¿Invierno?

As some of you might know, the month of July (known as julio) is the beginning of winter here. Yes, when you switch hemispheres you also switch seasons. So, my first reaction would be to not fear this "south-american winter". How bad could it be? If I check the Weather Chanel, they'll inform me that an average temperature at this time of year is around 15ºC.  So I packed a leather coat, a few hoodies, certain to have all the warmth I would need. This would be nothingcompared to those dreaded -30ºC! And that is where I was horribly wrong. First, it says 15ºC, but it feels like under 10ºC. And the humidity will seep into all of your clothes, sink into your bones and make you shiver all day long. What is a few minutes in the sub-zero cold to living non-stop in this kind of cold? In my first night, I woke up shivering uncontrollably. I forced myself to get up, find my coordonator and with the little strenght and coherence I had, I said : "One...One another blanket... Pleeeease!" Since then, I go to bed with multiple layers of clothes, always have my hood up and at least four blankets. In the meantime, I keep getting these emails from friends and family saying that they are breaking heat records up in Ottawa -- 38ºC! For some reason, I have a feeling us gringos are colder than people who live here ; maybe because of the psycological effect of knowing that you could be working on your tan right about now. Rumor has it that it is even colder in the rural parts of Peru, so let this be a warning! Guys, bring a coat or you will regret ever leaving your record breaking Toronto heat. If this sounds terribly bleak to you, I must add that I am one of those people who are always cold, no matter how hot it is. I think it has something to  do with our peripheral cardiovascular circulation. Anyways, I can assure you that Peru will be much more charming if you can admire it under a nice warm blanket.