Lara's Blog Chapter Two

Chapter 2:

We just left the higher mountain area after it started pouring rain for an hour because we were worried the waterfall and river would flood the dirt road before we got out. Some Israeli friends of Keli and Jim's live up there and we got some kombucha mushrooms to take home. Now we’re in an agro-economic co-operative where 26 California college kids are doing a project... the first huge group of gringos I've seen since the airport. This area is not at all known for tourists. and I'm loving the rural life.

We successfully made mozzarella the other day with milk from that morning! And then at night we made pizza with it. My diet is the definition of local and I'm really beginning to learn more about trying to be self-sufficient. I'm learning to be very resourceful and inventive with uses for things. I finished sewing curtains for my room, planted a few beds of squash and zucchini, many beds of seeds and my mustard and collards sprouted today!

                                                                



OH! Today we finished our first batch of chocolate! After getting my face, arms and hands covered in chocolate from licking off all the utensils and sampling all along the way and then driving on curvy dirt roads for and hour and a half I felt pretty sick but my god, that chocolate is GOOD. Dark and milk, roasted almonds, vanilla bean and cinnamon. I want to invest in the equipment and start making it in the states. The cacao nibs themselves after roasting and de-husking or shelling the beans are to die for. All very rustic of course. “Home-style.”

I'm getting to know the neighbors poco a poco and they are wonderful. The workers are very shy to talk to me except one who made me think of the 12 days of Christmas song... the first day an avocado from his yard, then two, then four pejibaye, then two woven palm frond pyramids... then he got laid off for a while. The jokes are still going on of course.

Oldemar, one of the workers on the farm