Sugar, pizza, and goodbye...

Thursday I had the fantastic opportunity to go see sugar being made. This is in the nearest town. The reserve buys the sugar and serves it on the premises. Woo hoo you all know I am a fan of buying local! Since I had been enjoying it in my tea for the last month, I was really looking forward to this field trip.



Who was feeding the fire to cook the sugar? Arsenio! Was nice to see him again and learn about the process.

After the sugar cane is cut down the marrow of it is placed in these large open vats, to which the rest of the sugar cane is burned below to boil the sugar. It is boiled for approximately 4 hours.

The owner of the plantation offered us a taste in the dirtiest cup I have ever seen. Now I was pre warned so all I could do was laugh and take a picture. When he handed one cup to one of the co-managers he tasted from it first. Dorothy you are not in Kansas anymore! Good thing I had all my vaccines prior to coming.

After our taste he instructed us to pour the excess back in the vats. Mmm sanitary. (:










After it is cooked the reserve is poured in these large coffin type containers. It will dry out and be scraped into the final product which is a soft brown sugar. Yum!

When I tried it it reminded me of maple syrup and I explained that it would be good on snow. If it snowed there. I think the locals thought I was crazy. Not the first time.



Had my last day at the reserve on Friday, went for a beautiful hike in the morning. It was so verdant and lush, reminded me of my hikes in the Pacific Northwest. Ruminated on my month there, what I learned and all of my hard work. I am so glad that I stayed, I really learned a lot about myself, which is invaluable. In addition to that I was able to cultivate a fantastic friendship with the other volunteers, of which I know will continue into the states.



Had one last watering of the garden, I was a little bit sad to say goodbye! I spent so much time there, and a lot of my seedlings were starting to pop up. Melons, squash, and arugula were beginning their new lives growing forth from the earth in which I placed them.

Friday night we had no tourists, HOORAY! It was the perfect evening, spent in fantastic company. We made homemade pizzas, drank beer, and did my favorite thing, shared stories of our lives.

Things I will miss about the reserve:

1. Birds. There are so many beautiful birds there, that my point and shoot just couldn't do any justice to. From bright yellow toucans to fluorescent green parrots to hummingbirds everywhere, they were like little surprises brightening up my days.

2. The natural soundtrack that punctuated every moment. With the river rushing by, birds announcing the morning, and banana palms falling from the trees, it was lovely and perfect.

Things I will not miss:

1. The food- so rich, so carb heavy, so much rice! Also tomate de arbol-tree tomato. Possibly grossest dessert ever, sour, funky, and slimy. (Yes I did just describe food as funky, you would too if you had tried it)

2. You guessed it, mosquito's & chiggers! Nuf said.