In one of our first Post’s in mid-August 2021 (210815 FIRST MONTH), we highlighted our impressions of the rain. We wrote it on our 30th day of living at Babylon Gardens, and it was already evident to us that water would always be present, everywhere.
Three and a half years later, we can confirm that that early impression was correct. In fact, surprised by so much water moving around here, we decided to start measuring it. We bought a weather station (which we named ARTURITO, in memory of Luke Skywalker’s loyal friend in Star Wars: R2-D2), and our beloved friend Jan, CALTEC’s scientist & guitarist, configured and installed it. That was in mid-January 2024. Well, a year has passed since then, and we have now objective results that we are eager to share.
Unfortunately, in August Arturito was ill, and therefore we have no readings from that time. But assuming that month’s rainfall averaged between July and September, which corresponds very well with our on ground experience, we arrive at an annual total of 5,225 mm H2O. That is, more than 5 meters of water column over the entire surface of Babylon Gardens (40 hectares), which is equivalent to more than 2 million cubic meters, or 2 billion liters.
In perspective, Babylon Gardens receives 8 times more rainfall than London, twice as much as the rainiest city in Europe: Bergen (Norway), and two and a half times more than the rainiest city in the USA: Mount Vernon/Washington.
So, objectively speaking, it rains here at Babylon Gardens!
Well, I guess your next question will probably be: How is the rain distributed throughout the year? To which Arturito also has an answer:
Remember, it did rain in August, but there was no reading. Even so, November is clearly the winning month, although everyone around here says that in “normal” years, October is the rainiest month. In other words, December through April are the best months to visit Costa Rica’s Pacific slope if you aren’t water proof!
When I complain about so much water, my neighbors usually console me by saying: “…but it only rains in the afternoons”. And indeed, the data confirms it with absolute clarity, here in Babylon Gardens it mostly rains from 14:00 to 18:00. To reassure the workaholics, our working day (…the theoretical one) is from 06:00 to 15:00. So, it’s just what you’re thinking: the rain gets us wet in our “free” hours.
Let’s talk about temperature. You may recall that from the beginning, we wanted to start this project in a place where we could live comfortably. In the tropics, that means altitude. And indeed, the average temperature at Babylon Gardens is 23ºC at 700 meters above sea level, it’s perfect!
…However, in all honesty, that does not correspond to what we always felt, and all too often the atmosphere was stuffy. How can this be explained? By the relative humidity that we have here, which is extremely high! Around 93% in average! That is to say, in Babylon Gardens, not only does it rain a lot, but the very air is saturated with water!
How does this extreme humidity affect us? Let’s let the National Institutes of Health (NIH) explain it with the following table of dramatic connotations!
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10253274/
Please, at least for a moment, try to imagine the impact water has on us and on our project. The wood in our buildings, our roofs, the neat and tidy clothes in a closet, our lungs, our skin, the trails and roads we forcefully build, the 12 kilometers of dirt road to the nearest pavement, the health of trees and vegetables we plant, the trampling by animals, our efficiency during the workday, MUD, the deterioration of machinery and equipment, etc, etc, etc…
So, when someone asks me: What is the greatest wealth of Babylon Gardens? I answer, without a doubt: WATER.
And when someone asks me: What is the biggest challenge we are facing at Babylon Gardens? I answer, also without hesitation: WATER.
You are most welcome my friend, to this world of spectacular natural extremes.
Babylon Gardens 
When I visited Ireland two years ago I saw and felt a lot of water too. An Irishman told us: „In Ireland we usually have four seasons – in one day!“ He was definitely right! 😅
Water is life – keep going 😉
Joerg from Germoney
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Thank you so much Joerg for your support and your comments! Indeed, Ireland is in my bucket list for some day to visit! 🙌🍀
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