You think Hawaii is always sunny and blue? Well, you are wrong. Hawaii can be pretty gray too, especially when under vog (volcanic smog). Occasionally, the volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii produces volcanic smog, which gets blown all the way to Oahu and Kauai. In days like that the air is very hazy and looks like there is dust all over in the sky. You cannot even see the mountains sometimes. To see what I mean, just scroll down and see the pictures I took last Friday on the campground at Malaekahana Bay, north of Laie. They are pretty gray, but that’s also Hawaii

If you are from a cold state or country, looking at these pictures you may think it must be cold if it is so gray. But no! When we are under vog in Hawaii, not only is it hot, but it is also very humid because there is no air circulation. Last weekend, May 16-18, 2008, there was no air breeze at all, so the vog stayed for a couple of days. People with asthmatic problems may experience difficulty with breathing and shortness of breath. Even if you don’t have asthmatic problems, you can still taste the vog in the air. At days like that the best you can do is stay home and switch on the air-conditioning.

Voggy sunset. Looks kind of cool, don’t you think?