Sunsets & Surviving 93 F at 100% humidity

A Spiritual Sunset

Yesterday evening i enjoyed a magical moment, a spectacular sunset over the Indian ocean. Beautiful sunsets here are ten-a-penny as we face west and the sun sinks into the ocean. Last night it was different almost mystical. The light was a gentle salmon pink and just as it faded achieved a vivid quality which took my breath away. At the same time we were treated to a torrential localised downpour, each rain drop sparkled red and orange as it fell. Everyone stopped what they were doing and just watched as the setting sun's light was captured and fell to earth in a rain of fire. It couldn't have lasted for more than a few moments but in that time time itself seemed to stop. The intensity of the experience gradually faded and the moment was finally and somehow appropriately broken by the call to prayer from the mosque down on the beach.

The moment gone i poured myself another mango fizz (gin, fresh mango juice, soda over ice 2:1:3) and thought about our first month in India.

Living here is a strange mixture of the mystical and the madcap, the chaotic hustle and bustle of 1.5 billion people going about their daily lives, abject poverty literally living alongside massive wealth, slum shack next to multimillion dollar mansions built with the hard currency of India's technological miracle, the personal kindness we had been shown and the crushing cruelty of poverty we had seen, beggars and the mega-rich. Last night we all stopped to watch as nature put on a free show which outperformed any Diwali firework display. It was truly humbling.

I'm not a religious person or even a particularly spiritual one but here there is something intangible, something which seeps into the fabric of the place that's hard to describe and lends itself to thoughts of "something bigger". It goes beyond organised religion, though there are plenty of them to choose from here, and somehow touches my very essence of being.

Two more mango fizzes later I'm considering applying for the job of Pope.

Sleeping in 100% humidity

Last night it was no hotter than the night before, i.e. about 90+ F but it had rained just before bedtime. This was very bad news as the humidity soared to 100%. In real terms this feels like 120 degrees and is into sauna territory. Even the locals find this uncomfortable. I don't remember if i've already told you but we don't do air conditioning. If you are here for a couple of weeks fine, but if you are here longer air con will make you feel bloody awful. Longer term you never acclimatise to the heat, your body will continue to sweat at UK rates, you will dehydrate and have a cornflake filled nose and constant headache. So we don't and I'd advise you not to either but its your choice.

But there is a down side to non-A/C if it rains for just a few mins before bed its going to be a "sticky one". Last night was such a night. I must admit it wasn't helped by the mango fizz. So how to cope? Here are my tips, I have done all of them to various degrees of success, some are blindingly obvious others less so.

• Don't go to bed if you aren't going to go to sleep - all you will do is make your bed sweaty, 
• Have a cool shower - not a cold one it will make you feel worse, and if you only have an en-suite remember SHUT THE DOOR as it will supersaturate the air with even more water.
• Rather than using a mossie plug in thingy get a net, that way you can have the windows open
• if the room is tiled - try lying on the floor with a wet towel on you, as it drys it will cool you down.
• If all else fails - get up, read, listen to music stay awake all night sitting under a fan then kip on the beach in the morning. (p.s. If you can, buy a battery powered fan on Amazon/eBay before you come out. Sods law states the thunderstorm which raised the humidity will also have killed the mains power, which also means if you have gone the A/C route and your hotel/lodging doesn't have a very big generator you will be feeling really rough and near hysterical).
• If you are totally at your wits end call for a taxi and go for a night time drive with the windows open.

I went down the get up and read route.

By request the next blog will be about food, eating out and how to avoid Mysore Arse.