This was the day that we did not have any plans… So Karen suggested we go on a Chocolate Plantation tour. Since the tour was after lunch, we decided to drive to it first so we would know where it was. That proved pretty easy. Next we drove into town with the goal of exchanging dollars for some colones, getting minutes added to our cell phone, and eating lunch.
The bank was an interesting experience. In order to enter the bank, we needed to pass two security guards and state our business… “cambio.” Next we had to pass through what looked like a small glass elevator with sliding doors on both sides. You’d walk in one side, the doors would close behind us, then the doors in front opened and we were n the business part of the bank.
After exchanging money, I saw the office for the travel company that we booked our lodging with. Knowing we would find someone who spoke English, I went in and inquired about the cell phone minutes. It turns out there was a cellular phone shop right around the corner where we could get the minutes. When went in, no one spoke English, but between Karen and myself, we were able to understand and speak enough to complete the transaction. After that, we grabbed a bite to eat and went to our tour.
I was not very interested in the chocolate tour. I figured this was something that Karen wanted to do, so I was just going along. However, as the tour progressed I found it more and more interesting. Did you know that when you crack open a cacao pod to get the beans (as Aidan and Dylan did), they look like intestines? Neither did I. We learned all about the process of fermenting and drying the beans… Then the boys processed some. I tasted a raw dried bean, and it was very dark chocolate like. At the end of the tour we received our own bag with 15 cacao beans.
After the tour we returned to the hotel to enjoy the pools and for Aidan to film some of his movie. And then we got our first dose of the weather. We heard thunder, and the skies opened up. Then it slowed, then they opened up again. We moved to the heated pool with the swim up bar, where I enjoyed a number of Imperial cervezas in the rain… And it was awesome!
I met an 11 year of boy named Rafael from San Ramon. He didn’t speak English, but was very interested in communicating with us. We asked where we we from, I told him the boys names and ages, he told me that someone in his family had gone to the US. When I asked him where in the US, he didn’t know. He also told us that that Volcano Arenal was 1500 meters tall. Karen and I were very impressed with our spanish. She is better at comprehending and I am better at speaking… One more way that we make a great team.
