Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

We're in winter here in Peru and for two years I lived in the north, where it was warm, now I've been in Lima, which is in the middle for a year. Winter's been harsh this year. People don't think of LA as cold, but in the morning there's frost. Especially where I work, in the hills of Lima.
People in the south are dying because of the cold. YOu can see your breath in the morning. I guess the difference between where I've lived before and here is that there's no heating system.

What about you? DO you have heat?

[danielita]

Nope, no heat here... but it's REALLY unnecessary. The coldest recorded temperature was 19C and that was in the 1950s. Normally it never gets colder than 21C at night so having heat here would be a big waste.

D

[Guy Courchesne]

Mexico City homes generally do not have heating, despite getting some cold periods in the winter...it will go down close to freezing overnights for maybe 10 days some winters.

People usually use more blankets or plug-in space heaters. Every winter there are stories of people dying from carbon dioxide poisoning from trying to rig up a fireplace in ramshackle housing in the poorer areas in the hills.

[jillford64]

No heat or aircon in homes here in Morelia either. I had to buy a fan and a space heater, which solved all my problems, including blocking all the racket so I can actually sleep at night.

[John Hall]

Heating? The words "heating" and "furnace" are almost impossible to explain to my students. And that's why I am in the tropics.

The Pleasantly Permanently Unfrozen Canadian

[MELEE]

Traditional building methods like adobe and rammed earth meant that Mexico did not need to develop indoor heating even in the highlands. However something happened and people (wrongly) began to think those building methods were inferior to cement. And now we all wear sweaters all the time. In most building in my part of Mexico, it's usually the same temperature inside as it is outside. Like my office, burr!. But luckily I made informed decisions when building my house, which feels cool in the hot months and warm in the cold months and I don't need to turn on any lights until sundown.

[misterbrownpants]

hi
well herein uruguay most people have a fireplace in their houses - because it gets darn cold down here esp. in winter. now for example it is probably 5 degrees sometimes it gets as low as in the -!!!
but.. some people (who can afford it) use electric heaters... or air conditioners on heat control. (in my work we have that)
but alas in my house.. we livein an apt. made of concreate.. anddddddd have nothing..so wearing many layers keeps us warm.. that and spooning! ha
its cold here.. i always see my breath! inside!!! sometimes it is hotter outside than inside!!! in the summer that wouldnt matter but in the winter!
also.. its humid so you feel it more it seems
plus with winds its tough!

[naturegirl321]

We hit a 20 year low this week. It was 11 degrees here in Lima.

[ls650]

Here on the Oaxacan coast the temperature rarely drops below 20, even in the middle of January.

On the other hand, if you drive for a few hours up to a place in the mountains such as San Jose del Pacifico, it can get downright frosty and damp, and most homes have some form of heating.

[rlloydevans]

My wife and I are in Guayaquil, Ecuador, just down the road from the Ecuator, and I don't think it has been below 20 deg since we arrived here. Right now, it is the best time of the year with the temperature hovering all the time around 20-24 degrees.