Today we decided to ditch the snorkels and fins, and head to the mainland! After a wonderful breakfast we got on the boats and took a bumpy ride to Almirante. Once we arrived, we were greeted by a large amount of shipping containers filled with bananas. Panama exports around 242,840 tons of bananas around the world every year (that's a lot of bananas!)
Braving the rough seas
Shipping containers filled with bananas
We then took a van over to the village called Rio Oeste Arriba where the Ngäbe people live. We were greeted by 2 local cacao farmers and a Ngäbe woman who were kind enough to teach us about the history of cacao farming and how they process it. We learned that 1 tree can live to be over 100 years old and produce around 20 pods per year, which each contain around 35-60 seeds. We got a quick history lesson about how in 1977 a hybrid cacao plant was introduced to Panama, but it brought a fungus along with it. The fungus thrives in the humidity, and if not caught in time, can kill over 80% of cacao fruits per tree. Despite this, the farmers do not use any chemicals or pesticides, making their chocolate as fresh and healthy as possible. Due to this they have to patrol their farms daily in order to pick off the infected fruit. Unlike most farms, the Ngäbe people practice agroforestry, meaning within their cacao farms, they grow many different things including bananas, yucca, taro, soursop, dragon fruit, and many others. This helps create a diverse and sustainable environment for the indigenous to live off of. They also utilize many parts of different plants and fruits to make medicinal teas, bowls, musical instruments, bags, etc.
Mauricio teaching us about taro roots
(photo credit: Owen Herd)
Then we were invited to see the process up close and personal. First you cut open the ripe fruit, and retrieve the seeds. The outer fleshy layer tastes kind of like mango! The seeds then go through a week-long fermentation process, and you can either eat the fermented seeds, or roast them. Once roasted, you peel them and crush them up forming a delicious chocolate paste. The Ngäbe don’t put sugar in this, but instead use coconut oil and honey to add some sweetness.
Some very enlightened MARBS
To end this trip we were treated with a traditional meal, which consisted of rice, chicken, taro root, and cooked taro leaves. We also were able to look through the chocolate shop, which had a variety of cacao, along with handmade bags, bowls, jewelry, figurines, and more. We were all incredibly grateful for this experience and to the Ngäbe people. I think we will all be more appreciative of the hard work that gets put in, the next time we eat chocolate!
Once we were back at the station, we got some free time to work on projects or rest up. Right as we were heading to dinner, we were visited by a group of Howler monkeys making their way through the trees! To end the night, Richard gave a lecture on coral reef fish coloration and the different ways they use this to their advantage.
Another amazing and informational day that we’ll never forget!
-Hannah Lammens
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