One quick view on the way to the coffee finca. We have made a number of trips to the coffee since arriving and the views along the way are as breathtaking as they are from our property.
Norm and Collie Bonin, who have lived in Berlin for 4 years, have been a wealth of information for us and we are grateful for their friendship. They have some coffee plants with a partner that are being worked by Mario. Mario is also their gardener and we asked if he would take a look at our coffee and let us know where we stand and what needs to be done. Our friend Danilo, who sold us the property, has been taking care of our plants for us and we are very grateful to him. However, with the language difficulties talking to Mario with Norm's help was easier than talking to Danilo at the time. We are planning a meeting for this Tuesday with Danilo and Josee (translator and friend) to talk coffee and future plans!
Norm came along to translate on Wednesday, the 7th of November @ 6:30 a.m. and we were very impressed with Mario and the information he had to offer. Not only about our coffee, which he says is "Bueno, but needs work", but about what to do with other parts of our property to prevent erosion and numerous other suggestions and tips. It was a good experience and we are looking forward to learning about being coffee farmers!
This meeting also made us realize that we need to be shopping for a truck, not a car. So.... we are now looking for a good work truck. Jorge tells us that the truck of choice in Costa Rica is the Toyota Hilox which is not available in the States. It is similar to the Toyota Land Cruiser found in the U.S. but has added heavy suspension, bigger engine and gated flatbed. Jorge, a Tico friend of Norms, and an automobile mechanic, has been a wonderful resource and very patient with our changing needs. His wife, Grettel, teaches Spanish in their home near Jorge's shop and we are seriously considering lessons!
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| Isn't our coffee beautiful! |
1 comment:
Beautiful!
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