So, we finally got through the rainy season during the initial part of our build, and really, it wasn't all that bad considering...Now you need to understand that the rainiest time of "rainy season" in the Guanacaste province (at least in the area we are located) tends to be October through November. We've taken several trips in the months of September / October and have gotten some (not much rain) but, buyer beware - when it rains, oh my, it rains.....
Here's a little secret: a lot of people are scared of rainy season, and I get it. How many times have I heard people say "oh my gosh, why would you go to Costa Rica during rainy season, you're going to get rained on, you're crazy"...Well, guess what, as sweet as I am, I'm not made of sugar, so I'm not going to dissolve in rain...In my opinion, the very best month to visit the Guanacaste province (North Western Province) is the month of September - all of the foliage starts to explode in various shades of green, yellow, pink, red, you name it..It gets unbelievably beautiful and lush. You're rolling the dice if you come in October (based on what we've heard and read) as the rain can be non-stop for days (and it's not just a few sprinkles like we get in Calgary); come end of November is when the busy season (dry Season) starts to show it's face...the beaches slowly get busier, the hotel prices start to climb, and shortly thereafter, boom you're right in the thick of the busiest time of year as people from the colder climates start taking their winter getaway vacations...The busy (dry) season goes on until February / March, and then it starts to slow back down and back to a more normal way of life. I'll be the first to admit that a big part of the Guanacaste province can look pretty darn dry between the months of February through til end of summer - but guess what, no rain (or very little).
All in all, the Guanacaste province has relatively consistent temperatures year round (34-36 degrees celsius during the day down to a "chilly" 24-26 degrees celius at night...) I kind of think that beats weather in Canada hands down (in my opinion, because I hate snow and I hate cold). So that was my attempt at kind of telling you what you can expect for weather during the 2 different seasons in Costa Rica. I've often complained that I was tired of living in Calgary because we only have two seasons, which are broken down as follows: 6 weeks of summer followed by 46 weeks of winter (or so it seems most times), but here I am, building a home in a country (province) that also essentially has 2 season, but you'll note, neither of those seasons includes snow!
Here are a few photos of construction progress once we made it through the first rainy season on the project. These are pictures of the footings the retaining walls, and the start of the pool.
A testament to the engineering that goes on to build in a country that has a lot of earthquakes....An endless amount of re-bar and this is just the beginning.
Footings and retaining walls. Boy oh boy, the retaining walls we needed on this project were huge...but, better to have them built right, then to have issues come down later on.