enjoying views from Koh Phi Phi viewpoint – Thailand

Travel Perspectives:

Maybe It’s Time for Me to Leave SE Asia? 

When I arrived in Nepal in late-September, I was suddenly struck by a very peculiar personal phenomenon. One that has continued unabated ever since. Now two months in the making, I’m still scratching my head over this one…

It all started during my first week in Kathmandu, Nepal. Day after day I keep asking myself, ”What the Heck is happening?” totally perplexed. There I was in Nepal, in the foothills of the Himalayas, in late-September, but I wasn’t cold. In fact, most days I got too hot, sweaty even. That was incredible.

Here I am at a temple in Kathmandu, sleeveless!

I was so astonished that I kept checking the Kathmandu weather reports on WorldWideWeather.com every day in disbelief. Yet every day the site reported daytime temperatures in Kathmandu of 25 C – 27 C (75-80 F) and night time temps of 13-14 C (55-57 F).

Now I realize that for most westerners 25 C / 75 F is warm, not chilly. But for me, that’s generally quite cool indeed. Normally at 25 C / 75 F I have to wear long pants and one or two long sleeve shirts over a T-shirt to stay passably warm.

Even then my ears, nose and fingers tend to get chilled, especially if I’m just sitting around. If I cycle in those temps I inevitably have to wear a headband over my ears to prevent searing pain in my eardrums as cold air sweeps over me. And within 10 minutes of stopping, I begin shivering if I don’t immediately change into warm, dry clothes.

And Kathmandu’s night temps of 13 C / 55 F normally feels absolutely freezing.

When I’d planned my trip to Nepal and the Indian Himalayas, I’d been slightly nervous about getting too cold, especially at night. Instead, during my entire 3-week tour of Nepal through mid-October, I barely managed to tolerate wearing my lightweight floor length dress, sleeveless at that. Daytime and most evenings I never put on one long sleeve top.

Even more bizarre, at night I was sleeping in just a T-shirt and undies as if I were still in the tropics. I sometimes pulled a sheet over me, but likely as not I slept without one.

Wearing my long sleeveless dress at Baktapur, Nepal in October

Under normal circumstances, at even 25 C / 75 F at night I must wear my long satin pjs lined with flannel, with a sheet pulled firmly over me all night long. Normally, 13 C / 55 F would require a heavy blanket as well.

In Nepal and now in the Indian Himalayas, I often recognize that the air is cool or even cold. But it doesn’t bother me. In fact, I rather like it. In my rooms I’ve often noticed that the floor under my bare feet is cold, something I’ve loathed my entire life. But it hasn’t bothered me in the least for the past 2 months.

In Nepal in September and October, if I so much as took a 10-minute walk or ate a hot meal, I was quickly dripping in sweat, wishing it was even colder or that I could take off my long skirt or dress in exchange for my usual short ones.

And that continued steadily, day in and day out, night after night, for nearly one month in Nepal.

When I arrived in Dharamsala, India in mid-October I was suddenly confronted with even colder weather: daytime temps of 20 C and night time temps of just 5-8 C. I finally began wearing long sleeves – one layer – and pants. With that I was perfectly comfortable.

Initially I was quite nervous about sleeping in unheated rooms with outdoor temps of only 5-8 C but, once again, I was perfectly fine to my great astonishment. I did finally begin wearing my fleece-lined satin pj.s and using the heavy blankets provided. With that I slept perfectly well and never felt cold at all!

posing with a local man in Mandi – Indian Himalayas in November – perfectly fine in 2 shirts, no coat!

As October turns to November here in the Indian Himalayas, the temperatures are noticeably dropping. I’m wearing more and more layers. I sometimes have to wear a hood or a fuzzy headband. I can feel chilly cheeks, chin and ears. But I’m still ok with it all.

Sometimes at night I even have to remove my socks and one layer of blankets because I’ve become too hot! What’s going on?!

It’s as if my body has suddenly turned into a furnace. I’m still completely stupefied.

For the past 15 years I’ve been a die-hard tropical heat lover. And an even more die-hard cold hater. I’ve been happily kicking around tropical SE Asia since 1998, completely loving the hot, humid tropical climate.

Cycling in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2012. Perfectly fine in 30C +

More accurately, I should say that my body has been loving the hot tropical climate. Ever since the 1990s when I lived in an unheated house in Kyoto, Japan for 6 years, my body has vehemently rebelled against cold weather. I mean to an excessive extent, as I hinted at above. To be more specific:

Since 1998 daytime temps of 30-35 C (86-95 F) have been my body’s favorite temperature. In those temps I can happily lay out on a tropical beach, suntanning for 1-2 hours, midday. The hot sun rays feel absolutely gorgeous.

