Today was somewhat of a rest day for me since the students had their second GEO test. I woke up early to join the second half of our group at the stable for more milking. After breakfast, the entire group drove into Monteverde proper for a tour of the Cabure chocolatier. Bob, the owner of the operation, provided us with a wonderful explanation of the history of cacao (and its evolution) and then demonstrated the process by which cacao is transformed into commercial chocolate. Bob comes from a science background, so his explanation of the chocolate-making process was rooted in chemistry, which I really enjoyed. Throughout the presentation, we got to sample various stages of cacao and chocolate. As you might imagine, the whole experience was...pretty sweet.
We ended our tour with a lovely lunch at Cabure (Bob's wife oversees the restaurant component of the operation) and had a 5-mile hike back to campus. We've been very lucky with the weather thus far on the trip; May marks the beginning of the rainy season in Costa Rica and it's been relatively dry for the week that we've been here. We had some light rain on our hike back to campus (which felt great--it was hot!) and right as we finished, the sky opened up. The storm was 1) much needed 2) provided a perfect ambiance for the hammock nap that followed the hike. The students spent most of the afternoon preparing and taking their second GEO exam so I had a few hours to relax.
After dinner, the students had another GEO lecture so I asked one of the naturalists if he wouldn't mind if I tagged along on his night hike. He kindly obliged, so I spent my evening with my new friends John and his daughter Charlotte (here on vacation as a graduation present) and Mason, the new sustainability intern from UGA. The hike was very peaceful and we got to see some cool stuff, including a tarantula and bioluminescent fungi. We also had an unusual situation involving an unidentified wild fruit and a minor allergic reaction. Luckily, I carry diphenhydramine in my first aid kit.
We've had all of the naturalists trying to identify this plant. I just spent the last half hour trolling electronic field guides of Costa Rican plants. Someone solve the mystery!
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| WHAT AM I?? |
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| Cacao |
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| Bob explaining the chocolate production process |
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| Yes, we ate these. |
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| The motmot |
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| View from our hike back to campus |
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| That's pretty neat! |
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| A very, very large tarantula |
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