The weather is starting to get to me, but it's not the welcome late afternoon rains that are doing me in; it's the almost unbearable heat and humidity.
The old cliche "it's not the heat, it's the humidity" was never more true than it is here in Hanoi. An ordinary late morning walk of 30 minutes or so has my shirt soaked through to the skin and my brain crying out for some air-conditioned relief.
But AC is expensive here, and although I have an ACd hotel room, the hotel's management keeps the thermostat locked in at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a welcome respite from the muggy streets of the old city neighborhood, but in my room in the daytime I can't wear much more than a pha khao ma, the Thai version of the men's sarong. This is a popular garment for men of all ages, in many countries of the region, for when they're simply hanging out at home.
Unlike in Bangkok, the Vietnamese capital city doesn't have nearly as many centrally-cooled shopping malls, fast food restaurants, and other oases of tropically-located, electrically-powered cool zones.
So it's best to get out early--seven or eight in the morning at the latest until 11.00 or 12.00 noon--then take a long siesta after lunch before going back out again at 5.00 p.m. as things begins to cool down a little, hopefully with some rain to help things along.
These past few days, however, we haven't seen much rain either--even though the skies have remained cloudy for much of the day.
Showing posts with label rainy season. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rainy season. Show all posts
Friday, July 4, 2014
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Liking the Rainy Season for the Same Reasons I Once Hated It
I like traveling in the tropics during the rainy season which contrasts sharply with my attitude during the time I lived in Thailand in the early 1990s.
Contrary to popular belief, the rainy season doesn't mean it rains all day everyday. But often it rains toward the end of a very hot, humid day which can cool things off considerably. Even when it doesn't rain, there might be thick cloud cover which cuts the blinding glare of the tropical sun.
In Thailand I played fiddle in a Thai country music band. We worked nights, often every night of the week. In Thailand, the high season is known as the "cool" season because the weather is not too hot in the daytime, while at night it can be pleasantly cool (or "cold" as the Thais call it). The high season (November thru Februrary) was very busy and lucrative for us musicians.
In March and April comes the brutal hot season. It gets so hot that even the Thais complain about it. Temps of 100 Farenheit are not uncommon. Nighttime doesn't bring much relief.
The rainy season in Thailand is the longest season of all--May thru September or October, just as in Central America. As musicians, we still had work every night, but it was definitely the "slow" season for us, and we had much less extra work gigging on private parties, for example.
While now I enjoy the late afternoon rains here in Nicaragua, in Thailand at the time these would hit just when I getting ready for work. Since my principal mode of transport was by motorcycle, this often could be problematic for me if the timing of the rains was bad. Once I had to skip a high paying gig because I was caught in a heavy downpour, ending up completely soaked and in no condition to join my colleagues for the gig, who mostly had real cars and pickup trucks.
Now that I'm not working nights in the tropics, I really like the feel and the sound of an all night thunderstorm. It's very refreshing. And on rainy days here, often the buses are a lot less crowded, so it's easier for me to get around with my gear.
At this time of year in Central America, as in Thailand, there are fewer tourists and fewer crowds in general. Often this means that I can get discounted hotel room rates. What costs me $20 now might cost double in December or during Easter week.
Perhaps the worst thing for me about the rainy season in Thailand was simply the long, dreary length of it. Similar to the length of a Wisconsin winter, by the end of September, as I recall, I was very weary of the rains--even a little bit depressed by it.
That would make the imminent arrival of the cool season in October/November something to rejoice in and celebrate. . .
Contrary to popular belief, the rainy season doesn't mean it rains all day everyday. But often it rains toward the end of a very hot, humid day which can cool things off considerably. Even when it doesn't rain, there might be thick cloud cover which cuts the blinding glare of the tropical sun.
In Thailand I played fiddle in a Thai country music band. We worked nights, often every night of the week. In Thailand, the high season is known as the "cool" season because the weather is not too hot in the daytime, while at night it can be pleasantly cool (or "cold" as the Thais call it). The high season (November thru Februrary) was very busy and lucrative for us musicians.
In March and April comes the brutal hot season. It gets so hot that even the Thais complain about it. Temps of 100 Farenheit are not uncommon. Nighttime doesn't bring much relief.
The rainy season in Thailand is the longest season of all--May thru September or October, just as in Central America. As musicians, we still had work every night, but it was definitely the "slow" season for us, and we had much less extra work gigging on private parties, for example.
While now I enjoy the late afternoon rains here in Nicaragua, in Thailand at the time these would hit just when I getting ready for work. Since my principal mode of transport was by motorcycle, this often could be problematic for me if the timing of the rains was bad. Once I had to skip a high paying gig because I was caught in a heavy downpour, ending up completely soaked and in no condition to join my colleagues for the gig, who mostly had real cars and pickup trucks.
Now that I'm not working nights in the tropics, I really like the feel and the sound of an all night thunderstorm. It's very refreshing. And on rainy days here, often the buses are a lot less crowded, so it's easier for me to get around with my gear.
At this time of year in Central America, as in Thailand, there are fewer tourists and fewer crowds in general. Often this means that I can get discounted hotel room rates. What costs me $20 now might cost double in December or during Easter week.
Perhaps the worst thing for me about the rainy season in Thailand was simply the long, dreary length of it. Similar to the length of a Wisconsin winter, by the end of September, as I recall, I was very weary of the rains--even a little bit depressed by it.
That would make the imminent arrival of the cool season in October/November something to rejoice in and celebrate. . .
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