First impression of Costa Rican rainforest weather

It’s really interesting to live in a place with consistent yet unpredictable weather. For example, every morning I wake up sans alarm around 6. This is not some desire to be an early riser, or to accomplish something specific before work, it is simply that it starts getting light out around 5-5:30 (and getting dark around the same time in the pm). Which means the rooster and chickens wake up around 4:30, and other animals and creatures progressively wake up after this. The 6am crescendo of sounds combined with bright Central American sun and clear blue skies pouring in through the windows and curtains are apparently too much for my body to resist. This so far is the routine every morning. However, come 8:30-9 o’clock, close to time to start walking to work, the sky may be closed off with clouds just waiting to start a series of downpours off and on all day; As was the case yesterday and today. Or this downpour might come unexpectedly at any point in the day, rolling in and pouring rain in a matter of minutes, breaking up the sometimes oppressive blanket of heat that normally characterizes the days.

When Cena and I first stepped off the bus in Puerto Viejo to wait for Yazmin and Sam to pick us up, the air was so thick it was almost hard to breathe. We were sweating just standing there in front of the bus terminal. However all around us were Ticos wearing pants. Bewildered by how they could be wearing long pants and jeans in that heat, we figured it must be our bodies that grew accustomed to the brisk Andean air and chilly to freezing nights. The first night we slept with both windows open in our room, only a sheet that just barely covered us, and we were so hot, sticky, and sweaty all night. The only relief from the heat came around 1am. The next day our top priority after orientation was buying a fan.

Last night however, as it was a ‘cooler’ night, we slept with one window closed, fan off, and a sheet AND a fuzzy blanket. Our bodies are adjusting nicely. Thankfully during the oppressive heat of the day we are normally at the Centre, which has the magic of air conditioning in the library.