Languor...

Just the sound of this word conjures images of empty porch swings, lazy dogs and still water.

This heat we are experiencing is capable of inducing a state of being where the only thing happening quickly, is nothing.  The resulting lull in activity, while uncharacteristic, is not unwelcome.  There is pleasure in doing nothing when it's too hot to do anything with real enthusiasm.  Here these spells of heat don't last and when they pass we can pick up and move on with our usual bustle.

I spent a summer travelling in the Yucatan and parts of Central America and when the sun is high it is white hot, yet no one complains.  It isn't even remarkable.  Air-conditioning is uncommon, only rarely encountered in banks and large groceries and the entrances of these buildings are heavily patrolled to discourage loitering.  Instead, in the midday sun the streets are deserted.  Shops are closed.  Sashes and shades are drawn against the heat and glare.  It is customary to retreat into the dim.

As I remember, nothing I can typically describe as productive occurred during these hours -- watching telenovelas on pirated cable, reading, nibbling, drowsing.  It was unsettling at first, having years before been conditioned to abandon afternoon napping and similar idleness. 

Still, I quickly fell under the heat's languid spell.  Sometimes it's best to surrender.