Fast forward two incredible weeks in my Ecuador journey...don't worry, I will fill you in later...and you have me on the road to the gorgeous Esmeraldas region of Ecuador to visit some stunning cacao farms. I really had no idea what I was in for, or how my life would be touched by the cacao fruit and, more truly by, the cacao farmers. There I was in the car with my other half (Josh), Santiago (Ecuadorian organic chocolate maker, dear friend and wonderful human being) and my new great friends Galia (beautiful British rock star and chocolate entrepreneur) and Ilan (Galia's father aka the most interesting man in the world...step over Dos Equis man!). The car ride alone was inspiring; we talked about our love for cacao and chocolate, how to solve the world's problems (Josh for President!) and shared stories about our families. We laughed and kept each other entertained the entire 7 hour journey to the Ecuadorian coast---a big contribution came from Ilan's extensive joke repertoire.
The ride to Esmeraldas was enchanting. Here is that other half I was telling you about, and behind us is a typical vista seen on a journey from Quito to the coast. All cliches aside, it really was breathtaking. Our drive to the Ecuador coast had it all: Andean mountain highlands, a dramatic descent into the jungle, raging rivers, roads in the clouds, views of volcanoes, beautiful flora, sketchy bridges and sights of wild cacao trees! And I know I am forgetting something.
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| Mt. Cotopaxi (Volcano!!!) |
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| Ilan, Josh, Santiago and Galia Above is my awesome traveling crew :). I feel blessed I was able to share in this experience with these special people. And luckily for Josh, Ilan, Galia and me...we had Santi as our guide! Let me tell you, it is extremely convenient traveling with one of Ecuador's most popular people. We honestly felt like he knew everyone! In fact, one of the treasured lessons I took away from this trip came from Santiago: get to know the people you come in contact with on a daily basis (even those pesky strangers). It touched my heart to watch Santi joke around and genuinely connect with people whether it be the gas attendant, hostess, passerby, etc. etc. you name it and Santi made them smile. The power of the human connection is our gift to share. |
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| Best darn restaurant of them all The picture above is of the modest restaurant with THE BEST food I had on the trip. My diet is complicated (lactose intolerant, wheat/gluten allergy, vegetarian, need I say more) and this accommodating, understated outdoor eatery had a lentil/veggie/bean/rice dish served in a spiced coconut broth alongside a fried sweet banana that had me daydreaming of seconds for the rest of the trip. I mean, seriously Yum. The restaurant is the blue pillared structure with the red truck out front. Thanks to Santi, we ate here on the way to the cacao farms. If you are traveling in Ecuador and see this place, do yourself a favor and airship me the coconut lentil soup dish (I will pay handsomely).  After 7 hours on the road, a couple of stops and plenty of laughs, we arrived at our coastal hostel. The night air at the Esmeraldas coast was humid and HOT. Needless to say, the air conditioning in the hostel was our best friend through the night. The next morning, we ate a typical coastal breakfast, visited a cacao fermentation facility and then...the actual cacao farms. And I will leave you on that suspenseful cliffhanger hehe. Mainly because I have been typing away for hours now... Thank you for reading about the first part of my Ecuadorian cacao journey. I hope you enjoyed this little tale and I will put up part 2 in the days to come. If you do stay tuned, I have a funny little story about a room mixup that happened at our Esmeraldas hostel. I figure my utter embarrassment might equal your entertainment, so you can look forward to future reading about some PG rated humiliation. As always, relax, enjoy life and EAT CHOCOLATE!!!   Top picture: Beautiful flora we found on our way to the coast; Bottom left: A typical sight from the car of the coastal jungle; Bottom right: A little tree frog Josh spotted on our travels PS I am not sure why the text fonts do not stay uniform...I am madly clicking and adjusting to no avail. My apologies. |
