How do you handle humidity?

[Johnny1975]

Well, here's a sympathetic response to the problem. When I was in Thailand last year the air just about knocked me over. The wretched climate, combined with the squalor and decadence of the country, made me curtail any plans and just stay inside as much as possible while I was there. Don't ever want to go back to that part of the world.

I am, however, conditioned to dry heat, after living in Arizona for a few years. But 45 years ago I lived for a year in the Panama Canal Zone, which has got to be as bad as southeast Asia for humidity. And I've spent a few summers in New Orleans, which is almost as bad. So you can adjust somewhat.

But I really don't want to spend any significant amount of time now in a climate that makes me feel lethargic. Asia just isn't on my radar.

Oh well, I guess latin America is out of the question for me too. It's a shame. I don't want to feel lethargic either. I live in the UK which is so boring, the last thing I want is weather that makes me want to fall asleep. I want to live in a place that makes me want to get up and do something. That's why I think southern Europe is best for me in that way. But damn, those filipinas.

[gsjackson]

Well, here's a sympathetic response to the problem. When I was in Thailand last year the air just about knocked me over. The wretched climate, combined with the squalor and decadence of the country, made me curtail any plans and just stay inside as much as possible while I was there. Don't ever want to go back to that part of the world.

I am, however, conditioned to dry heat, after living in Arizona for a few years. But 45 years ago I lived for a year in the Panama Canal Zone, which has got to be as bad as southeast Asia for humidity. And I've spent a few summers in New Orleans, which is almost as bad. So you can adjust somewhat.

But I really don't want to spend any significant amount of time now in a climate that makes me feel lethargic. Asia just isn't on my radar.

Oh well, I guess latin America is out of the question for me too. It's a shame. I don't want to feel lethargic either. I live in the UK which is so boring, the last thing I want is weather that makes me want to fall asleep. I want to live in a place that makes me want to get up and do something. That's why I think southern Europe is best for me in that way. But damn, those filipinas.

No, there's a lot of variety in Latin America's climate, and some of it is close to perfect. All down through the Andes on the western coast of South America, starting at Venezuela and Colombia, the weather is really sublime. Most of Argentina has a great climate, as does Uruguay.

[Taco]

I can hardly stand the climate here in Cebu it makes me sick quite often. I think about moving everyday. Even the locals complain about it.

If you live in a tropical country you need to be in the mountains. Once you get a few thousand feet above sea level or more the climate is much more pleasant. That's why most expats prefer to live in places like Chang Mai Thailand, Baguio PI. or Guadalajara Mexico

[gsjackson]

Chiang Mai isn't quite high enough to escape the tropical climate. They have a dry season from November to March where it isn't too bad, but the rest of the year the average low temperature is well into the 70s, which indicates very high humidity to go with daytime temps in the 90s.

You can tell how bad the heat/humidity index is by just looking at the climate chart in the Wickipedia article for any given city. If the average low temp during the hot months is in the high 60s and up, you know you're going to be dealing with some difficult humidity. One reason I like going to Prague during the summer is the average low in July is 53, which means when it does get hot in the day it is dry and the temp will drop a lot at night.

Mexico, by the way, has some of the best weather in the world, including in Guadalajara.

[davewe]

Yeah, I didn't find Chaing Mai to be that much cooler, though I liked the place a lot.

If you like PI but hate the humidity, and know you won't or can't adjust - well it just may not work. For me I don't need to be thousands of feet up in a place like Baguio. There are many places that just being 200-300 feet elevated makes a big difference. Valencia, outside of Dumaguete is one of those places.

You have to know what you like and what is a must have. For me, I prefer heat to cold big time - so a place that's 80+ is a must have.

[Taco]

There are other problems with high humidity. Food spoils quickly if left on the stove for too long. Also, easy to get infections when injured. My leg is swollen from a serious infection I received after I burned my leg on the exhaust pipe of my motorbike a few days ago. This would never happen back home.

[Johnny1975]

There are other problems with high humidity. Food spoils quickly if left on the stove for too long. Also, easy to get infections when injured. My leg is swollen from a serious infection I received after I burned my leg on the exhaust pipe of my motorbike a few days ago. This would never happen back home.

f**k that. They should just turn the islands into a giant botanical garden and move their country elsewhere. I'm trying hard to find reasons to compromise but I don't think I'll be able to do it. I guess you have to really want to make the sacrifices. It's a high price to pay.

[davewe]

This has become a nutty discussion. But it did made me check online. I discovered that the average relative humidity in the East Coast city where I grew up is higher than the average relative humidity in Cebu. But make no mistake, they are both high. Meaning that if someone hates humidity, there are plenty of tropical places they should not live - and plenty of non-tropical East Coast cities they should also not live. But visit? Why not? Do your research, go when it's a bit cooler, have a great time, and return home to your cooler, less humid environment.

[Ghost]

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[Boxman]

Well for South America, I hear Uruguay and Paraguay have really nice moderate weather (so does Ecuador, but it's crime rate is out of control).

As for Europe, the entire Mediterranean\Aegean coastline is supposed to be awesome. I'm curious about the possibilities for happier-abroading in Greece, Croatia and Montenegro. What are the women like and do they have a positive view towards American or western-European men?