A Trip to a Coffee Plantation

Yesterday was filled with caffeine and hiking. We had the opportunity to go to a coffee plantation three hours away. While I can count the number of times on one hand I have seen Robert drink coffee, we thought that this could be an interesting and educational experience. So, off we went.

A three hour drive sounds like a drive sounds like a long drive to go on a coffee plantation tour (and it is), but most coffee grown in Panama is from an area called Boquete up by Costa Rica, which is over 5.5 hours away. We took a drive which required us to drive in 4 wheel drive for over an hour on a dirt road in order to get to the plantation. 

The steep hills were a foreshadow of what we would be hiking. The drive was beautiful and in some respects, reminded me of some of the drives we took with Robert's Jeep in Arizona. 

The group we went with took a total of three cars. When we arrived we were greeted with panoramic views of a very rural community. 

The building on the left is the school,
which was less than a 5 minute walk for us

See the house on the left?

We were also introduced to some of the machines and the process in coffee production. This is what happens after the coffee bean is harvested:

The coffee is stripped and cleaned

The beans go through a canal to help determine the grade of the bean. The ones that stay closest to the entrance of the canal are considered to be the highest grade. 

The beans are then dried

 Then the beans are roasted...

 and finally packaged.

After learning about the production of coffee, it was time to visit the plants. The hike was a grueling 45 minute walk almost entirely up hill, with the exception of a few "flatter" spots for respite. Along the way we saw some coffee plants and got to see an example of how they flower. Did you know that coffee plants are shrubs? Prior to the tour, neither did we!

This was a great way to see the flowers,
although the plant itself is overgrown. 

We eventually got to the closest coffee plot (there were others, but that would have added another hour of walking). It was full of foliage. They had three different types of coffee plants in this particular area, including plants that make some of the best types of coffee, Geisha. 

The buds near the leaf will eventually become a bean!

According to our guide, it takes 5 years for a plant to grow from a seedling to a producing plant. In general, coffee workers are paid around $2/hour to pick and carry bags, usually weighing 100 pounds, back to the processing plant. Our guide/partial owner stated that their company has a mule carry the bags and pay their workers a little more than the going rate. 

After the walk back it was time to learn how to "cup coffee" or "cupping", which is another term for coffee tasting. Before we started the process we got to watch the beans get roasted in a homemade roaster. The owner stated they have three roasters, one was a homemade, another is a popcorn machine, and the other is used for larger production when he is not cupping. The process of roasting coffee beans is interestingly enough, very similar to popcorn; you roast it until the beans start to pop. 

Beans that need to be roasted

Roasting the beans with a homemade contraption

Cooling the roasted beans

After the beans were ground we got to start the cupping process. 

First you smell the different types of coffees. You notice whether one may smell like citrus, chocolate, roses, or wine. 

The second step is called "breaking the crust". Coffee grounds are put into cups with hot water. The coffee forms a crust. You take a spoon and break the crust and smell the coffee. You do this with each cup of coffee, even though there are generally two cups for each variety of coffee.

Then comes the tasting part. You take your spoon, put some coffee into and slurp it up, let it sit on your tongue and then spit it out. The owner let us pick the majority favorite and we got to enjoy a nice cup of coffee. Robert and I are normally not coffee drinkers but we both needed this after our poor choice of packing cookies as "our lunch" (we did not realize we would need more than a snack). Alas, it was time to go back down the hill. 

Our guide and his partner

The day ended with us getting Chinese takeout and watching a movie. Robert and I had a great day and learned a lot more about coffee than we thought we would. One thing is for sure, we both gained a whole new appreciation for coffee. 

A Break from the Blog

Do you ever get to a point where you just need a break from a particular thing? I love technology and I enjoy writing and like staying in touch with family and friends on Facebook. Sometimes though, it can all be a bit much. It was time for a break and so this is a recap since the last post.

We had our first Panamanian bon fire on the beach. We visited some friends and enjoyed playing games, roasting hot dogs and releasing sky lanterns. It was my first and last time trying vegetarian hot dogs (the taste and texture reminded me too much of how I remember the real ones tasting). It was our friends' first time releasing lanterns. It was a great night.

I've recently been on a kick where I make food from scratch. This includes making brownies, green enchilada sauce, and tortillas-all for the first time.

We have also began to paddle board more often. A restaurant we frequent had a "paddle and brunch" event that we decided to do. We paddled for what I am guessing is just over 1/2 mile (0.8km) each way to the restaurant and ate breakfast and paddled back. 

Last but not least, we have began to take Spanish classes. This will be our third week of Spanish class and we have recently started trying to regularly read books in Spanish. Learning is not easy and I often share the same frustrations our English learning students share. In spite of all of it, we are lucky to have the ability to learn and to live in Panama. 

Life in Panama is busy and will continue to get busier in the upcoming weeks. Carnival is just around the corner which means a week of people visiting the area. Our one year anniversary in Panama will be next week, and it is a great reminder of all the changes that have occurred within the last year.

This Year's First Post

This year I did something I haven't done in years: stay awake until midnight on new years. Honestly, come 10:00 on New Years Eve I am usually tired of fighting with myself and figure I will wake up from the fireworks and then go back to my peaceful slumber. Not this year!

We have heard that the celebration in Panama is unlike anything else. We were debating on where to celebrate the new year: either on the roof of a 30+ story condo building or at our beach. We opted to walk to our beach as midnight approached. One of our neighbors explained that a person in a nearby area spends approximately $10,000 each year on fireworks. This was one show we did not want to miss!

When we went to the beach there were only two other people on the beach and by midnight a total of nine people were present to watch the fireworks. It was nothing less than spectacular.  Fireworks could be seen for miles along the coastline.

