I'm for it. There! I've said it.

While prowling around Chinatown in Honolulu this last week, the fragrance of incense wafting from the shops and shrines really wowed me. I know the reason (one reason, anyway) for the burning of incense isn't for our delight but rather to get the attention of the gods, but the role it played in constructing the exotic atmosphere there was critical. It was every bit as critical as the scents of ripe fruit and seafood, torrential rain, auto exhaust, and the steaming of the dim sum at Legends.

The first time the fragrance of incense in a garden impacted me was the first time I visited Byodo-In Temple, north of Honolulu on the windward side of Oahu.

Below and in front of the Buddah is a...something...I don't remember the name, but it holds sand in which incense sticks are stuck. The fragrance wafts around the garden. They sell the incense at the Gift Shop (how convenient). They also sell bird food:

The best fragrances to waft around a garden are those of the flowers growing within it. Who's going to argue with that? But there's an added dimension, something that I can't articulate that comes from the 'unnatural' or man-made scents. Like incense.

What do you all think?

P.S. Think of the smell of a freshly mowed lawn, or the neighbor's barbecued ribs, or autumn leaves on the bonfire...

And in case you're curious (please be curious!) here's a link for the call of the Zebra dove, arguably the most memorable of all bird calls in the Islands:http://www.hbw.com/ibc/sound/zebra-dove-geopelia-striata/bird-vocalizing-mangrove-forest