6/02/2008

How to beat the heat


It's starting to heat up here in Mazatlán...it's supposed to be 33 C (91 F)today and 59% humidity. We are still sleeping with the windows open and fans on - we aren't in a hurry to get into air conditioning at night. It still cools off pretty nicely at night, thank goodness.

We have great ventilation in our house but most of the time for the last few days the thermometer has been around 84 F inside. We're fine with that temperature as long as we can have a breeze - either natural or from a ceiling fan. We do drink a lot of water and iced tea to stay hydrated, and don't walk too far if we can help it in the middle of the day.

People have lots of strategies to beat the heat. The woman at the top of this post is walking with an umbrella - a popular choice here. People carry cloths to blot perspiration. The woman below had an unusual choice - a box on her head!


Me? I like to have a tall glass of Campari and tonic or Campari and orange juice. Very refreshing!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think after you toss back that jug of Campari, wearing a box on your head will seem quite reasonable.

Tom

Steve Cotton said...

Great photograph. With the mural as a backdrop, you could be sitting outside in Capri -- or Mazatlán.

bloglogger said...

Hi, folks... I just want to comment about another way to beat the heat.Humid brezze usually comes from the ocean, from the South west to be sure. When this happens close every door or window facing the incoming wind but be sure to leave the opposite side of the hall open. Most of the heat you feel comes from the humidity getting inside. Try it. You'll notice a clear difference. Fans will help to keep your home even fresher.

Nancy said...

OK Tom, I guess I deserved that! But Campari is so nice on a hot day I couldn't resist outing my weakness.

Steve, the mural is based on a town not far from here, Copala.

Bloglogger, thanks for the tip. I have been in the habit of closing doors and blinds on the west side of the house in the afternoon when the sun beats in but I never thought of it as that is where the humidity comes from, thanks. We have lots of ceiling fans and they make a tremendous difference, but since we have a couple expanses that have wrought iron but no windows, we can't exactly keep it out...but the iron is on our inside courtyard so it doesn't get the wind off the ocean.

Gracias, everyone!

Anonymous said...

Campari looks so refreshing, but for some reason I have this idea that it tastes like licorice, which I don't care for. Can you divorce me from that probably erroneous thought?

Ok, I'm off to anger more people with my views. Be back soon.

Nancy said...

Heather,

I think you're thinking about Pernod...that is yellow and tastes like anise.

Try Campari sometime, I love it.

N.