ACATPA y Cacao

Gracias ACATPA y a todos en el asociación por ayudarme con la información para mi tesis de maestría acerca de como se cultiva el cacao y las diferentes responsabilidades en las familias de los cultivadores.
 

Yo soy estudiante en la Universidad de Agricultura en Uppsala, Suecia. Aquí estudio dos años el programa de maestría que se llama Desarrollo de Campo y Administración de Naturaleza. Tengo un diploma en Geografía Humana, mi programa de bachillerato se llama Inherencia Cultural y Análisis Social.
 

Gracias a la supervisión de mi Universidad en Suecia y ICRAF LA, pude terminar mi tesis y tuve una oportunidad para llegar al Amazonas en Perú y poder hacer esta investigación acerca del cacao.
 

Era mi primera vez que yo salía de Europa, mi primera vez en Latino América, primera vez en la selva. Entonces, el clima, el sonido de los insectos, la música, las costumbres, la comida, el castellano, moto-taxis, las casas....todo era una nueva experiencia para mí. Pero fue así como conocí a muchas personas amables, que fueron como una familia para mí.

Siempre las personas tenían tiempo para hablar, sonreír o compartir un postre en el comedor. Yo me sentía muy querida.
 

Para mi investigación, yo visitaba diez familias durante seis semanas. Yo escuchaba mucho de los ingenieros y municipalidades de la región. Poco a poco conocí como las familias, vivian y como cultivaban el cacao en el área. Todos eran muy apasionados con respecto al cacao. Se cultiva cacao para vender a Europa y otras partes del mundo, puesto que el cacao de América del sur es uno de los mejores mundialmente. El cacao no se transforma mucho en las casas de los pobladores de la selva. Pero existen personas que saben come se transforma granadillas y jugo de cacao en mermelada, mousse, postre y licor. Era muy interesante para aprender esta información.
 

En el asociación, que tenía 10 años, se puede fermentar y secar el cacao, primero llega en sacos de Europa, y así poder venderlos en diferentes empresas de chocolates. Se cultiva más cacao inherente NCC51 porque es muy resistente y produce mucho más que por ejemplo el cacao criollo. NCC51 puede ser recogido cada 15 días durante todo el año, en vez del aroma fino que solamente tiene el cacao una vez al año. Entonces, vale más de cultivar con NCC51. Este es un cacao perteneciente a Ecuador. Las frutas de NCC51 son grandes, lilas y roja, son muy bonitas. Se abren con machete para llegar a las semillas. Estas se fermentan 6 días, después se secar están en el proceso después de tostar y moler. En empresas grandes con mucha tecnología, se pueden moler muy fuerte y entonces separar la manteca de cacao del polvo del cacao. Con diferentes ingredientes como esencias de vanilla y clavos de olor, crece el sabor y llega a oler muy bien el chocolate.
 

El asociación consiste en más de 150 diferentes cultivadores de cacao. Ahora 103 de los cultivadores de cacao están en un proceso para tener un certificado orgánico. Con este certificado pueden vender a un mejor precio y para un mejor mercado en el mundo. Para las familias significaría que pueden mejorar el nivel de vida un poco. Necesitan una chacra limpia sin basuras, con un baño, agua. Las familias en el proceso de cultivar el cacao orgánico son muy entusiastas y positivas.

El pueblo es muy joven. Celebra 26 años ahora, pero empezó a crecer hace 60 años. Entonces, la mayoría del la ciudad esta construido por las personas que viven allí. Todas las casas están construidas a mano. Para la municipalidad faltaría por ahora mejorar los servicios básicos como es la electricidad, el desagüe, etc.
 

Las costumbres y la cultura son diferentes de mi país. Pero yo siempre estuve muy contenta y feliz cuando llegaba a la cama en el noche. Yo tenía experiencia de cultivar cacao, mantener la tierra, recoger fruta de cacao, abrir las frutas, separar las semillas de cacao, fermentar, secar, transformar. Yo tenía experiencia de manejar moto-taxi, cocinar fideos y caldo de gallina, pescar, usar redes, comer chirimoya, camu camu y muchos otros frutos exóticos que no crecen en mi país. Y cuando pienso en los niños y las personas del pueblo, me acuerdo de ellos con mucho cariño y felicidad. Una vez mas, gracias a todos para hacer de mi viaje y investigacion una experiencia tan increíble, ustedes me enseñaron muchas cosas... Nunca los olvidare!!
 

