Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Some Like It HOT

It’s hot! Probably the hottest it’s been in a long time. Fiery winds are billowing sanded smoke through the city while the scorching sun pelts down blinding rays. The beigeness is starker now that most of the plants have withered down to cadaverous stalks. The palms that are supposed to be flowering in readiness for the autumn harvest are covered in a dusty mesh. My head is pounding; it has been for days now. The litres and litres of water aren’t quenching my thirst but its better than the soft drinks and certainly sweeter than the cocaine-laced energy drinks! My energy levels are depleted and my brain is on life-support. All I really want to do is curl up in an ice box and snooze the afternoon away.

The dryness is unusual for this time of year – I don’t mind it that much really, but I sense that the haziness is a sign that the musty, dreaded, oppressive humidity is on its way. At least with the dry heat, even when it’s up to 52 Celsius I can still walk outside without feeling suffocated by the mouldy, dank air. Counting my blessings: the tap water is still lukewarm (I don’t get third degree burns from the “cold” tap) and I can still keep the front door open at night to allow a little breeze in. Sand storms haven’t been too bad or rather I haven’t had a sand dune think he can start an informal settlement in my lounge yet. It’s still pretty to go out to the beaches at sunset or midnight, hoping to catch a glimpse of the turtle hatchlings scurrying towards the sea.

The world-wide recession and swine-flu scares don’t seem to be hampering the mass summer exodus though. Rather than wander through the desert like their ancestors, most of the locals are making their way to greener pastures (literally), leaving a few zombies to roam the deserted city of the dead.

5 comments:

Az said...

The rain here is also quite unusual for this time of year.

I guess thats climate change huh?

shabz said...

I like the surreal feel with the subtle world affairs touch :)

Anonymous said...

desert demon huh? is that hell hole your home?

Anonymous said...

A piece for the tourism brochure??

desert demons said...

Azra - Enjoy the rain!

Shabz - thanks. The world is a village and what happens anywhere inevitably affects all of us, wherever we are.

Anon 1 - One persons hell hole is another's paradise. As a desert demon, I love every aspect of the desert - it's like a lover: cruel, harsh and unkind at times, beautiful, warm and inviting at others.

Anon 2 - Indeed. The true tourist would want to experience life as it is for the residents of a place. There's beauty in everything, if you're willing to open your eyes and mind to it.