Winter in the Tropics

While many of my friends back home are posting about the beginning of summer, we are heading into the throes of winter in the southern hemisphere. What does “winter” mean in the tropics? Technically they don’t have winter in PNG. There are only two seasons: rainy and dry. On the coast, “winter” (dry season) means slightly cooler temperatures and less rain. In Ukarumpa, which is at an elevation of about one mile, it often means very chilly mornings and evenings!

On the morning we woke up to move to our new house last week, it was 48 degrees F. For my New York friends, that probably seems downright balmy for winter. However, the houses on center have no heat and no insulation. That means often it is colder (or hotter!) inside the house than it is outside. Luckily we have a fireplace in our house, but we still have to drag ourselves out from under the covers in the morning to build a fire.

Another factor in our chilly mornings is that if there wasn’t enough sun the day before, the water will not be warm for the shower! All the houses have solar panels to heat up their water, so cloudy days mean tepid water. You also have to think about your hot water consumption at night; e.g., if we use the hot water to wash dishes, there will be less hot water to use in the morning. Often, we heat up water for dishes rather than using our supply of hot water. Don’t forget that since we’re on the equator, the sun always sets between 6 and 7, so there is no chance to collect more solar power after dinner!