Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Zambian Winters - Sleeping in a beanie with two hot water bottles - July 20, 2011



For the last several days it has been exceptionally cold here at Kasanka. Not cold by Minnesota standards but cold nonetheless.  The low has been in the high thirties (Fahrenheit). In a house with heat or at least proper insulation this would be no problem. Sleeping in a tent is a different issue. I have taken to sleeping with two hot water bottle, a beanie, and socks. According to my digital temperature monitor the lowest temperature occurs between 3 and 6am. At 3am my water bottles have become lukewarm. At 5am I have to get out of bed, and get dressed. By 6:30am I am with the baboons standing in the shade with frozen fingers and toes while they warm up in the sun. Needless to say it takes a few hours before I am thawed out. These temperatures only last a few weeks and the benefit is that the days are gorgeous, in the seventies, sunny, with a slight breeze. I think I can handle a few days of cold for this, especially because I know in just a few weeks I will be cursing the heat.

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