December 18, 2009

Coming down from the bush.....the house

The sugar mill to the left, thick bush...you can just see Charlie and Al

Al pointing out coffee beans
Chucho starting down with a load of cane

A Banana bloom...little guys inside.....

David cutting the bloom

Charlie showing David the cane, and where all the coffee and cocoa are

A banana bloom

Cocoa pods grow on the trunks and the branches....where it is sturdy enough to hold them

going up....we always had water with us..didn't want to dehydrate....

Looking down at the old sugar mill....

Jose and another man getting the pack horse ready to go up into the cane

David helping clean the copper boilers

Copper boiler....water in it to clean

After breakfast, we took off back to the farm....all in the jeep again. We stopped in Selonica for Coke, toothpaste, some pastries, grain....and of course, to take pictures. Then we continued up the mountain to Chocho's. We unloaded everything and then hiked up to the farm...half a mile up, did I tell you that?.....with all of the stuff we had purchased. Then it was down again for lunch...same half a mile, and back up to work.

Today, the men cleaned out the sugar mill so that they can make sugar. A molienda....party celebrating the crushing of the cane....was scheduled for the 19th, so all had to be ready for the big day. Alberto took us up to the sugar cane fields....way above the house. We had to go through some pretty thick brush.....all covered by banana trees and plantain trees. Under the trees were the cocoa trees and coffee bushes.....so lush and beautiful. The hired man had cut much of the sugar cane for the next day's festivities, but we could still see lots left standing for the next cutting. It wasn't all ready yet.....

The vista from above Al's house was breathtaking. We were not at the top of the mountain, by any means....just pretty darn high.

We had our first meal at Al's this night and we felt very excited, and certainly blessed, to be able to be there. Colombia is just so beautiful, and its people are warm, and generous, and lots of fun. Even with the language barrier, we were able to laugh and tease and have a wonderful time.