By John T. Tyson
Photos by Samantha Alvis
The day is Tuesday January 8, 2013 and it is our tenth full day in Costa Rica. Today we toured a coffee plantation and it was worth the three hour bus ride. The majority of our travelers had not experienced how a coffee plantation operates. As we toured, we were able to see how the coffee is grown from a seedling to a mature coffee tree.
Jose, our tour guide, then explained how the coffee berries are removed once ripened and taken to the mill.
Once in the factory he explained how the coffee was roasted and cooled to be prepared for bagging. It was interesting to discover that the coffee they sell with their brand name is only 5% of the entire crop.
On the trip back to the Soltis Center we stopped in a small community, San Ramon. We enjoyed many local snacks such as ice cream and other “dulces” or sweets. The church in the center of town named after San Rafael was one of the most ornate building I have seen the entire trip. The ceilings had incredibly detailed murals and the walls were lined with vibrant stained glass windows.
I can not wait to see what tomorrow brings. Pura Vida!
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