east coast heart and a west coast mentality: Day 2

The second day of the tour involved a tour of a cacao plantation, then a trek to Monte Verde, and finally trapping in the cloud forest there.

When we arrived at the cacao place, we met this pet parrot - he is a rescue from the area, has a wing injury and so he cannot fly - and spends his days perching in this cacao tree. He's been in their care for 30 years.

see at the bottom of the tree - that's a cacao fruit!

cacao flower!

pottery that would hold cacao - traditionally it was placed with the dead to help them in the afterlife.

wild vanilla! takes a very long time to grow - these pods are 3 months old - need another 6 months to mature. then drying and processing will take an additional 9 months. traditionally mixed with cacao because they did not have sugar. they would mix cacao with water, vanilla and hot peppers, and it was only served to the elite (even before they were colonized).

cacao fruit! a cacao tree must grow for 2.5 years before it can produce fruit, then the fruit takes 4-5 months to ripen.

the seed from inside - gooey and weird.

goes through a 7 day fermentation period where it reabsorbs the sugars. then dried in the sun for 2 weeks. the cacao in costa rica is good for drinking, but not for chocolate - it is 60% cacao and 40% fat, whereas in africa this ratio is reversed - and apparently that is more ideal for chocolate bars..

crushing up the dried cacao seeds.

this women made us wonderful hot chocolate.

there's a toucan in a tree! this photo taken horribly through binoculars. i don't even care. also, passed by some bodies of water. found out 88% energy in costa rica is from water, 6% geothermal, and some diesel, they do not use/have coal. 3% of the tax on gas goes toward paying farmers - they receive 150$ for each tree they leave on their property per year.

trying to get to monte verde - not being allowed to pass. this farm has security guards.

cattle herded into this tiny concrete area..

laguna lodge - outside monte verde.

into the mountains - nectar feeders for both birds - and bats! they have so many species of humming birds, I couldn't keep track.

bats visiting the feeder - you can see the wings sticking out behind - I tried so many times to capture a photo and never really succeeded (Genus: Glossophaga)