Today we went to the Mekong delta and it was a great trip especially after having that speaker come in and talk to us about the Mekong and what to expect when we get there. We saw the new bridge they built recently. Our purpose for going to the Mekong was to visit a cocoa plantation and to see how ACDI/VOCA is helping the local people make money by raising cocoa crops.
To see how this works we visited Vinacocoa a company who buys local farmers crops and processes them to be used in the making of chocolate and other products. Their facility was really just a small warehouse with a small section for distillation of the cocoa plants. While we were there we got to try some of the raw cocoa and it is really not what I expected. Its actually a little slimy white kind of fruit thing. The actual cocoa nut once it is dried is really biter and I got to try some of that as well. While we were there we also go to go to their taste testing building and try a lot of different cocoa substances that would be considered finished products and they were all really bitter and some were pretty sour as well. The whole experience was pretty cool and educational because before visiting I really had no idea how the cocoa business worked or how much work goes into making a finished chocolate bar.
After Vinacocoa we went to a cocoa farm and took a tour through their property. Most cocoa farms don’t only grow cocoa because cocoa is typically grown with other crops. The farm we visited grew coconuts with cocoa plants under the coconut trees. The farm was a lot bigger than I thought and it had a really dirty water trench running throughout the property. After our tour of the farm the owners came out with fresh fruit for all of us which was really good. I think it is the best fruit I’ve ever had actually.
After the farm visit we had lunch at this really beautiful restaurant outside which was right next to a bunch of connected ponds with catfish in them I believe. The view was amazing and the food was also very good. After lunch we had the chance to walk around the grounds of the restaurant and take a look at everything. Tin showed us fresh lemons and other fruits growing all around and we saw a little lizard guy. The girls immediately found the hammocks and lounged around for the remainder of our stay. I ended up taking a lot of pictures with the guys and just of the property in general because it was so beautiful.
After the amazing lunch we headed home and showered after a long day in the sun. After we got cleaned up Tony called us and Andrew, Matt, Kyle, Mike, and I headed out to meet Tony, Lee, and some of their friends at a rock club. The club was really small but had an amazing atmosphere. The singer was really good and they sang all kinds of great songs from linkin park to aerosmith. It was a great time. I think the highlight of the night though was when Lee asked all of us if we knew how to play drums and Andrew said he did. Turns out they were in need of a drummer and Andrew just volunteered to play for the rest of the night. It was amazing to see him up there and playing so well with the rest of the band. We were all so pumped from watching and just being with all of our new friends that I think this may well be the best night of the trip so far.
As the night drew to a close and we all started getting tired we said goodbye to everyone and headed home for bed. Today was even better than yesterday and I can only continue to hope that the rest of the trip will live up to the parts I have already experienced.
No comments:
Post a Comment