Gradually, day by day, we are starting to emerge from winter here in the northern hemisphere. And yet the nights remain stubbornly long. We are aware that just round the corner there could be more ice and snow before springtime begins to truly win out in late March. There's a long way to go yet. This current night - January 3rd - will last for some sixteen hours here in South Yorkshire.
When you live at or near The Equator, there's little variation in the length of day and night throughout the year. They remain roughly equal - around twelve hours. Never to know the lengthening of winter nights as in northern latitudes nor the summer shrinkage. Never to require much psychological adjustment nor the necessity for seasonal wardrobe changes.
The lives of those who of us who live well north of The Tropic of Cancer and way south of The Tropic of Capricorn are deeply affected by annual cycles of light and season that are of little relevance in tropical regions.
I am not sure why I followed this train of thought when my main intention was just to post a few photographs from my time in Thailand which just gets further back in the history of my life. It was exactly ten years back when I set out for a second six month teaching stint in Bangkok at the tender age of fifty nine. I spent my very last week in Thailand on the island of Koh Lanta in the far south of the country and that is where all these pictures were taken. In the entire Kingdom of Thailand you could not get much closer to The Equator than this.
I think on these long, many times cold, nights of winter, we could use some sun and sand and surf, even if it's only a photo!
ReplyDeleteThat was the initial intention of this post - to bring some summery sunshine to the table.
DeleteStarting to emerge from winter? England must have drastically different weather or you are incredibly optimistic. Here winter is just starting. Most of our snow will fall in the next two months along with the coldest temperatures. I don't start getting optimistic about spring until March first.
ReplyDeleteStarting to emerge in terms of the light - increasing every day. That's all.
DeleteNice comparison of two very different areas. I'll take the variety of seasons even if some of it is cold.
ReplyDeleteHumans were very good at adapting until climate change came along.
DeleteI remember being in Hawaii and finding it so strange that the sun set so quickly and so early. Although it was dark, it was still lovely and warm, nothing like home where early evenings mean cold. It would be so strange to live someplace that has not variation.
ReplyDeleteIn tropical countries when the sun goes down it's often like a blackout blind has been yanked down. One minute you have day and the next minute it's night.
DeleteSuch even-ness of day and night, winter and summer sounds ideal to me. The northernmost tip of Queensland Australia is also very close the equator, but they have monsoon weather and it's too far away from my kids so I can't move there.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's often a downside of tropical regions - violent weather, including hurricanes.
DeleteFor everything that is wrong in Thailand, I rather like the country and I would be interested to hear more about your experience there.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a lot about Thailand in the early months of both 2011 and 2013. You can go back in my blog if you are sufficiently interested Andrew.
DeleteObviously, with me not being geographically all that far away from the UK, our daylight hours do not differ greatly. But the roughly 30 minutes more daylight we have now as compared to before the solstice already make a difference - 15 minutes in the evening, and 15 in the morning. Those long after-work walks will be back, snow or no snow!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a colleague at the publisher's. He worked only a few months every year to make enough money for his next Thailand trip and then spent the rest of the year sleeping and smoking on the beach of Ko Samui, along with a few other hippies. He was the most relaxed person I have ever met in the working world.
You can live very cheaply in Thailand and no heating bills!
DeleteI often wonder how much we spend on heating, fuel and electricity during Autumn and Winter?
ReplyDeleteHow ever much it is, the cost zoomed up in the past few months. After all, those oil companies and shareholders have voracious financial appetites.
DeleteI am longing for some longer daylight hours. Preferably with less rain.
ReplyDeleteGod seems to have been especially unhappy with residents of The Isle of Man. Perhaps it is because he has discovered heathens residing in one of his houses.
DeleteRemarkably the spring bulbs are pushing up their shoots even before New Years Day, buds are pushing open on trees too. Hezvy frost followed by mild weather might have done that here in Hants, and it could all be in for nasty shock.
ReplyDeleteI like the word "hezvy" Tigger. Haven't heard it in years. I believe it is Yiddish.
DeleteOur winter days are slightly longer here. It didn't get dark until around 6 p.m. even in December. Now the outdoor lights are coming on around 6:45, and it's lighter earlier in the mornings too. It's currently 10ºC and forecast to be another sunny day.
ReplyDeleteThis is all because you are further south but on June 21st our midsummer day will be significantly longer than yours and our night will be a lot shorter too.
DeleteWow, our sunset is at 4:28pm today, sunrise at 8:50am. But in the summer, the sun doesn't set until 10pm.
DeleteA month of warm sunshine, would make the winter go faster.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly would and it would also clear up my cruddy flu-like condition.
DeleteThank you for posting your Thailand pictures. The peaceful scenes bring me a certain reassurance. My son flies into Bangkok to begin his travels at the end of January. He has no return ticket. He'll travel far and wide until his money runs out. I hope you'll post more pictures and feel free to remind me how Thailand is particularly safe for young travellers.
ReplyDeleteThailand seemed to me to be a peaceful, law-abiding country but of course I never went to Pattya which is I think a place to avoid. He should also avoid smoking grass as the authorities can come down on this like a ton of bricks. If your son is sensible like his mother, he should have a fabulous time out there.
DeleteI love that you got to go live and teach in Thailand for awhile. What an adventure it must have been.
ReplyDeleteIn total, I spent a year of my life there. The opportunities was presented to me on a plate. I didn't go looking for it.
DeleteIt looks properly exotic! Meanwhile, doesn't it seem awfully balmy for January in the UK? We don't have any temperatures near freezing in the forecast for the next couple of weeks.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. It has been quite balmy these past few days but February is waiting for us with a menacing sneer.
DeleteOn Lewis today the daylight (dawn to dusk) is about 8hrs 20mins if my calculations are correct making our night shorter than yours according to your calculations. That doesn't sound right to me. I would have expected your day to be at least 30 or 40 minutes longer than ours. I wouldn't have thought about it but a friend in Glasgow sent me a picture of how light it was at 1630 today when it was pitch black here despite being a lovely clear moonlit sky.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the BBC weather site, sunrise on Stornoway was at 09:12 today and sunset was at 15:50. Effectively, this means that there were only 6hrs and 38 minutes of daylight on your island today. Either your calculations are wrong or the BBC Weather site's figures are wrong. This could be connected with smartphone distraction.
DeleteAh. Thanks YP. I was using the dawn to dusk times which are different.
DeletePerhaps it is me who owes you an apology for going with sunrise and sunset times.
DeleteAmazing photos of tropical beauty, Neil! What a wonderful adventure for you!
ReplyDeleteMy son printed my Laughing Horse Special Award and I have it proudly displayed in my kitchen! Thanks again! :)