Change of Season - Rain!

For those living in North America, rain may not seem like a big deal. In fact it may often be an unwelcome visitor, seeming to arrive with uncanny timing for weekends and outdoor events. Here in the Guanacaste of Costa Rica, May begins the "low season", "rainy season", or "green season". Last night, right on schedule the first rain arrived to Nosara. Nothing could have been sweeter.

The dry season begins in early December and ends in May, but these pattern changes are not abrupt. The rain begins to fade in mid November and by January it is indeed a rare event here in the Guanacaste. Months of no rain, sunny skys and blue water seem to be just what the tourist crowds want as this period corresponds with the tourism high season. If you live here such prolonged drought, though normal and expected, takes it's toll. Gardens fade to brown without regular and copious ammounts of water applied. Unpaved roads become dust factorys and the temperatures at the end of the dry season can be stifling with humidity building week by week toward those first welcome thunderstorms. Even the people who endure the full dry season can get a little crispy around the edges. We always want what we do not have!

Last night marked the begining of the gradual shift we all have been waiting for. The rain lasted for about an hour. My guage said just under 3 cm (about 1 inch) had been granted us. This morning was predictablly cooler, fresher. The surrounding real estate was moist with the plants taking in the much needed water. My morning run was without the dust and my lungs were grateful. With a few more rains the fishing at the Boca Nosara will even improve as the fish respond to the change in flow and nutrients coming down the Nosara river. Surfers will enjoy a larger swell as the waves react to off shore storms. The famous Costa Rican sunsets will appear even more brilliant and intense. Each year I am in wonder at how fast the landscape changes to vibrant green, seemingly within days of the first good rain.

So it begins. The rain and the low season are upon the Nosara beaches. Each year I notice more people discovering that the rainy season is not a negative but indeed quite a positive thing. The rain is not an every day event, especially at first . The mornings are generally sunny with showers later in the afternoon, perfect timing for a siesta. Less people, a bit cooler, great waves and world-class fishing. The "low season", the "rainy season" or the "green season", what ever name you choose, is notably less low these days - and I certainly understand why.

Pura Vida!

Carl