We’ve been here a while and in our travels have noticed this place called Cocoa Trails. It’s not too far from Cahuita, and we’ve been tempted to take the bus there and look around. Today we got up our nerve and got a bus ticket to Hone Creek, the next stop after the Chocolate place, and off we went. (Charles was in charge of the bug spray and camera. He forgot both. Sigh….)
Well, we thought it was a cocoa plantation, and chocolate processing place, but it’s more of a working museum. There was so much more than just chocolate there. We arrived a little after nine and were the first ones there, so we had a tour guide all to ourselves.
The first part of the tour took us through gardens of medicinal plants. Our guide picked leaves and roots and we smelled and tasted and touched wondrous things. My touch everything finger had never been happier. Next we saw various types of orchids, including the kind that gives us vanilla. Very cool! Then we went through the jungle and saw flowering plants and trees, touching and smelling all the way. Next we were shown different types of banana trees, some that produced 500 and some that grew a thousand bananas each. Wow! We saw huge bamboo growths, and a sugar cane crusher, tasted the juice and chewed on the cane. By about this point my hands were red and yellow and smelled of ginger, lemon grass, cinnamon, and more herbs than I can count. Could things get any better?
We toured a Bribri Shaman hut. It is actually used a couple times a year for special ceremonies. This was amazing. The construction was roundish and completely covered in palm fronds. This type of palm roof keeps the inside dry for over 10 years. We saw all of the implements used by the shaman. There was a tiny little sweat tent inside that the shaman might put you in and keep adding steam and herbs until you were better. That might take up 2 days! I asked, “What if you had to go to the bathroom?” No one knew.
Finally we arrived at the cocoa museum place. We were shown how the beans were dried and we were shown all of the old equipment used in the past. Our guide picked a cocoa pod and we got to eat the fruit, which grows around the bean inside the pod. It’s quite sweet and yummy. Next we made chocolate!!!! One of our guides roasted the beans over a fire for about 15 minutes until they made popping sounds. Then we rubbed the beans to get the skin off. Man the smell was unbelievable. Next we ground the beans and mixed it with raw sugar cane, powdered milk, vanilla, a bit of condensed milk and a bit of water. This mixture was stirred, kneaded, squished flat and then eaten. Oh my, it is like nothing I’ve ever eaten. It barely resembles the stuff we call chocolate. Oh it was so good. It took Charlie and three hefty guides to drag me away from the chocolate place, but alas our tour was over. Best two hours ever!
When we got back to the cafeteria place, the manager asked us if we were thinking about staying for lunch. We said that we were. Well lunch wasn’t for an hour, it turned out that they were making a promotional DVD and were wondering if we would take the tour again and be filmed as tourists. After we did that they would feed us lunch. (I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeMill!) Well sure, why ever not, we thought and off we went again. Once more we were picking leaves and smelling plants and hearing about all the medicinal, herbal, and ornamental plants. We were told that our voices wouldn’t be heard, so we started making up new names for things. We were told to point into the bushes and pretend that there was an animal there, so we were telling the guides about the animal in the bushes, native to Canada that we had brought to Costa Rica to breed here and take over the jungle. The best part, however???????? We got to make chocolate again!!! Woo Hoo!!!
After what turned out to be another two hour tour, they gave us a free lunch and thanked us for all of out help. They then took out name and address, and promised to mail us a copy of the DVD when it was done. Very cool!
We had one part of our adventure left. We had taken the bus to get here. That meant purchasing a ticket to Hone Creek and then pulling the bell when we saw the chocolate place, but how to get home? There was a bus stop not far from where we were, but we had never gotten a bus from a stop in the middle of nowhere before. We were a bit nervous and after about 15 minute a guy who must have recognized us pulled up and asked if we wanted a taxi back to Cahuita, only 3000 colones. This wasn’t one of the official red taxies with a yellow triangle that we’ve been warned to take, but one of the unofficial ones that, well, actually, we’ve had some experience with. This one was special because it had all of it’s doors. Impressive, but Charles was determined to take the bus, only 660 colones. Ten minutes later, along came the bus. It stopped for us and we were off to Cahuita, happy as can be, with Charles grinning from ear to ear. Soon we were back at home, tired and full of home made chocolate, and a free lunch!
We had such a wonderful day! I’d love to show you the pictures but, well, someone (No names….Charles) forgot the camera!
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