[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — It is midnight and the temperature is down to 85 degrees with 74 percent humidity.
Between heat rash and mosquito bites, I look as if I have the measles. I always thought that mosquitoes lived in jungles and marshes, in wetlands and by water.
I live inland in an urban area where there are no pools of water or outdoor fountains near my apartment. However, perhaps technically, I could be considered a fountain or waterfall since I am non-stop dripping wet, day and night. Or another description could be that I am a melting popsicle.
To cool off, I open the door to my freezer and stick my head in among the other popsicles. No wonder the mosquitoes come to me. And it is only July. August is the worst month in Israel.
Hours from Everywhere
Israel's southernmost city of Eilat, on the other hand, is currently 99 degrees. Surprisingly it only has 25 percent humidity even though it sits on the Red Sea. It was 110 degrees there earlier today. I think I would much prefer the dry heat of Eilat.
Although hotter than my town, it is more comfortable because of the lack of humidity. Eilat is adjacent to both Jordan and Egypt. It is a resort town of beaches, hotels, discotheques and water sports like snorkeling, scuba diving, para-sailing, free-fall parachuting, swimming with dolphins.
It has an underwater aquarium that is like going down into the submarine ride of years ago at Disneyland where you were surrounded by walls of windows/portholes to view the coral reefs, fish and flora of the sea. Disneyland had mermaids. But so far they have not been discovered in the Red Sea.
The water is known for having flora and fauna species from biblical days. I once thought of moving there, having been encouraged by relatives who wanted to visit me in a “fun” place. But since I no longer scuba dive (not since I got caught in kelp and panicked years ago), and no longer participate in “fun” things, I moved closer to civilization. Eilat is four or five hours from everywhere else in Israel.
Many people say a sweater is needed for Jerusalem nights because it gets cold. Tonight Jerusalem at midnight is a comfortable 72 degrees with only 46 percent humidity. To me that is not cold, unless compared to other areas of Israel. Everything about Jerusalem is perfect. Perfect weather, perfect humidity, perfect blue skies (especially those above the Kotel – also known as the Western Wall/Wailing Wall, the holiest place in all of Judaism — the last remnant of the Holy Temple), a perfect city of white glistening Jerusalem stone buildings that when seen up close are not really white but a vanilla and peach color. I consider Jerusalem the most beautiful city in the world.
Where Is the Fast Easiest?
It is the perfect subject matter for an artist's palette of colors. And in a few days when Judaism mourns the destruction of the Holy Temple on Tisha B'Av, a fast day like Yom Kippur, those in Jerusalem will probably have an easier fast because of the milder weather. For me, not eating for 25 hours is do-able, but the heat and humidity of my town make me very thirsty.
Tel Aviv can get humid, especially since it is on the Mediterranean Sea. But it also gets those necessary sea breezes that are craved by those trying to cope with the muggy weather. During the day, the Tel Aviv beaches, with their pristine white sand and combination of clear turquoise and aqua colored waters, are crowded with sun worshipers. At night, the foamy white-capped waves splashing on the breakers under black star-studded skies afford beachgoers a view and a respite from the burning sun.
When I first came to Israel, I stayed in Tel Aviv for a month during the summer. I thought I would never be able to survive the humidity. Now that I have moved from there, I know what real humidity without breezes is all about.
The good news is that today my physical therapist put me in a cervical collar to “stretch” and support my neck in an attempt to alleviate the pain I am experiencing in my neck, shoulder, arm and hand. It has been a few months that I have been going to physical therapy. The good news is that the collar seems to be absorbing and/or catching the liquid seeping from the pores of my face and neck. I might be able to survive the summer after all.
L'hitraot. Shachar
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel three years ago.
