Heat

Yesterday I literally felt the most heat I have ever felt in my life. As it turns out it was 45 degrees Celsius, a temperature that I have never been subject to before in my meagre life. Ben and I have been stuck in what we have come to know as The Hottest Town in the World, (waiting to get Derby to a mechanic), and have had nothing to do but wander around aimlessly and hang with the locals, who just seem to stare, whisper to themselves, and laugh at everything we ask in English or mime to them. I have never felt more like an outsider. I don't think this is your usual tourist town, (I can't see why not, I mean it has so much to offer, 3 cafés, 2 mechanics, a garage, and 3 banks, and lovely holiday weather - if you are a camel - ...a hub of activity). And due to the fact that Ben and I are just sitting around, I can see why the locals point and whisper, they are probably dying with curiosity as to why we would be wasting our holiday here, me typing away on the laptop, and Ben drawing pictures on my phone.

Anyway, after a few hours in one café, we decided to go for a walk through the town and sus it out. Now normally this would be a wonderful idea for a tourist...what better way to spend your time than taking photo's of the small villages and local tourist attractions, (which I mentioned previously). The minute we stepped outside we were hit with the heat. Now by heat I mean it literally felt like we had, (I know it's cliché), stepped into an oven. Ben said it is like a heater has been turned on surrounding your body. Instantly the sweat starts pouring. Nothing I can write can capture that feeling until you have experienced it for yourself. Then a breeze comes...oh how nice is a breeze usually...not this type of breeze...it is like a fan heater, just blowing all he lovely heat right over you. We quickly make our way to the shadow of buildings...the temperature does not even drop one degree. It is too hot to move, and where are we going to go, so we sit ourselves on the concrete in the shade of a building...surely the concrete will offer some cool relief...but alas, the concrete is almost as hot as the air itself. We jokingly discuss going for a run! Literally the only relief are the air-conditioned cafés, so we make our way to the second one.

By 6pm, the heat has barely diminished, we make our way to café number three.

By 11pm when we finally make our way to bed after hot solar showers, it is still sticky and hot and sleeping in the van can be compared to taking a nap in a sauna. I am surprised we sleep at all!