Hot Baths and Cold Showers

One of the luxuries that I missed most when I was in Tanzania was hot water. You know: hot water for shaving or bathing or doing the dishes. There was, of course, hot water, but it was boiled and did not come from taps. We did have running water, though, so I was able to indulge in daily showers with cold water.

I am old enough to recall when cold showers were prescribed as a means of preventing blindness and acne, so there are perhaps deep psychological reasons for my aversion but the main reason I have always hated bathing with cold water discomfort. There was something harsh and sharp about cold water hitting one's skin. Hot water, on the other hand, seemed comforting and therapeutic.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually enjoyed the cold showers. Perhaps it was the heat, perhaps it was a sense of adventure, but I didn't find showering with cold water to be any sort of an inconvenience. And imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually prefer cold showers to the near boiling heat of the hot water in my bathroom pipes.

Now if only I could figure out a way to reduce the water pressure to a trickle.