It’s A Rainy Month in Boquete

OK, so the bloggy thing is new . . . and I’m trying it out . . . but it’s also anotherrainy day in Boquete!

Panama has two seasons.  The wet or “green” season is roughly May through November, mas o menos, and the dry season is roughly December through April.  During the dry season we get very little rain.  Boquete gets an afternoon “bajarique”, which is a misting much like the misters that are used at stadiums on hot days.  This daily afternoon bajarique is what keeps Boquete green year round and produces rainbows soaring over our valley. 

But during the wet season we can get a lot of rain.  To give you an idea: 

Although it varies depending on where you are at in Panama, in Panama City they get 200 inches of rain a year!  By comparison:

Seattle – 33 inches per year

Los Angeles – 11 inches per year

New York – 44 inches per year

Miami – 53 inches per year

Honolulu – 57 inches per year

Usually during the rainy season every morning is sunny and spectacular, but during October, our rainiest month, it’s more like living in Seattle with fog, gray skies, and intermittent rain all day.

 I actually prefer the rainy season . . . except October, which is a good month to take vacation.   The good things about rainy season: 

• You don’t have to water – in the dry season our black, volcanic soil turns to dust.

• We don’t have wind.  January, February and March we can have very windy days, like Santa Ana’s in California.

• The coffee harvest starts!  Beautiful red cherries on coffee trees being picked by Indians in colorful costumes.

• You can plant anything and it grows!  Break off a branch from any plant, stick it in the ground, and two months later you have a plant!