Nourish and Organic Urban Agriculture

After a wonderful day with the children we returned home and got our gear together for our weekend adventure to Mindo. After an early night to bed for some of us and an early morning to bed for others we woke up bright and early. Marie and I made her famous cinnamon rolls to the great appreciation of our host mother. She kept telling us how skilled we were, what experts. A few hours of bus time and we were transported to another reality. Mindo, with its single main streets lined with wooden restaurants and shops surrounded by deep green cloud forest mountains, only two and a half hours on bus from Quito seemed like another world. We walked down the dirt road to our hostel where Norma, the host, greeted us and introduced us to her adorable 2 year old son Andres. Pure wood, high ceiling, and an big, open attic room for us at the top with great views of the forest and town. Not to mention plenty of hammocks to go around. We lunched and then got picked up for a river adventure. A bit apprehensive to pay $5 dollars to float down the river, we wanted to be in the water and forked over the bills nonetheless and soon had no regrets. What we thought was a gentle glide down an easy flowing river was actually a rafting adveture on giant innertubes tied together. Life vests, helmets, and river guides accompanied us on a great ride through the jungle. Hopefully we can post some video and some point. After the adventure some retired to the hostel to read and nap and lounge in the hammocks watching hummingbirds. Marie and I went to the butterfly and hummingbird sanctuary where we saw the biggest butterflies we have ever seen and they were everywhere. We also got to check out some butterflys with see-through wings and some other-worldly caterpillars. In the hummingbird area the birds hummed themselves around, zipping back and forth and pausing to drink just long enough for us to appreciate their beautiful colors.

As we walked back down the street to the hostel we decided to check for the cake shop Tachi had told us to check out. We asked for a pasteleria and were lead to the top of a hill where the wonderful aroma of baking chocolate wafted through the air. We were invited to a demonstration of the chocolate making process. We got to taste cocoa seeds which are covered in a sweet and slightly tangy fruit, then lead up to see where the seeds are fermented and then dried. Next, crushed and roasted in a giant roaster. The nibs, little bits of roasted cocoa, are then sent through a vegetable juicer until the cocoa butter is crushed out and mixed with the cocoa to make a choclately substance. That bitter, but great flavored liquid is then poured into molds to use as baking chocolate or mixed with sugar, vanilla, and a little milk to make the best dark chocolate I have ever tasted. The couple has just recently started making chocolate instead of only roasting coffee, but right now they use it to make ice cream, hot cocoa, and the most amazing, melt in your mouth brownies. If we could bring one back for everyone we would, but they arent producing at a very high rate right now and they would go bad before we return.

We met up with all and went to a great dinner of trout and steak and hamburgers and then out dancing at the only bar in Mindo, which the raft guides had told us about. We had a great time learning to salsa dance. Some of us excelled, others struggled with rhythm, but no one was judging and all had fun. We got up bright and early, some of us to the sunrise over the cloud forest which was a beautiful wash of pink and orange low clouds. The mornings in Mindo are clear and bright and low clouds move in as the afternoon rolls around. After breakfast at the hostel we set out on our hike to the waterfalls. To reach the falls you hike 7km, then ride a trolley across the jungle valley, then hike some more. The falls were beautiful and the water cold, but extremely refreshing. After two of the falls we had to turn back so that we could get back, refuel and then bus. Eight miles later and back in town we were very hungry and some of us treated ourselves to burgers while others opted for more traditional Ecuadorian satisfaction of arepas, corn cake patties with cheese and honey. We all fell asleep on the bus, a great feat for some of us and woke up close to Quito. We reached the house just before it started getting dark, perfect timing.

Back at the project today the last strokes were painted on the mural. We finished planting the trees, planted the tomato seedlings with the television news crew filming and interviewing as we went. Then, as our drip system dropped the first soak of water, we sprinkled a mixture of flour, sugar, and a bacteria that fight dangerous insects around the plants. The greenhosue is now complete. We started the bricks and spackling of the wormeries today, which we will finish tomorrow and then project numer one will be done. We receive our diplomas tomorrow and say goodbye to the highschoolers and their staff. Wednesday we leave to explore the coast and build 300 steps for Manchalilla National Park. We´ll let you know how fun, and how much work, it was when we get back.

Bridget being interviewed by the radio crew about our projects, our involvement and why these projects are important (and it was in spanish!)

Our first completed greenhouse at the colegio