level and is therefore very, very uncharacteristically windy and cold. So despite the idea of the intolerable heat from molten flowing lava, we were stunned by the cold winds with Jordan declaring it colder than freezing Korea.

The saving grace? Steam vents emitting volcanic steam that schizophrenically blew comforting hot air on us followed by chilly winds making everyone shriek.

So this holiday has had us occasionally thankful for the heat and other times dreading it and now JED know that heat isn't generic and not all forms of heat are equal.