Tirimbina Rainforest Chocolate

First, it was a long, narrow swinging bridge ...	Click photos for larger versions ... across a raging river ...	... over hill, along narrow moist trails, not all with boardwalks or hand rails.
On the site of an old cacao plantation, a shelter is set up, where Ruth Marie is given the task of splitting the nut.	Success! And the cocoa beans are harvested, as is the sweet white meat between them.	Jorge shows how to crack the shell and get to the cocoa nib, the basis of good chocolate.
Monkeys see, monkeys do ... and try the slightly bitter but flavorful nibs.	Francisco demonstrates grinding the shelled beans.	His equipment is an advance on earlier methods.
Ruth Marie had a go at it ...	... as did David ...	... and Miriam.
Soon Niño was brought in with the muscle, using a more modern method. The moist ground beans were mixed with sugar for a heavenly fudgy treat.	Francisco also mixed the rich tasting beans into hot cocoa, both the ancient (non-sweet) kind and one we were more familiar with. The chocolate treats were unbelievably delicious.	Cacao beans were so valuable they were used as money. Here Jack and Mary use some of our gifted beans to purchase mementos of the visit.