Dry Season

People in the States ask me if January is winter or summer here.  The answer has perplexed me for a year now.  It is both and neither.  

I am no climate expert, but I thought because we were above the equator it would be coldest in January here.  But the inside of our house is never below about 70 at night.  It is jacket “cool” outside, but the days are the hottest up to 90 because there is little shade.

So here in Cameroon, we have two seasons:  The “dry” season and the “wet” season.  The dry season runs for about 4 months from Dec-March and the “wet” season is about six months from May through October, with a month or so of transitional weather.

Most Missionaries I know dread the dry season because of the intense dust (and lack of consistent water).  Many local people have no glass on the windows, just curtains and the dust blows in easily into the house and layers of dust accumulate on everything.  Luckily our windows seal well, but I like to keep the windows open for the nice breeze and since we got a screen door, I do feel it is a bit dustier. 

Even the paved roads are dusty and the “green” bushes are orange brown because of the dust.  I was driving behind a truck on Tuesday down a dirt road and couldn’t even see his truck through the thick air so I had to pull over. We are quite blessed to have so many paved roads near us and the compound is quite grassy.

We all feel a bit congested because of the dust, but when I had my cold earlier this month it felt like I had pellets of rice in my nose. I will never again take for granted air moving freely through my nostrils.

Interestingly we just had a bit of rain as I am composing this.  This is most unusual for this time of year.  Some feel this is “Climate Change” but others say it happens every so often that the “season” is a bit different. These rains are “dirty” rains because it pulls all the dirt off roofs and trees etc.

One of the blessings of the dry season is that the kids get to play outside after school.  During the rainy season we rarely go out after 3pm. And since we are on the equator and have no daylight savings the sun doesn’t set until 6 or 6:30 pm. And of course the wood is nice and dry to make our fires!!!!

-Joy