Summertime in the Desert

The temperature has been rising since I arrived in Udaipur in February, and I miss the chilly nights that once upon a time required a fleece and scarf. Now it is constantly in the high 90s, and will only get hotter.

This is what I have done so far to stay cool:

New clothes. I bought two new sets of cotton to make two new shalwaar kameez sets and some shirts. I obsessively searched the whole town for the finest, lightest cotton possible. It cost me a pretty penny, but it's been worth it. I am wearing one new shalwaar kameez now, and it feels like I am wearing pajamas and an undershirt. Fabulous.

Lime soda. Whenever I go out to eat, I drink lime soda - a genius invention in India. The waiter brings me fresh squeezed lime juice in a chilled glass, sugar, and a cold bottle of soda water to mix myself. So refreshing.

Rearranging my bedroom. Since I got a new bed in my room at home, Auntie helped me angle it so that it is closest to the ceiling fan as possible. Also I sleep with my head at the foot of the bed, in the middle of the room, so that I am getting airflow directly to my head. Sometimes I sleep naked too.

Midnight showers. I have resorted by to my old trick from summers in Mexico. When I wake up in the middle of the night in a full sweat, I jump in the shower! At least to get my head wet, and sometimes my pajamas too.

Wet towel. Some people in Udaipur insist that when I go outside, I wear a wet towel on my head. It seems a bit silly to me, and I haven't tried it yet, but as it gets hotter I might get desperate.

Cold coffee. Even in the hot summers, people still drink hot chai several times a day. I still drink it as well, but recently I had a great idea to buy some instant coffee to make for myself. In the afternoons now, I mix the coffee, sugar, purified water, and some chilled milk in a glass and keep it in the fridge for an hour for it to get it cold. It's a great afternoon drink to cool me down and give me an energy boost when the heat is exhausting.

Watermelons and mangos. They are now in season and I am very excited. Auntie says she makes watermelon sherbet in the summer, and I couldn't be happier. We even have our own mango tree in the garden! Yummy.