Beating the Heat

Last night at 10:00 p.m., it was 85 degrees outside and 90 degrees inside! We decided to let the children sleep in our room. We blew up a big air mattress and they camped out for the night. Our room was a little claustrophobic with the air mattress and Jonathan's pack and play, but at least we were all able to get a good night's sleep.

In answer to one of the comments on our blog - No, our house is not air-conditioned. It would be VERY expensive to cool the whole house. Our electricity rate is based on usage. The more you use, the more you pay per KWH. If you use over 700 kwh, you pay twice as much as the base level. We do have an air-conditioner in our bedroom so we can at least sleep at night. The children do not. We would like to be able to get one for them. They wake up smelling like sweat when they went to bed clean.

Life in the extreme heat is different than life in the northern U.S. You wear out much quicker and are not able to get as much done. One of the things that amazed us when we were stateside for several years was how much better we felt and the amount of things we were able to get accomplished in a day. I imagine if the whole house was air-conditioned, we would feel much better and be able to get more done.

To beat the heat, you must drink extra water and juices. It is Dominican custom when you visit someone, to bring you a glass of ice-cold juice or soda.

The Dominicans also take time off between 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - the hottest hours of the day. Most places are closed during this time, except for the big stores. Taking a "siesta" during that time is not that they’re being lazy, it’s their way of handling the heat. Smart! Days when the temperatures are high, we find ourselves with a headache by noon. If possible, we try to rest at least some between 12:00 and 2:00, also. They say only crazy people and "gringos" (white people) work during siesta time. :-)