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The Constance of Same

the cock crows at five

every morn of the year

at six pm sharp

the twilight appears

it lasts only minutes

and swiftly accedes

the indigo mantle

night’s velvet embrace

like the beat of the metronome

the constance is thus

warmth tempered by trade winds

days length always the same

some cherish four seasons

and long for the snow

a shivering body

cold fingers and toes

icicles forming on the end of one’s nose

but the beauty of tropical

will always remain

like the beat of the metronome

the constance of same

Bali enjoys the warmth of the tropics without the stifling heat. Because it is small and its plains descend north to south it is open to sea breezes. A cool breeze always springs up in the evenings. The temperature at sea level is usually 28-30 degrees Celsius and humid. As you go inland and travel higher in the mountains it becomes correspondingly cooler. In some mountain villages it can be quite chilly of an evening.

The sun shines almost constantly; it is daylight at 5 am and nightfall by 6 pm. The South East Monsoon, which occurs during the dry season (from April to November). The wet season is from November until to March. It rains for short periods (an absolute deluge), usually in the morning and late afternoon. The rainfall is heaviest in the south of the island where most of the people live. Ess than half the annual rainfall (1, 800mm) falls in the arid north coast, and at the islands eastern and western points.

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