Getting into the Caribe Vibe

We have finally landed in a spot that feels like the right fit. Just 10 minutes down the beach from where we started and at the same time....miles away. 4 small bungalows, beautifully prepared, thoughtfully delicious food served family style at one long table, young owners from Michigan expecting their first baby in August, and time with the locals. Being here is helping to bridge our sadness over our trip ending and turning our energy towards home. We are grateful.

Here are some pictures of our "jungalow" nestled in the trees a little way back from the beach. We take turns sleeping in the big bed with the ceiling face brilliantly put INSIDE the mosquito netting!

I think my favorite spot is the "living room" on the dock overlooking the water equipped with hammocks for the new resident stuffies to relax in!

Yesterday was a superb day. We headed off shortly after breakfast for a tour at the Green Acres chocolate farm about a 30-40 minute boat ride to the mainland referred to as "Terra Scura" (meaning dark land) because of the dark, volcanic soil. The chocolate farm is nestled into about 30 acres right up against dense jungle that is habitat for jaguars, pumas, ocelot and a whole bunch of other animals. The farm was started by another ex-past couple nearly 20 years ago. Robert and his wife, Julie, bought it a few years ago when the founding couple was in their mid-80s. The first owner's wife was an avid gardener, so there is a tasteful mix of jungle, cultivated gardens and the cacao trees. Robert took us on an hour or so tour around the property and jungle sharing info about all of the indigenous plants and animals. We started the tour with opening a cacao fruit. 

The cacao seeds that eventually are what make delicious chocolate are first purple in color and covered in a white, mucilaginous coating that is actually quite sweet and fruity. We each picked off a slimy seed and sucked the coating off. The cacao seeds are quite bitter at this fresh stage. 

One of the most fascinating plants we encountered on the tour was the "Walking Palm Tree". It grows new roots really quickly - it grows like at the speed of asparagus - in the front of the tree while the roots at the back serve as pushers. It literally walks in search of access to more sunlight. Amazing! The indigenous women use the roots with the tough spikes on them to shred coconut when making coconut oil.

Matt and I were enthralled by it all, while it got a bit long for Lucas. Until, the termite nest. Robert scratched the surface of the nest to expose some of the termites and then invited the group to have a snack. Everyone sampled one of the tiny, protein-packed bugs while Lucas stayed at the tree, bellied up to the termite bar, for 10 or more minutes having a full on feast! He loved it!

I love that kid's adventure spirit! The tour ended with some homemade chocolate-peanut butter cookies baked with chocolate from the farm. Not sure what Lucas liked better - the cookies or the termites.

We stayed on the Green Acres dock for a picnic lunch with our guide Ernesto where we proceeded to have an hour conversation about religious, birth control, family, kids, etc. It was as rich and informative as our time with Robert on the chocolate tour. I am so grateful to have enough Spanish to be able to connect with folks we meet in this way. It was a delightful lunch.

Then, off to do some snorkeling. This was a first for Lucas. He took to it with gusto and guts! On with the gear and into the water. As Matt was encouraging him to put his face in the water, Lucas would say, "Poco a poco, Daddy. I am ajusting." (no "d"). He is hooked now loving every minute of it - the bravery it took, feeling super proud, holding sea stars and sea cucumbers, arrow crabs and urchins. We saw coral like I've never seen in my life. Colors so rich - teal and ruby orange and smokey purple some of which was wrapped up in equally as colorful brittle stars. This was all around a small mangrove island in the middle of a bay. It was magical.

Tomorrow holds a tour of an organic farm in the jungle for me (yay!) and more snorkeling for Lucas and Matt (yay!).  We are hoping for another snorkel adventure on Thursday that may include fishing for plate fish with a Hawaiin Sling - it's a type of spear for speak fishing. Lucas, of course, is intrigued.

Four days from now we will be landing at SeaTac airport. Quite astonishing to be saying that. How lucky to feel sad to end this life-changing journey and to feel happy to be returning to a place and community and family and group of friends that/who we love dearly and can't wait to see. I am feeling so incredibly blessed.

xoxo