For those who are curious about our life here in Costa Rica, here’s a little almanac trivia for you.
Today (Valentine’s Day) in San Jose, Costa Rica, the sun rose at 5:56 a.m. and will set at 5:45 p.m. (11 hours, 48 minutes). In Eugene, the sun rose at 7:13 a.m. and will set at 5:41 p.m. (10 hours, 27 minutes).
How much will the day lengthen during the year? In Costa Rica, the increase is about 70 minutes between the Winter Solstice and the Summer Solstice. What do our bodies think is normal? In Eugene, the increase is a whopping six hours and 37 minutes. What are we heading for? In Quito, the increase is less than two minutes (because it is on the equator).
The seasons are different, too. Costa Rica has a dry season from December through April and a rainy season from May through November. The temperatures year-round are about 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Ecuador has about nine months of rainy season (September-May) and a three-month dry season (June-August), with temps year-round about 50-70 degrees. Both countries have a lot of sun during their rainy seasons, with the rain mostly coming in the afternoon.
We’re curious how these differences will affect us. Some people are disoriented and even depressed at the lack of “normal” seasonal changes. Right now we’re loving the sunshine and the warm weather.
Finally, since I (Jody) like charts, here are three, compiled from information at www.timeanddate.com.
San Jose, Costa Rica (Central Standard Time)
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day Length |
| Dec 21 | 5:48 a.m. | 5:21 p.m. | 11 hrs, 32 min. |
| Mar 21 | 5:40 a.m. | 5:47 p.m. | 12 hrs, 6 min. |
| June 21 | 5:17 a.m. | 5:59 p.m. | 12 hrs, 42 min. |
| Sept 21 | 5:26 a.m. | 5:33 p.m. | 12 hrs, 7 min. |
Eugene, OR (Pacific Standard & Daylight Time)
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day Length |
| Dec 21 | 7:44 a.m. | 4:37 p.m. | 8 hrs, 52 min. |
| Mar 21 | 7:14 a.m. | 7:26 p.m. | 12 hrs, 12 min. |
| June 21 | 5:29 a.m. | 8:59 p.m. | 15 hrs, 29 min. |
| Sept 21 | 6:59 a.m. | 7:11 p.m. | 12 hrs, 12 min. |
Quito, Ecuador (Eastern Standard Time)
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day Length |
| Dec 21 | 6:08 a.m. | 6:16 p.m. | 12 hrs, 8 min. |
| Mar 21 | 6:18 a.m. | 6:24 p.m. | 12 hrs, 6 min. |
| June 21 | 6:13 a.m. | 6:19 p.m. | 12 hrs, 6 min. |
| Sept 21 | 6:04 a.m. | 6:10 p.m. | 12 hrs, 6 min. |
Move to Seattle for seasonal daylight extremes (in the lower 48 anyway). 16 hrs of daylight in summer vs 8 in the winter, 8 hrs difference.
Yes, Geoff, ’tis true. Wonderful in summer, pretty hard in winter.