Today definitely felt like the “rainy season” version of Costa Rica. The rain honestly changed almost every activity we did. During the hanging bridges, it made everything way more slippery and definitely increased the fall risk, especially during some of the uphill parts. At the same time though, it weirdly made it more fun. After all the walking and humidity, the rain actually cooled us down a little and made the rainforest feel more real and alive instead of just looking at it on a sunny day.

Kayaking was a completely different story. Once the rain started, the water got way choppier and all of the water somehow ended up inside the kayak. By the end, we were basically sitting in a pool of water with soaked clothes, and once the wind hit it got freezing. It definitely made kayaking harder and less relaxing, but honestly also more memorable because everyone was struggling together.

The sugarcane plantation was probably the activity most affected by the mud. The rain is obviously great for the plants, animals, and overall environment because everything there depends on water to grow, but for us it made walking around pretty uncomfortable. At the same time though, I think they were really prepared for the weather. Most of the longer talking and demonstration parts were done under cover, so we were not just standing outside getting soaked the whole time. They also waited until the rain slowed down before bringing us around more of the plantation, which made the experience a lot better and showed how businesses here have to constantly plan around the weather.

I think businesses and farmers in Costa Rica probably have to plan a lot around slower rainy seasons like this. Tourism companies might offer lower prices, shorter tours, or indoor activities to still attract visitors when the weather is unpredictable. Farms and plantations also seem to use tourism as extra income in case weather affects crops or farming conditions. Honestly though, even if the rain made everything messier and harder, I feel like it also made the experience feel way more authentic. Costa Rica without rain would not really feel like Costa Rica.