Con amor y felicidad.
Carin, 2011

(Gracias a Mayra Flores Mejía en Cusco por corregir mi español y
por ser una de las personas mas maravillosas que conocí.)

Sonia Vivaz and Abjeez....

Was lucky to hear them last Friday while helping out on a local festival, so wanted to share the beautiful tunes with you. They are a Swedish band with lots of influences around the globe...

Sonia Vivaz - Un deseo

I was captivated by the passion....found out a bit more about the female vocal that had some roots in Iran and used to make (still is?) music with her sister and some others under the name of Abjeez. Here is their song Immigrant.

Boost the floor....

...just because the stars....

Moderratto- Zodiaco

.....I wish you all have a vibrant time....

Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull - On the floor

...with rhythms of Puerto Rico and Latin moves....

Daddy Yankee - El ritmo no perdona

....whatever you do, wherever you are, I wish you all a beautiful 'nite!

Sweden

So I am back in Sweden now. It is early summer here and some days are rather sunny and warm. But for me who had accommodated myself to the humid and hot days of the Amazons, it felt a bit cold. It took me a week to get adjusted to the climate, food as well as time. It was much easier to get used of an earlier day than a later day...

Here are smoked salmon and stewed potato with dill, some multi grained bread, radish, beans and apple cider (and a piece of my camera brace...:) ).

 

The second photo is on a shrimp sandwich, lots of lettuce, cucumber,
tomatoes, orange, lemon, dill, mayonnese, beans and a raspberry drink. 

One of the first days back I went out with a little steam-boat on a lake close by. It was an early morning and the sun was shining on the light green leaves. I loved this little island....

...or the temple here....perfect for yoga exercises
when mornings have become warmer. 

 

A great way to begin the day.

Lima 4/4: Visiting Isla Palomino

I had the opportunity to find someone (gracias chica!!!) who wanted to take part of cruising around the islands close to Lima, and we were lucky to be joined by a group of Americans, enough with peoples to go out. But none wanted to swim with sea lions...I just had to.... But it was a bit scary with the cold water and hundreds of them around me. I felt really under the power of nature. They were so close, swimming beneath me and watching silently with those big black eyes. The water was around 14 degrees and perhaps 30 metres deep. Waves of half metres were softly swinging our bodies. I was in the water together with a guy who had been going out with people on this cruise for half a year. He was steady and calm. Told me that since the sea lions knew him, it would had been like bringing a friend to a party. He told me to lay still so they might come forth to my feet. He told me to be quiet otherwise I would threaten their space.... but I think I had to do it a couple of times to get used of it and really finding a pleasure in it...still, what a memory...

Gracias Miraflores House en Lima y A. para recorda y upload.

Lima 3/4: Museo de Larco

After many more hours than I was first thinking I would stay at the parque de leyendas, I continued to walk in the direction (with my newly friends) of the archaeological, anthropological and historical museum. After awhile and many new directions, I took a (yellow) cab. Unfortunately nor did he know where it was, so I started to become at unease and told him to ask any policeman or security I could find. No one seemed to know.....But after many more direcctions, we finally arrived at a peaceful and beautiful square. Unfortunately the museum was closed.... But there was a woman working in this districts municipality office, who told me that she knew another great museum, very well-visited. She told me it was the way she was going and I could accompany her (she had this municipality sign on her and was in her 40s). We passed a lot of very calm neighbourhoods. All of a sudden we came to a big park with a very big tree. It was one of the oldest in Lima, 200 years old, grown by a very important person...

We continued some streets more and there it was; museum de Larco. An entrance stunning with flowers of all the imaginable colours. I joined with a group of middle-ages ladies from Canada. The entrance was more than average (30 soles) and I had no idea about this place. But it seemed to have a lot of nice things, collected by this man called Rafael Larco who lived in the beginning of last century. Apparently they had a lot of collections preserved - textiles, ceramics, jewellry...and also a part where they stored ceramics showing different fertility positions. I was told that some visited the museum just to see this. 

But I was happy to see everything; it was a beautiful collection! They also had a reference library and a great short introduction movie. A place well-worth to visit when in Lima.