I happily cycle, hike or climb mountains for hours on end (though not midday, I must admit). And I’m much relieved to be able to stop for a break at any time without getting chilly, sweat or no sweat.

Lash with giant termite mound in Australia – long sleeves at 25 C / 75 F

During these 15 years I have occasionally bravely ventured out into cooler climates. I traveled around Australia for nine months in 2003, during which time I constantly found myself chilly in 25 C wherever I went. By the end of nine months I was totally fed up with chilly weather and completely relieved to return to the wonderful tropical heat of SE Asia.

I trekked and cycled in Nepal for one month in November, 2001, without suffering from cold nearly as much as I feared I would. Day times while trekking or cycling I got away with 2 long layers. At night I survived thanks to my 0 degree down sleeping bag.

I spent one summer in England, where I happily kept toasty warm inside a heated house.

But I wasn’t exactly loving the cool weather on any of those trips. I was tolerating it. And I was always relieved to get back to SE Asia’s hot tropical heat.

But now it seems all of that has suddenly, inexplicably changed.

Well actually, to be perfectly honest, this temperature change isn’t quite as sudden as I’m letting on. It seems to have been slowly creeping up on me for about a year. Since last year while kicking around SE Asia I have noticed that I seem to be less inclined to be outside midday. I’m no longer enticed to lay on hot beaches.

on sunset dinner cruise at Langkawi Island, Malaysia

I have not even minded a/c nearly as much as I used to for 15 years. In fact, I’ve actually recently at times thought, “Oh, this a/c feels refreshing for a change.” In evenings, when I normally have to wear long sleeves, I’ve been wearing my short sleeveless dresses, tank tops & mini skirts without feeling the least bit chilly… hmm…

I’d been assuming it was all because I put on 20 lbs / 10 kg since I started travel blogging 2 years ago (due to suddenly sitting all day on a computer for two years straight and also inadvertently not exercising nearly as much as my body is accustomed to).

Sitting, reduced exercise and increasing body fat percentages would all lead to a slower metabolism. The extra padding would make me less tolerant to heat and more tolerant of cooler temps.

I assumed that once I kicked off that excess weight and got back to my usual lean, fit self that I’d also get back to loving the tropical heat.

pumping iron in the fitness gym in Penang, Malaysia in August

But I’ve lost more than half that excess weight and dropped at least 10 percent body fat (calculated by machine at the fitness gym in Penang in August) Yet my body still seems to be loving cooler weather.

So now I’m a bit stumped.

If you’re tempted to mention the M word here (menopause)… Well, I am over 40 so it could kick in any time I suppose. However, my regular monthly periods are going strong. I’m not getting hot ‘flashes’. I’m just constantly warm or hot, regardless of the outside temperatures. And just last year a gynecologist assured me that I can indeed still get pregnant, should I wish to. Which I most certainly don’t.

Maybe my new cold affinity is a result of my remaining extra 10 pounds / 5 kg in body weight? But it doesn’t seem likely that such a small change in weight would lead to such a complete change in temperature preferences. Besides, I’ve gained that much weight before without losing my heat-affinity.

Maybe after I lose the rest of this weight and return to my super lean self, I’ll suddenly revert to hating cold again. Who knows?

From my current perspective it seems more like I’ve just zapped out of 15 years of an anemic state. And who knows, maybe that is the explanation?

One thing is for sure though. If my body continues with its current preferences, I think it will be time for me to finally leave my beloved tropical SE Asia.

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing…

enjoying a fresh snowfall at Christmas in Kyoto

At long last I’ll be able to travel through a whole slew of countries that I’ve been avoiding because of cold weather. There’s Europe – both western & eastern, New Zealand, the former Russian countries, much of South America, and heaps of mountains. Spring! Autumn! Maybe I could even enjoy winter and snow again?

Who knows where this is going, but I’m tentatively planning to head to Eastern Europe in spring and Western Europe in summer, maybe into autumn? All I can do is roll along and see what happens.

Meanwhile, this week I’ll be testing my cold limits much more vigorously. I’ve just arrived in Shimla, a ridge-top mountain resort town resting at 2200 M / 7260 ft. Day time temps are 16 C / 55 F and night time temps are a whopping low of . My spacious unheated room feels mighty cold and I just bought myself a pair of gloves. Let’s see how I survive ‘winter’ here in Shimla.

Reporting from the road, Lash

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You might also enjoy: 

Travel Perspectives: Dreaming of Viewing the Northern Lights

Confessions of a Cold Weather Hater (and what I’d love to do if I could tolerate cold weather)

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