Coffee and Wishes

I am back near San Jose with my friends Denny and Rachelle. I am relaxing here through Christmas. I am going to parties and being lazy and maybe writing. Or not. I may need dental work and have to come home.

I am holding the memories of time spent with those I love – my family and friends – as I come closer to Christmas. It make me smile. I hope all of you are taking a moment to enjoy the holiday as you get ready. For the right reasons, not because of the presents or the marketing.

Some people from home and some I have met have told me they want my life. I think that everyone I know is living a life that I would want. You may have kids, which I don’t, you may have that perfect or close to perfect partner in life, which I don’t. You may save lives or build something for society, you may volunteer and help others, or have a cause, or take care of parents, or sing better than I (which is not hard).  You are all my heroes, for your choices in life have made you amazing people. So you may say that you want to be here in this place at this time, but in reality, your lives are different, and I envy you for the differences. Choice is powerful, and if you embrace your choices up until now, and plan for some changes that bring your closer to what you perceive is better than something in your current life, then you can have your cake and eat it too! Live your dreams. It is now up to me to find some of those things that I may envy in your lives, and when I return, I will do just that.

I am also missing some of my routine. I miss being able to drive. I haven’t rented a car since I have been here, preferring to take buses and taxis, partially because of the lower cost and partially due to the drivers and roads here in Costa Rica. Plus it’s fun to meet others who are traveling the same way. And sometimes better not to drive.

Yesterday, once again I had the sincere pleasure of being driven on the worst road in Costa Rica. They don't pave it on purpose, so there are less tourists around. The road to and from Monteverde is 22km of dirt and mud, winding around mountains and into valleys, switchbacks filled with potholes and rocks the size of large animals. The driver of the van was trying to set speed records. He was passing on a road that really doesn't have a place to pass. He was driving that van within 50 centimeters of the cliffs. There are no guardrails. There are random dogs that dart out in front of the van. This adds to the fun. Or terror.

The views are so incredible, the clouds below you, the vistas crazy beautiful. We did slow down once as a man and a mother cow was leading her new baby down the middle of the road. The calf was still finding its legs, and was walking all wobbly, its coat shiny with birth. It was magical. 

The best part about the drive is that I now seem to have the ability to cede all control to someone else, and I can just sit back and enjoy being thrown around the van, and revel in the beauty of this land and enjoy the sights as we hurtle around the curves. Just me and a backpack filled with bits of my life.

I miss almost none of my things. I have too many things and will be getting rid of things when I get back. If you have this problem with things, someone told me one way to remember them is to take a photo of them and put it in a folder on your computer that you can look at when you need to. 'cause it’s not the thing you miss, it’s the memory of where you were or who you were with when you got the thing. I think. Then sell or give them away. Plus I have been living for over six weeks with almost no things, and it’s fine, and I even have some things I brought and haven’t used. A couple of those things I would like to use, but the opportunity has not presented itself enough.

I miss being able to go to a coffee shop and talking with my friends. I have amazing coffee here, but it’s not the same as drinking it with your friends. So I guess I don’t miss the coffee shop but rather the social experience of being with friends. It's all so confusing?!

Though I do love my coffee – Tim Horton’s, Timothy’s, Starbucks – vanilla lattes and a large with two cream.

Did you know that it takes 40-50 beans to make one cup of coffee?

I never counted, since in Canada when I buy whole bean coffee, I don’t think about it and just dump the beans into the grinder and then it magically becomes ground and then I drink the coffee and get that caffeine rush. Oh, and meat comes nicely wrapped in Styrofoam.

The other day I went on a coffee tour and learned stuff.

And I am now full of useless information- and you're still reading this, so I get to share it with you. Mwah ha ha...

Did you know that it actually takes one hour for caffeine to enter into your bloodstream to give you that boost you need? So you are actually waking up naturally, and the caffeine kicks in when you are stuck in the car on the way ot work. Explains road rage.

So back to my tour. Joyce our guide and translator works for the local co-op for coffee growers in Monteverde. Six of us braved the POURING rain (not cold though) and traveled to a local coffee farm. The cooperative rotates the farms used so they don’t get sick of us gringos walking around their land.

At the farm, we meet Victor and his wife. Victor is 72 years old and bought the land 47 years ago, after he got married. It was all jungle, and over the years, this lovely couple had five children, cut into their land, grew bananas and plaintain, raised and sold chickens and cows, planted ans sold coffee and herbs and vegatables. Victor is amazing, and he has a wonderful sparkle in his eye. The coffee we were served was wonderful, and the pancakes delicious. 

As we walked around on the land, Victor showed us the coffee plants, the herbs, the land that his family loves, the trees and the layout. And tons of coffee plants. All planted in a certain way to maximize yield.

He stopped to point out the bees used to pollinate the coffee plants, spied a hawk, showed us a hummingbird nest, and was funny and engaging. He showed us a couple of strangler figs, trees that he could not cut down.

The amazing thing is this. Those 40-50 beans go through such a laborious process to make it to our cup. Each berry is picked when it is red (I tried it, not easy), then the two beans are removed, washed and stored for three months in order to cure and harden. Then the raw beans are roasted using exact specifications. If they are not constantly moving, they will burst into flame. The timing in the roaster is what makes the beans dark or light. The darker ones have less caffeine...

What struck me the most was not the plants or the farm or the coffee process. It was how happy Victor and his wife were, and how proud they were to show us their lives. They worked very hard to carve a life out of the jungle. When we were drinking the coffee, you could hear cartoons in the next room, as one of the grandchildren  watched and laughed.  It reminded me that family and passion for your life can make one happy. 

I wish all of you laughter and a new found passion.

This is Victor

His Plants

Hawk

Hummingbird nest

Berries

More berries