Winter = rainy season

So last time I checked, Nicaragua was located in the tropics. This generally necessitates that June-Dec must have heavy rains. I’ve traveled through Costa Rica on three different occasions and the rain may as well have been on a timer. “Uh oh, it’s 3:53pm. We better head for shelter or we’re going to be taking an involuntary shower.” This hasn’t been the case in Nica. We’re exiting the cosecha (the period of time during the rainy season when it…doesn’t rain.) so it’s only starting to rain regularly—with a vengeance. Out of nowhere, the hellishly hot clear afternoon skies (still 90+ degrees here) will inexplicable turn black and UNLEASH. So now I try to be home by 4pm or I prepare to be inconvenienced.

This is also probably a good time to mention that rain REALLY is an inconvenience. Why? Well for starters rain jackets don’t often exist here, umbrellas may as well be porous and only a small fraction of the population own cars. All of these add up to cancelations and things not getting done. If it’s raining, it is universal knowledge that whatever you WERE going to do is now postponed. Be it school (students or teachers), work, or meetings it doesn’t matter, canceled. To compound the effects even if it LOOKS like it’s going to rain, people won’t attend. This is due to the fact that no one wants to be stuck in a location if it’s gonna be a long storm. For example, Wednesdays I go to my rural school (a 20 minute bus ride). To get there the bus has to literally ford a river. There is no bridge right now there’s a constant stream of 2-4 inches (depending where you cross). I’ve been told that during a rainstorm, this can easily double. Therefore, there’s a fair chance then when I leave for school at 1:30pm it’ll be bright and sunny and when I’m ready to leave 4:15pm, I’ll be stranded in a monsoon.

Anyone wanna send a kayak in my next care package?