A Sizzling Hot Day

 We were prepared for day temps in the 80s, but what we got today was 96F, and the first indication (besides of the forecast) was that we woke up to almost 72F (22C) at 6:30am. I had planned to make a quick run to San Carlos for drinking water and a few more groceries. So I wanted to go as early as possible but had to wait until 8am for the businesses to open. By that time, the heat had become a tad uncomfortable, especially when having to run errands.

In order to find the places I wanted to go to, I used Google maps. But because the Tetakawi BLVD consists of a main center run with two lanes each way and a business spur on either side of the middle the Google advice was at times confusing. This will all be part of the initial learning curve and thus not any further issue in the future.

Returning to camp, it was time to creep up in the shade, but first I hopped into the ocean for a swim. Now it fits here to talk about a certain "danger" lurking in the water. Nope, not sharks, but baby stingrays. They are hiding under the soft sand and prefer, just as us, the warm water. It is advisable not to step on these creatures as they can hurt you with their poisonous barbed tail. (looks alot like a scorpion) If hit by a stingray one needs to get the foot into hot water to avert most of the pain and the poison to travel up the leg. Pain meds are helping! a bloody wound would occur needing treatment. Luckily, the big grownup Mom and Pop stingrays live farther out in the ocean, but they can actually kill a human.

Walking into the water one should shuffle the feet across the sand, which will scare those creatures away. It also helps to wear shoes made of special stingray-resistant material. We will be looking for them in town.

So let's move to the sizzling weather today. A breeze sprang up and made our lives a little better, but dogs have no benefit of it, as they can only get rid of body heat through their tongue and their feet. They don't feel any cooling in wind. So this afternoon Dixie started serious signs of overheating. So we put her into our car after starting engine and AC. After a while she slept on the floor. And now, after dark, she is back in the bus sleeping away - exhausted after this day.

So yes, even a paradise has its problems.

For days we have preferred to eat cold meals, not only to avoid feeling even hotter, but also to avoid heating up the bus. If any cooking is necessary, we do it in the morning.

Another hot day will come up tomorrow. Let's see......