Jan 08 2017
January 8th – Cows and coffee
We had an early start at our first morning in Armonia Ambiental, however getting up was easy due to our excitement for the day. While excited for hiking and the coffee making process, something else took the crown – milking cows. After a delicious breakfast, Orlando and Dario took us to their beautiful, and very pregnant cow. One by one, we all took turns milking her, which was scary and exciting all at the same time.
While reluctant to leave the cows, Nelson and Dario took us on a beautiful hike through the forest looking for birds. The terrain was steep and challenging at times but we managed to see a Toucan! Throughout this hike, Nelson and Dario’s passion for nature shined through. They were extremely educated about the birds, plants and animals surrounding their farm. Continuing the hike, we climbed a steep hill to reach the coffee bean portion of the finca, which is a passion for the entire family. Nelson showed us the berry which the coffee bean was inside. Most of us had no idea it even came from a berry.
To continue the coffee making process, we returned to the lodge for Don Orlando to show us how it’s done. It begins with taking the bean from the berry and roasting that. Then you put all those beans and smash the shell off of them, we each got a chance to try. Following removing the of the shell, it goes through a sifter type mechanism. Then you roast the beans again! After being roasted to perfection, the beans go through a grinder and there you go! While a long and tedious process, the taste is totally worth it.
After the coffee making process, we had a delicious lunch (as per usual) with the amazing view. With a full stomach, Dona Norie took us to show us how to make her famous blackberry jam and cheese. While going through her process, you could tell how proud she was to show us. She took classes to follow all the health protocols such as wearing a hair net and putting dates of production of the label. She took so much pride which was very inspiring.
Due to an action packed day we took some time to relax and write in our journals after the cheese and berry making process. It was a long and filled day, after dinner, most of us turned in for an early night. It was a great way to end our day in Armonia Ambiental!
By Hannah
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