Sunday, November 1, 2009

Cocoa Pods as Big as Your Head

I know it has been a long time since my last post. To hold you all over until I have time to write something worth reading, here are some pretty pictures.

A new cacao variety bred in Costa Rica (photo taken by me at the facility!)
I hope to be grafting with it in Druy before I depart

Grafted plants at Costa Rica's CATIE
(Center for Tropical Agriculture Research and Study)

Kate posing with one of the largest cacao pods I have ever seen.
The CATIE gardens are a mystical place

Me, after a very unpleasant trip to my latrine, which was home to a very unruly family of wasps
My farmers teased me with name calling of "la chinita" (the chinese girl)

Ernesto, helping rid my latrine of wasps. His technique involved burning gasoline soaked synthetic rags. My latrine has still preserved the smell. I miss the smell of composting poo. I think the wasps do too. They buzz no more.

Making a fool of myself for laughs. I can't explain.

Rebecca, Kate, and I give a rediculously messy demonstration on brownie preparation

A fresh "patch" graft on a cacao seedling

The truly rainy season has returned

A baby peanut plant!

what was left of the peanut plant after the adorable baby goat got through my fence

A watermelon (this pic is for you, Mom)

knitting class has been a huge hit. I never would have thought it would be in the tropics

Glorified babysitting

Andi and Kate model some hot duds at Kate's leadership seminar

Jose showing off lateral grafting on cacao tree by the school

Playing games to see who can avoid Janell's questions... looks like Ernesto
was the big winner


2 comments:

Unknown said...

watermelon! And one gnarly eye. You look really weird in that photo.

Ian said...

Hey Jannell! This is Ian, I visited you on my volunteer visit. Had a great time by the way, loved all the chocolate and tje spontanious birthday speech.

Anyways, I have been in site for the past two weeks in Ño Kribo region of Bocas, right outside of Chiriquí Grande. Café and Cocao are two of their biggest exports. However, a lot of the farmers are having problems with their cocao trees and do not understand why some are healthy and others are not.

I am going to Chang tomorrow to meet with Jim, Niko and some agencies for our agency visit day. I hope to get some more information about some SAS stuff there, but I really could use your help!

Let me know if you are interested in a visit to Ballena sometime!

Get back to me, iRobbins30@gmail.com

Ian