Remember when I said I was traveling to super hot countries where i wouldnt need my jeans (or, come to think of it, my favorite black north face fleece thats part of my SF uniform)? Yeah, scratch that. I froze my butt off in Joburg. My friend Chris Maloney from Stanford that I stayed with here even warned me in an email before I left SF:
"Hey KC,
Just FYI...don't forget that you'll be in South Africa in the middle of our winter-time, so do bring some warm clothes. It's a bit colder than Stanford in January...temps at night fall to close to freezing in Johannesburg, but by day rise into the high 50s, and it's typically quite sunny and dry. Cape Town will typically have windy and rainy weather every other day or so this time of year, also with highs in the 50s. So bring a windbreaker/raincoat for sure, and some warm sweaters/sweatshirts--layers is the way to go, though nothing like winter in NYC.
The thing most overseas folks aren't prepared for (at least in Jo'burg) is that being inside in homes in wintertime is oftentimes colder than being outside--as no one has heating (rich or poor), since winter is so short (maybe eight weeks of truly cold nights) and then it's nice the entire rest of the year. I have an electric heater and blankets, like most South Africans, but just FYI.
See you soon.
C. "
What a thoughtful email right? Too bad I didnt listen. Chris was right on about the whole inside is colder than outside thing too. I wore almost every layer i brought with me to sleep on his (very comfortable and cozy) couch. What this means for Kili...well, we'll just figure that one out later...
Freezingly yours,
KC
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2 comments:
OH NO........! Life without jeans means KC Freezing?! that wasn't the intention! I'm afraid you're cursing every night at the thought of me putting those jeans away as we got packed up to take you to the airport, convincing you that you wouldn't need them. --gulp--
Hot tea??
Great blogging so far - keep it up.
So. Do they stop at red lights yet in Joburg? We were there in 2001 and the common practice, at least at night, was a slow roll through the red to foil would-be carjackers. That and the downtown was full of skyscrapers that were completely dark (abandoned?). Joburg is (was?) crazy.
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