Three showers a day - just to stay cool

Usually taking a shower or two or three or four times a day helps to keep me cool, in spite of the tropical heat and humidity.  There’s nothing like chilly water to bring down your body heat and restore comfort.

But now, during the summer weeks, there is no escape from the heat.  Even the water that is supposed to bring relief is warmed beyond anything refreshing.

The typical water system in Brazilian homes and apartment buildings involves having a large water tank on the roof. Water is pumped up into the holding tank, then gravity provides the pressure needed to deliver this water to various faucets, showers and toilets.  When showering you experience water falling on you – not shooting out at an accelerated rate.

As you might imagine, when the water supply is stored in a tank on the roof – it gets cooked by the summer sun. So by mid-day or evening, that water is practically hot.  Cold or even cool water is not an option.

Cool showers are taken in the morning.  By noon, showers are lukewarm.  In the evening the water is nearly hot (even when set to the cold option).

So instead we freeze drinking water in the freezer.  Rather than try to cool down with water poured over our skin, we seek relief from cold water poured into our stomach.  And with ceiling fans.

Now that I live here – I totally understand the idea of afternoon siestas.  While not a big tradition here in Brazil, I get it why they would be normal in some cultures.  It is just too hot in midday to do anything.