The sky was also filled with plenty of lanterns. Traditionally, when people light them they send a wish with them also. We saw many of these flying up into the sky. This group appeared to have several they were lighting.

The new year was spectacular and beautiful. The dogs were not fond of the fireworks but they seemed to manage okay, thank goodness! A It's hard to believe that it is already the year 2016. No doubt this year will be a good one, just as 2015 was. Happy 2016. May it be a safe and prosperous year for you!

Our First Christmas in Panama and the Last Post of the Year!

There is something magical about the holiday season. Whether it be the crisp, cool air; the overload of sweet and fattening foods (who doesn't love cookies and fudge?); or the sense of giving and receiving. This year was magical in it's own way too. Not only did we spend our first Christmas in Panama, but Robert's sister and her family came and we got to celebrate with them.

At the beginning of the week our town had a Christmas parade. The festival had food vendors and small trinket toys. We were told the parade was going to start at 6pm, but in Panama fashion, it started over an hour late. Once it started different themed floats drove through town. Santa must have had a few helpers since there were three Santas at the parade! Although we did not stay long after, we were told they gave out over 100 bicycles as part of a free raffle. It was a fun way to kick off the week.

Before the parade started

A few days later Robert's sister, her husband, and their 16 month old daughter came down. I cannot recall a day we did not go down to the beach or did some sort activity. Robert's sister and her husband had a lot of firsts, including going paddle boarding in an ocean, surfing, going to a Spanish mass, and buying a fish from one of the local fishermen (which resulted in some firsts for us too). It was a busy five days, but it was also fun.

One of the fun things also was that we went surfing on Christmas. I remember growing up and thinking about how much fun it would be to have a family have a tradition like that. Now that we have done it once, I hope the it sticks! Christmas was also filled with fireworks. I personally did not hear too many of them, but I know our bigger dog was not very happy about them.

Next up is New Years. Writing this made me realize this will be my last post of 2015! New Years is supposedly huge here with fireworks, parties, and the like. Our plans are not completely set in stone yet. We are both looking forward to celebrating and are trying to figure out how to keep our dogs happy too (tranquilizers do not work for either of them...).

In the spirit of New Years, here are a few facts about our year, which may or may not be surprising....

Biggest accomplishment of the year:
R- Operating our own business and building some successful relationships.
N- Living in another country and learning about a new language and culture.

Any New Years resolutions?
N- I rarely make resolutions, but if I had to make one it would be to push myself harder to continue learning Spanish.
R- I also want to push myself to learn more Spanish this new year.

What are you looking forward to most next year?
R- Ghostbusters...
N-Seeing what new twists and turns life brings us. The year 2015 was a pretty exciting year as it was!

May the new year bring you and your family health, happiness, and peace!

Photo link

An Unexpected Travel Plan

Robert and I made an unexpected trip to Arizona. We booked our tickets last Monday and were on a plane Wednesday. This was my first trip back to the US in over 10 months and Robert's trip to the US in five months. Few people in Panama knew we were leaving for Arizona and only a handful of people knew we were in Arizona. Sorry if we did not get to see you this trip!

Common questions I got from the people I did see were what we missed. Robert missed considerate drivers. I missed leafy salads (in Panama a salad is more like a slaw), brussels sprouts, and fresh blue berries. It was also great to be able to see some of my friends who I consider family. I missed them the most.

One thing that was hard to imagine was how any place could be cold enough to require a warm jacket. Was Arizona always this cold in December?

The car recently had a new battery put in, hence the year

While we were in Arizona we stayed busy spending time with family, having an early Christmas with the family. We also went bowling and played lots of pool. We also had a chance to go to the Gilbert Food Truck Court in downtown Gilbert before they move their location. It was our first time there. Although it was cold outside, it was a very fun experience. 

After a week in Arizona, we were ready to go home. Both of us missed our dogs and begin close to the ocean among other things we have grown to love about Panama. Our trip back to Arizona was nice but there is nothing better than coming back home.

A Year Ago this Week...

...marked a huge milestone for Robert and me. This time last year we were in Panama working on the process to make our move permanent. It is hard to believe that a year has gone by already. A country that once seemed foreign seems a little less that way each day.

Here are a few flashback pictures from our trip last year:

The first time we saw the house we are renting.
Now it feels just like home.

Going over the Canal used to be so exciting.
Now it is just a way to get to and from the City.

It's hard to believe that about six weeks later we sold most of our stuff including our vehicles and moved to Panama. People often ask whether we would ever move back. Never say never, but at this time in our lives, Panama is home.

Craft Fair for the Holidays

Holiday season is officially here, both in the stores and in my mind. Stores are decorated with Christmas decor, and Christmas tree vendors are plentiful. English class was cancelled so the non-profit could host a holiday arts and crafts fair, and Santa was going to make an appearance!

While Robert and I briefly saw Santa, one of the main reasons we went was to visit with some of our friends who were vendors at the fair. I personally did not expect to buy anything since most of our Christmas shopping is done (thank you Amazon). I admit, I was a bit delusional.

Like any craft fair, you are sure to find plenty of original and unique work. While this was not the biggest fair we've been to, this one had a variety of things to buy. It was great to see people's work and hear their pride in their hobby/idea they are trying to launch. While you can get that at any fair, this was a bit smaller and felt personalized; it also probably did not help with the fact that we know some of the vendors.

Although we did not try it, somebody said that you could buy chorizo (which is more of a sausage rather than the Mexican chorizo many North Americans may be familiar with) and potato salad for $2. Talk about a bargain! It was a fun way to spend the afternoon. It also helped with the reality that Christmas is just around the corner!