Back home, in Cape Town, I drive a little Mazda MX5 – with a black soft-top and no airconditioning.
Whenever I park her in the Cape Town City Bowl, in the summer sun, for the whole day, I always dread getting in because the interior is like a little oven.
I always thought this was the hottest I could get.
Until I arrived in Ghana.
On my first day, I could not wait for nightfall, for the weather to cool down. But it never did!
In Cape Town, the nighttime temperature is usually around half the day temperature. Not in Ghana.
There is very little difference between the daytime and nighttime temperature (or the sea temperature, for that matter) – they all seem to be set at minimum 28 degrees.
I had a (heat) headache for the whole of my first week.
When I asked (with anticipation), at the office, when winter would be arriving, I learned that this is winter!!
Or more precisely, there is no winter in Ghana. Only Dry (And Hot) season and Rainy (And Hot) season.
We are in Rainy (And Hot) Season at the moment.
And even though it rains a lot – and when it does the sky literally opens – it makes little difference to the temperature.
The East-facing wall of my apartment still bakes during the day and radiates heat in the evenings.
Washing dries within minutes. Inside!
I have to force myself to close the fridge door immediately when I take something out.
Since moving in, I have not turned the geyser on once.
I hardly ever wear closed shoes to the office, and when I do I regret it within the first five minutes.
I still Walk Like An Oburoni ( See Day#22 ) most days, but always regret it half-way when I start seeing mirages.
In the mornings, when I get ready for work, I walk around in my underwear for as long as possible.
Not because I am an exhibitionist (although my neighbours may disagree), but to prevent rivulets pouring down my cleavage and the small of my back.
And then, when I get to the office, my colleagues are wearing jerseys and jackets!
As I sit writing this, it is.. wait for it.. 28 degrees outside.
While, accross the continent, it is 9 degrees back home, South Of The Wall, in Muizenberg.