I got a finalized bag of the coffee from Ecuador. 

So I’ve gotten some updates on my coffee project in Camarones.  Arnaud, the volunteer that took over my project, says that they were able to collect some coffee from the reserve.  This is very good because the coffee is shade grown and in the rainforest (versus using land for agriculture).  However, he says that someone went around picking some of Third Millennium Alliance’s coffee because there isn’t as much as before. 

The cooperative includes the reserve and local families in the community.  Some of the coffee from the family that I stayed with is dried, roasted and in bags ready to sell in the market.  I heard that a few bags have been sold in the capital - Quito. 

In my hand, you can see some coffee beans that I received as a gift less than a week ago.  Another volunteer brought some back for me. 

As of now, I know that some coffee has been processed, but I do not know the quantitities.  I am also wanting to know which families participated in this project because the idea was to have a few families work on this together, not just one.  I am also interested in hearing what markets they are attempting to sell the coffee to (the capital or closer to Camarones, near the coast).  Hopefully I will be able to update you soon!

The kids in my family and in the community loved this song. They would play it on repeat and continuously dance the choreography. Needless to say that I got dragged into it.

The “rat dance”

Filling the last little space with cement and putting the final touches on.  This cement floor will be used for drying the coffee beans. 

Hauling up the bamboo with the horse/mule in the rainforest.  Longgggg day.

Capuchin sighting in the rainforest.

Going to Canoa with the 5 other volunteers.  This is an example of one of the nicer ways to get from point A to point B. 

The chicken that Emma bought from one of the families in the community for the raffle at our going away party.