White Water Chocolate Tour

Day 2. 

Today was a really fun/interesting day.  White water rafting has to be the most fun things I've ever done in my life!  I can't wait to white water tube!  Though, I may be a little sore tomorrow.  The water was cold but felt amazing.  Half way through the journey, the tour guides cut up fresh pineapple and I must say it was THE best pineapple I've ever eaten.  All of the fruit here is so fresh and delicious!  I wish I could take some home with me. At this point we were also able to jump into the water from a semi-high cliff (so much fun!)  All of the fruit here is so fresh and delicious!  I wish I could take some home with me. 

After white water rafting I experienced my first official Costa Rican meal with rice and beans.  It was great!  We were able to sit outside on a porch next to a river with beautiful flowers and trees surrounding us.  It was breathtaking!  I may never want to go home.


We then took a tour through the rainforest where we crossed a very long suspension bridge.  I am not afraid of heights or adventure, but this was a bit on the scary side!  It was swinging and didn't look very well made, but we all survived so it's all good!  The trip through the forest was unbelievable, and I though Louisiana was beautiful.  It has nothing on the sights in Costa Rica.  The forest is home to the cocoa tree.  We were able to experience the process of making chocolate along with being able to taste the end product.  Our tour guide first showed us the plants where the seeds are housed.  He then cracked one open and allowed everyone to taste what was inside.  You could not chew, but simply let the slimy covered seed sit on your tongue.  It was literally bitter-sweet.  He then showed the group the process of drying the seeds by showing us a bin with 7 different compartment.  Each compartment contained the dried seeds but each compartment had been sitting a day longer than the last.  On the 7th day the beans were dark and you could crack the shell of like a peanut.  It tasted like a really burnt peanut leaving a really bad taste in your mouth. After it's been crushed, they add sweets to it to make it taste better, such as sugar or cinnamon.  You can even add such things as chili pepper or black pepper.  It is then melted down into a tasty liquid and molded into a delicious chocolate bar.  After all the taste testing and learning about how it can be made into a chocolate bar (which you need to keep the cocoa butter in it) or a chocolate powder (where you take the butter out), we then made the walk back to the front of the forest where there lobby/gift shop is. 

Upstairs at the lobby we were shown a slideshow where the tour guide explained how they remain sustainable and true to the environment.  The three most important aspects of remaining a sustainable forest is to stay educated, do research, and be conservative.  They are respectable to the animal and plants that surround them.  They also attempt to obtain as many stars as they can in many of the sustainable programs/certifications (of which I cannot remember all the names).  They believe in leaving behind the beauty they see in everyday life for future generations.