March 21–27, 2007, Number 139
This is a picture of the fruit from a cacao tree, called
a pod.
The kind, indigenous women uses the fruits' seeds, or beans, to produce
organic chocolate.
Vacation in Puerto Viejo
This past week we had a week-long break from school. I traveled with my friends Jon and Mike to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica which is located on the Caribbean side. After two days in Puerto Viejo, we ventured south to Bocas Del Toro, Panama.
Our trip began with two long, nauseating bus rides. The first was a 2 1/2 hour ride from Puntarenas to San Jose. After arriving in San Jose, we purchased our tickets to Puerto Viejo and realized that they were stamped with the words "De Pie". This stamp meant that for the entire 4 1/2 hour bus ride to Puerto Viejo, we had the pleasure of standing. After arriving in Puerto Viejo, we settled into a place called Costa Verde that offered nice rooms for $8 per person. Costa Verde is run by a hospitable German couple who made us feel right at home. That night we hung out in hammocks and watched the rain. It was the first time in the 2 1/2 months that we´ve been here that it has rained. While in Puerto Viejo, we also sat at a great restaurant where we drank coffee and watched incredible surfers surf Salsa Brava. This world renown wave breaks over shallow reef and the waves can be huge. Even though we all brought our surfboards, we didn´t surf here because Salsa Brava is for really experienced surfers, it has been known to break both boards and bones.
This
is the woman who gave us a tour of her chocolate making
process. She is holding a wooden plate filled with sun-dried cacao beans.
I was expecting this trip to be a great opportunity to practice my Spanish. Unfortunately, Puerto Viejo is really touristy and almost everyone speaks English.
The next day, we made plans to visit a local woman who made homemade, organic products like chocolate and cocoa butter. We had only heard rumors about her and had no idea where she lived. After asking around town, we discovered the general direction of her house. Since there is only one main road in this town, we figured it couldn´t be too hard to find. So, we rented bikes for $2.50 for the day, mine was pink, and off we were in search of homemade chocolate. After about a 45 minute bike ride down a bumpy, pot-hole filled, dirt road we found ourselves in a small village. It was so refreshing to be in a place where the Costa Rican culture was so evident and tourism hadn´t taken over. This was the opportunity to practice my Spanish that I had been looking for. We saw a local man, about 70 years old, pass by. He looked like he had returned from a long day of work, and was carrying a machete. We politely, in our best Spanish, asked the man if he knew where the lady who made homemade chocolate lived. The nice, old man tried to offer his advice, but didn´t really know. Another friendly local approached us and was able to give us directions. We finally arrived at the correct house and we were greeted by a warm, older woman. She gave us a tour, in Spanish, of her organic garden. At first glance, her house appeared to be surrounded by jungle, but a closer look revealed an organic garden with a variety of foods like cacao and chestnut trees. The cacao seeds are used to make the chocolate.
This picture is of my friends, Jon and Mike, recovering after
a long, bumpy bike ride. They are standing in front of the home of the
local woman who makes organic chocolate.
The generous woman then took us on a tour through her small chocolate making quarters. She gave us samples of the soon to be chocolate at each step of the process. The complex and time consuming process includes picking, drying, roasting, grinding, cooking, and cooling the cacao beans. She also adds organic ingredients, depending on the desired chocolate flavor, like mint, coffee, pepper, cinnamon, milk and nutmeg. After the tour, we were given the opportunity to buy the chocolates and many other homemade organic products. I bought coffee and coconut flavored chocolate and cocoa butter. It was an amazing process to see. Everything she needed to make delicious chocolate was right in her backyard.
Back at our hotel we met a really nice couple from the United States. We spent the night sharing travel stories and advice. We learned that they were headed to Bocas Del Toro, Panama, the next day just like us. They offered to take us to the Costa Rica-Panama border in their rented vehicle. We were all really excited that we didn´t have to take the bus. My trip to Puerto Viejo was relaxing and exciting all at the same time.
- Have a great day!
- Michigan Technological University
- 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295
- 906-487-1885