Now I know many of you are coffee lovers, as I am. In fact, for my friends it is possible that I often get together with you over a nice steamy cup of coffee to catch up and share some laughter. So I am sure you can imagine my excitement upon hearing about the opportunity my team had to go to a coffee farm this week!
Our team was blessed to befriend a pastor last month in Honduras, who is now back at his home in Nicaragua and invited us to visit his father’s coffee farm for the day. This is no ordinary coffee farm. Alejandro’s father won the 1st place in “Cup of Excellence” award in ALL of Nicaragua in 2011! After a bus ride and reuniting with Alejandro and his family, we piled into the back of his dad’s truck and trekked up the mountain, across streams, and through the jungle for about half an hour. Upon arriving, we instantly received cups of the most delicious coffee I have ever had in my life!
The day was full of exploring the jungle-like farm and sharing a great big Nicaraguan meal. We hiked up and down the mountain through shin deep mud and water, trying not to slip and fall and eventually ditching shoes holding on to trees and plants to be our supports. This coffee farm is great for adventures and exploring 🙂 We got to see the coffee plants, the machine that is used to turn them into “oro” (literally “gold”, but used to talk about coffee beans removed from the plant but not yet roasted.), and see how the dirt is prepared to make it rich enough to grow such superior quality product. Alejandro’s father takes great pride in his farm and in his coffee, and it was so neat to talk to him about his work!
Besides coffee, the farm is covered in banana and orange trees, tomatoes, malanga plants (look it up-they taste like a potato when cooked, but they turn purple!) and a variety of other plants. It rains a ton every day so everything was super green and fresh. We were bombarded with all the fruit we wanted the whole time we were there, and there were no complaints from us 🙂
After exploring, Mike learned to make tostones (fried plantain chips) and we all ate a very delicious meal of fried chicken, rice, beans, tostones, and repollo (slaw). There was a definite beauty in the simplicity of this family’s life and being able to grow their living through the labor of their hands right outside their house; in going out to their backyard for fresh fruit whenever desired; and in gaining such knowledge and skill at something just by teaching yourself through first-hand experience. We all felt refreshed by the end of the day, and except for having to duck under a tarp tied over the back of the truckbed to keep us somewhat dry in the pouring rains on our way home, I couldn’t have asked for the day to go any better!
