I like piña coladas and getting caught in the rain

22/03/2013

As the title suggests I am a fan of cocktails and spontaneity in the rain, only one of these two things have occurred here in Hawassa!

When I arrived I had a weather discussion with my host father, in which he assured me that the months I am spending here are dry months and there will be no rain. Much like the ‘seasons’ in the UK this has not held true.

Of course when it rains here it actually pours, you get the whole shebang not just a few trickles. It comes down heavy and fast causing everyone to scarper to the nearest shelter. One day I waited long enough for it to be lighter so I could walk home, after all our skin is waterproof, but a couple of minutes into the journey the heavens truly opened and I joined the locals in sheltering until it passed.

This is the view I had while I sheltered; the bajaj drivers had abandoned their vehicles to stay dry!

This was my drowned rat state when I returned home in the rain

I did actually come prepared for rain, I have some rubber flip flops which are more suitable for rain than my other shoes, and I have a rain mac with me. The key to making use of these things is to actually have them with me when the weather turns which so far has not happened. It is so unpredictable, the majority of the day could be glorious, and then late afternoon/early evening it turns entirely. The beauty of it is watching the sky change colour like a chameleon to the mood of the weather, and seeing the area around you light up by the flashes of lightening.

This is the weather rolling in over Lake Hawassa, the image is not perfectly clear as there was no light other than the lightening for the shot.

The best part of this weather, for me, is getting home, drying off, feeling a chill and putting on something warm - it causes a real nostalgia of the UK (and I hear that even in mid-March the UK is being ravaged by cold weather and snow). Even better is the sound of the rain plinking on the tin roof while I drift off to sleep like a melody that drowns out any other noise that would normally disturb me.

The interesting part of it all is that in the mornings after the rain, you would barely know it had happened. There is not a puddle in sight and the ground is barely damp, whether it is soaking in or evaporating in the heat I am not quite sure. One thing that is certain is in the days leading up to the storms the heat is scorching, and once the storm has passed the temperature comes down to a bearable level again.

Kx