Tips on surviving the heat

amyl

Besides that, the increased frequency of visiting the important place comes with a very good side effect.....it makes sure that you donot sit on ur desk for long (if urs is a sitting job like mine was...IT). Ppl end up sitting for hours together leading to minor to serious back problems. That brisk walk to that place gives ur back a break from the strain.

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being jin

Q

How about cafes, and other indoor places in Chennai, are they well air-conditioned? I mean, cool enough to shelter poor newbies from the heat? Can I run into the place when it becomes unbearable to stay outside?

Nick-H

Yes, the bigger (and hopefuly better) of the 'hotels' (this means restaurant, you'll get used to this confusion...) will have an AC room where you'll be comfortable.

Many of the bigger shops like sari shops and jewellery shops will have AC.

But you may find it too cold! Sometimes I'm glad to get back out to the warmth again!

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

sirensongs

Yuk - I hate it when that happens. ;-)

A baseball hat, while not exactly in keeping with an SK or sari, is extremely useful esp. when riding a scooter. I used to say "You know you've been in Auroville too long when your baseball hat matches your sari." ;-) (Scooter travel is mandatory in AV due to long distances.)

A more traditional arrangement is to wrap the ever-useful dupatta scarf round my head like Mughal princess, then round the back of my neck and let the ends drape demurely over my front. This keeps the head and neck covered. Men do variations of this too, I have noticed (mostly labourer men though).

I averaged about 2 or 3 showers a day in Indian summers.

Lime soda with both salt and sugar is a real life-saver too, as is a peculiar Indian concoction called Rooz Alfa.

Splashing on astringent-cologne or jasmine perfume makes you feel cool and clean, for a minute or two!

I always tried to monopolize the table directly under the fan - does wonders. ;-)

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"Why do people go to India to find themselves? India is where you go to lose yourself."
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Nick-H

I hate being under a fan, and usually request that the one over my table be turned off. I'd rather sweat.

One of the few things that Mrs N and I fight about

sirensongs

sure - western hats! But I don't know of any hats of Indian origin that have the all-important sunguarding brim!

Star hotels and certain cafes have kick-ass AC. I know all their locations in every major city! ;-) Real life savers.

capt_mahajan

You may have meant Rooh Afza

Aam Panna (its a cooler made with green mangoes) is another good idea in the heat.

Nick-H

and almost certainly not the important SPF. Remember that a lot of that UV is going straight through fabrics.

Something like a Tilley Hat (my heirloom; my late mum loved the style and had a heap in different colours, including two unused that are now here with me in Chennai) or an Ultimate Hat won't come cheap but could be a good investment.

Curious that both these companies make a very similar hat, both talk as if it is the only one of its kind, and, of course, both seem to think that theirs is just the best!

Hat wars, anyone?

PeakXV

Apparently the old Aussie tennis players use to place frozen cabbage leaves in their hats to buffer the heat from the hot sun ... no mention of the corned beef

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

amyl

In Pune one will see almost every girl on moped with this terrorist like covering. A couple of years back police had banned it just for the reason of this 'terrorist' like look. They wanted to show atleast some part of their face than just the eyes...which mostly were also covered with dark goggles. . The ban was later removed. But yes this is the best way to keep from hot air, dust, pollution which is abound in Pune...I doubt about its comfort in humid climate like in Chennai tho..

Having got really steamed up I have walked into ATMs for a quick relief. ALL ATMs in India are A/C. Just go in...pick up the helpline phone there and try all options but the one that takes u to the operator and learn more about that bank. No one cares if u have that Bank's ATM or not. Directly walk in.

McDonalds, KFC, Cafe Coffee Day also come to mind if you in city center.

If one is not Brand-fanatic we get some really cheap hats at any place in India. Cricketers use them too....100Rs or say max 300Rs for a decent quality hat.

amyl

cyberhippie

A vest under your shirt keeps you cool. Just look at the Indians!!

When it gets seriously hot I try to avoid direct sunlight between 12 and 3. A good book and some shadow or indeed a little siesta!

monkgonemad

hats are good and not good. my head is shaved so i wear a hat now. before, i neer like them much. i have a white long billed 'baseball cap' currently. lost three caps india last trip doh!

i would not recommend carrying bottled water unless you have a TINY daypack to put it in. just buy it when you need it. i always think is so funny..the foreigner and his/her water bottle eternal comapnions.

cyberhippie hit on something...if i can extrapolate it - do as the locals do.


dont sweat it (couldnt resist).

Nick-H

Mrs N has an eternal water bottle companion.

And she's no foreigner

It amuses me to see people clutching their mineral water bottles on the London tube as if dehydration (or mineral deficiency? ) might set in before the next stop, but here it enables you to take those frequent sips and also means you don't have to buy a new bottle every time you stop for a snack.

But I would not necessarily agree with 'doing as the locals do': their bodies are born and bred in the climate. Most visitors do not spend enough time here to even begin to acclimatise, which, I believe, takes weeks or months.

A great example would be wearing a woolly scarf and hat in January Chennai! Yes, many a local does!

I was wearing one in an AC concert hall the other day, and an Indian woman I know from London saw me and expressed astonishment that I should do such a thing here! Long time since she was Chennai-acclimatised.

This vest thing... never made any sense to me. If you ask Indian's why, they say it absorbs the sweat. Great! Wear a sweat-soaked vest all day!

Important thing is to do what is comfortable for you. If you like that vest, wear it!

cyberhippie

The sweat and some circulation are what keeps you cool apparently a friend swears it works!!