Heat Never Takes a Holiday

Even though I am from Texas, I can say that Morocco in the summer is hot. Most days the high temperatures will climb up to around 100 Fahrenheit and hover there until the sun begins its evening retreat. The one aspect of the weather I do enjoy here is the low humidity. The mugginess of the South would only make the current summer climate unbearable. The difference between Fes and Houston isn't the heat but the fact that air conditioning is rare in Fes. In the U.S. refuge is around every corner as A/C offers an escape from the heat. Here it is a twenty-four hour battle. There is little respite from the heat and it is something you must learn to live with. It doesn't necessarily mean you will be comfortable, but you adjust. During mid-day the sun is so intense no one ventures outside. There is nothing much you can do in the early afternoon. Just being outside, or even inside is enough to make sweat roll down your back. The American obsession with always being clean, dry, and smelling wonderful is put behind and as long as you don't mind being hot or a little less than comfortable it isn't bad. At night a cold shower is welcomed and wears away as you sweat yourself to sleep in the still warmth. During the day the heat can build up inside our apartment at the top of the three story building. Our one break from the lingering hot air can be found in the breezes that sweep across the roof, especially at night. I walk down the street during the day and watch men in pants, long-sleeves, and a djelleba on walk by in the heat without breaking a sweat. Somehow people can dress as Texans would in November and still appear comfortable. I do know that I will be returning to similar weather in less than a week, but now the glory of A/C will be a pleasure that won't soon grow old or be taken for granted.