For the past month in northern Benin, we have been experiencing the most dreaded season of all: la chaleur (literally, "the heat"). I live in the part of the country with the most extreme temperatures. Triple digits are the rule, not the exception, and the daily highs are in the 110s. Houses are constructed in such a way that they retain heat, so indoors is the worst place to be, especially since there is no electricity to power even a fan. Nearly the entire population of Sonsoro now sleeps outdoors to escape the heat of their houses.
As for sweat, it streams down your body as if you are taking a shower. However, with the water shortages, actual bathing requires more effort. Many (most?) of the wells have dried up, and the water supply to the pumps (which are linked to a central water tower) is shut off for parts of every day. My water source, the pump at the health center, may be shut off for all but an hour of every day, and you never know when that hour will be. To make things worse, the nurse locks the pump and keeps the key for herself, so it requires a fair amount of good fortune to actually be able to get water. At many of the other pumps in town, there are regularly crowds of 20-30 people waiting for water.
Chaleur is the second half of the six-month dry season that started in November. There have been some advantages to the lack of rain: travel is easier/possible on roads that hold craters of water during the rainy season, and it is a great time for construction projects. The lack of rain, however, also means that everything is exceptionally dusty, and many people have come down with colds after inhaling too much dust.
A particularly interesting feature of the dry, often windy weather is the dirt devils, which are mini tornadoes that can spring up at a moment's notice. One school principal gave me the scientific explanation, then went on to explain that he does not believe it. In reality, he said, the dirt devil is a man who has transformed himself to do harm to others. You can attack it with a gun or knife to stop it. I asked him, therefore, why he was not rushing out to attack the dirt devil to keep it from hurting the children in his school courtyard. He explained that you must eat well to build up your strength before attacking it. Otherwise, it could kill you.
Now, for all that I have said about dry weather, I must make a confession: it rained today. I was shocked since last year's first rain reportedly did not come until mid-May. My colleague explained that if the rain is light, the heat and misery of chaleur will only amplify. On the other hand, the first heavy rain is supposed to break the heat and bring relief. Our first rain was light, but we had a small thunderstorm once the night came. Will that be enough to break the heat?
As for sweat, it streams down your body as if you are taking a shower. However, with the water shortages, actual bathing requires more effort. Many (most?) of the wells have dried up, and the water supply to the pumps (which are linked to a central water tower) is shut off for parts of every day. My water source, the pump at the health center, may be shut off for all but an hour of every day, and you never know when that hour will be. To make things worse, the nurse locks the pump and keeps the key for herself, so it requires a fair amount of good fortune to actually be able to get water. At many of the other pumps in town, there are regularly crowds of 20-30 people waiting for water.
Chaleur is the second half of the six-month dry season that started in November. There have been some advantages to the lack of rain: travel is easier/possible on roads that hold craters of water during the rainy season, and it is a great time for construction projects. The lack of rain, however, also means that everything is exceptionally dusty, and many people have come down with colds after inhaling too much dust.
A particularly interesting feature of the dry, often windy weather is the dirt devils, which are mini tornadoes that can spring up at a moment's notice. One school principal gave me the scientific explanation, then went on to explain that he does not believe it. In reality, he said, the dirt devil is a man who has transformed himself to do harm to others. You can attack it with a gun or knife to stop it. I asked him, therefore, why he was not rushing out to attack the dirt devil to keep it from hurting the children in his school courtyard. He explained that you must eat well to build up your strength before attacking it. Otherwise, it could kill you.
Now, for all that I have said about dry weather, I must make a confession: it rained today. I was shocked since last year's first rain reportedly did not come until mid-May. My colleague explained that if the rain is light, the heat and misery of chaleur will only amplify. On the other hand, the first heavy rain is supposed to break the heat and bring relief. Our first rain was light, but we had a small thunderstorm once the night came. Will that be enough to break the heat?
Since I'm not a hot weather person it's hard for me to imagine how one copes with such high temperatures all the time with no relief, except for perhaps, the rain. I would think you'd feel like standing out in it in the nude, basking in it for however long it lasts. Dark skin helps the natives, but that doesn't help you. Then to have so little water, in addition, would be unbearable for me. Just how do you cope?
ReplyDeleteJean Ralley
The best place to be is outdoors under the shade. I try to keep out of the direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, and it is actually pretty pleasant in the early morning and in the evening. I avoid the indoors at all costs because it is an oven, day and night. I sleep outdoors and it is fantastic.
ReplyDeleteWhen you are stuck indoors or under the sun, that's when you really start to sweat. Luckily, sweat does its job and keeps you cool, especially if there is a breeze. One thing that is lucky up north is that we have relatively low humidity. The south has lower temperatures but higher humidity. Yuck!
So I see there is hope for some relief early and late in the day. Are you wearing the native dress, which would seem to be very uncomfortable in the heat? Are you able to get enough water to both cool yourself at some point and to drink, so you don't get dehydrated?
ReplyDeleteJean Ralley
I gave up wearing the native dress shortly after arriving in village. Showing knees is indecent in village, so when I wear a Beninese skirt, I have to wear pants underneath when biking to avoid revealing my knees. This is exceedingly hot. Sometimes I would try to discreetly remove the pants upon my arrival at my destination, but then I rarely found a place to put them back on before biking home. Because of this, I was sometimes stuck walking 30 minutes home.
ReplyDeleteI had some serious water shortage issues last week, so I have been careful since then to hoard water. I do always keep plenty of drinking water on hand, but it is hard to carry enough drinking water with me to satisfy my needs while I am out. The most I carry with me is 2.5 liters, and sometimes that is not even enough for the morning.