Last night I got a taste of what the rainy season is really all about in Costa Rica. It started raining in the afternoon, as usual. (At least we have clear mornings, for now). Then, as the hours wore on, the storm kicked up. Buckets of rain. Heart-stopping thunder and lightning. And the air was actually chilly.

A little after 5, I had to start heading towards the school. I knew if I walked, I'd get soaked, even with a raincoat and umbrella. My plan was to get one of the taxis that are always parked down the road. So I stepped outside and was immediately drenched. The wind made my umbrella all but useless. The taxis were gone. I tried hailing a few as I walked, and none would stop. I kept walking towards the school. I came across massive puddles that I had to wade through. My shoes were filled with water. At some points, it was above my ankles.

As I got into town, I saw that the streets were flooding and that traffic was crazy. If I'd managed to get a taxi, I probably would've been late. Drains were completely backed up. More than that, they were gushing water upwards. They looked like fountains or fire hydrants.

By the time I made it to my school, my shoes and pants were completely drenched. Two of my students called to say they couldn't make it to class because of the rain. One was very late. And this week, my classroom is outdoors. It's covered by an aluminum roof, which means rain is very noisy. Cold, wet, and frustrated, I just wanted to go home. But somehow we made it through three hours. I think I even managed to teach a thing or two.

Thankfully, the rain stopped before I had to make my way home.

Labels: costa rica