The wet season in Bali (Nov-Mar) means daily showers and high humidity. The Balinese say that during this time the earth is ‘panas‘ (sick) and have a special ceremony marking the end of the wet season. For them its all about the cycle of reproduction, which is very much a part of the Hindu religion.
One thing about the wet season is the rapid growth of fungus. I looked at my shoes the other day and they looked like a biology experiment. Its no wonder hardware doesn’t work after a while. If I hang something in a wardrobe for a few days, it starts to grow a green fungus. Ana, our pembantu took the mattress off the bed, out on the grass for a few hours. The sunlight gets rid of the fungus, but if we didn’t do it, we would always have that smell in the background. If you live in Bali its a good idea to put your cushions and pillows out in the sunlight for a couple of hours once in a while.
My bathroom wall, which is painted white, started growing a patchwork of grey blotches, some the size of dinner plates. I told Ana to put some bleach in a spray bottle and use it on the wall. A few days later Ika told me Ana doesn’t like using bleach. I told her to get it on the wall fast, and now the fungus has gone. Imagine owing a Mercedes over here, talk about depreciation!
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My uncle is a marine biologist in Panama and has the same problem. His closets contain a high wattage incandescent bulb which burns 24/7 and keeps the closet dry. Just an idea. Of course the downside might be the power you burn.
Cheers
Stu
I was in Darwin for a while in the mid 1970s. Same there in the wet season [which is approx the same as in Bali].