Rain, Rain

DSM, April 2007

So I’ve traveled in countries during rainy season and I’m from a place that, unofficially, has a rainy season (in Florida, we call it summer) but I’ve never really lived in a place with “long rains” and “short rains,” so this here half-year in Tanzania was my big chance. Sure enough, it can be very wet in rainy season.

Rainy season came late to Dar and all of Tanzania this year. Seems like one of the many effects of global warming is that weather patterns that have held for generations are being thrown out of whack! But when it arrived, it did so with gusto!

I had wondered why large numbers of streets, and even many buildings, have small moats on the sides of them. Now I know! When it rains, it rains hard! In sheets. Downpour-o-rama. So long as you are not walking around—as the dirt roads turn to mud—it ain’t so bad. Of course, there are often huge puddles everywhere and I’ve watched some vehicles be swallowed in a good-sized urban pond. Fortunately, never have seen a drowning.

Actually, I love being at home for a good rain. First, it gets darker. Then, the wind starts to pick up. Then, after a few minutes, a few drops. Shortly thereafter, boom! Big rain! As our house, and many others, have metal rooftops, the sound also is quite fun. These aren’t thunderstorms, no lightning and not much thunder. Just big rains. So cuddle up with the one you love (or, hell, with the one you’re with) and dig the rainy season…