Scorching?

I listened to the radio with amusement on Thursday as they described the day as a 'Scorcher!'. A scorcher...at 23°C. Granted, it was a lovely hot day - a beauty!- not to be sneered at - some really summery weather...but a scorcher? i think not. At least another 5° before I concede a scorcher. Never mind. The sun here in New Zealand really is quite vicious and searing, so even at 23°C it feels like you're sizzling, so I guess it's all relative.

It literally makes peoples eyes boggle when i tell them about the hottest day I've ever experienced at 50°C (45°C in the shade). I was going down the Orange River (the border between South Africa and Namibia) and I guess, if you're going to spend the day in such heat, then cruising down the river is a good way to do it. We all spent most of the time IN the water, holding on to the canoes and drifting downstream. It was a fantastic trip - all the more so because all the catering was taken care of by the guides, and all the camps set up by them too. The distance we travelled was shortened because of the extreme heat, but we didn't mind, we were so well taken care of. I remember the hot winds at night, blowing off the hot rocks and desert sand - so warm in fact, that I went to bed in my bikini under a damp sarong to keep cool. Fun.

Wouldn't have been much fun had we not had it so cruisy.