Lima 2/4; Parque de Leyendas

The following day I used to visit the "parque de leyendas" and some museums. After being shutting my eyes for any dangerous animals in the jungle, safely by the coastal area I wanted to actual get to know all the animals that lived there. I think animals of the wild belongs in nature and not kept captivated to be observed. I felt with the panther who was walking restlessly while the worker were hammering on constructions just besides... schoolkids and olders where knocking on the window to get a better lock and attentions. (When writing this, can't help myself to think of the scene in Harry Potter with the snake on the zoo.:) Animals were trying to hide the best they could.... I was sending love and forgiveness to the poor creatures....and while I was observing (still a bit fascinated) I felt someone observing me, and there were two tigers laying cool up in a tree observing me. 

I got friends with a woman from Lima and her mum from Cusco and we hanged out during the rest of our stay on the zoo.

Lima 1/4; Miraflores

Since I never took any vacation (partly because I never had time for it, partly because I did not had finance for it) and my time in Peru had been very intense, I strongly wished of ending my stay in Peru with some calm days by the coast.

Thanks for my lovely family in the jungle, I was connected with uncle M. who worked as a taxi driver in Lima. He picked me up and drove me to a hotel not far from the coast in Miraflores. It was a great place to stay - calm and very nice.

Since I arrived in the middle of the night, I used my first day to just take care of myself. Accommodating to the new habitat and making a hair cut with colouring as well as making new friends in the area (thanks for all great food).

I went out dancing with a friend in the night. We danced to live salsa and I enjoyed it really much. I returned back at half past 4 in the morning, shining like a star of a bright night out.

My second day I went for a walk. It turned out that my hotel was just minutes away from the coastal line. I enjoyed the brisk wind in my hair and slowly breathed in beautiful and well-maintained parks in Miraflores. By the park of love, I found a great little café with two lovely girls in my age. I drank some gorgeous freshly squeezed juices with strawberries and watched one of them going up and away with parogliding (the blue one). She was so happy when she returned, what a thrill!

Gracias mi familia y amigos en la selva...

...ahora regresaba de mi país; Suecia. El avión y tren era muy cómodo, también me gustaba la comida en el avión...mmm.... 

Mi ultima semanas pasa volando. Yo era muy feliz y contenta con todos mi informaciones, gracias, gracias mi amores!

El ultima días yo visitaba Aguatia para mandar emails y también tenia tiempo para visitar la carretera de Bella Novia una vez. Eramos solamente me y mi amigos que banando en el luz de la luna nueva. Bonita era! Mi ultima semana pasa también con me familia donde yo vivía, nosotros pescadimos...Mi hermano tenia un grande pesco (cuando terminaba hablar...). También el paneria Trinigal ayudarme con consiglios y ayudo para preparar una comida típica de mi país - lasagna, ensalada con zanahoria y naranja (el mejor!!!:)), scones (pan Inglaterra con plátano) y un deserto de "smulpaj" con salsa de vanillia. Era un aventura de cocina.... :) Necesitaban preparar los platos de lasagna/fideos de mano... pero yo era muy contenta con el resultado. Y todos comían. El cooperativo tenia comida para alguna semanas siguiente... :)

Musica de la selva...

...que yo escucha aqui esta diaz....
para mi hermanas y hermanos en la sierra y la selva en Peru.

(Music from the jungle, which are played frequently these days...

for my sisters and brothers in the mountains and jungle of Peru)

Chino y Nacho - Nina Bonita (group established in Venezuela)


Bacilos - Cara y Luna

In the amazonas....

Hola todos!

Since you all seem to be thinking of me and wondering how it goes for me, I will make you an update of my whereabouts.

Since a month back I have been in the amazonas, close to the Ucuyali river. Two weeks ago I moved to a smaller village (maybe 700 inhabitants). This is my base for doing field visits to different cacao producers. My schedule is rather tight. I am having 10 different farmers to visit during a period of 6 weeks, using 2-3 days for notes, observation, interviews and some PRA methods. All my cacao producers that I am visting are connected to the cacao cooperative here, all producing the inherta (inympade) CCN51, once founded in Ecuador and now growing on the criollo trees.

Most of the cacao producers grow fruit trees like guava, agave, pine apple, mango, papaya, pijaja (special fruit here), mandarines, naranja and coco (kokos) among the cacao trees. It is mainly used for home.

The cacao production in the area where I am, have grown very rapidly during the last 10 years. Before it was dangerous here, with coca productions. But now many are growing cacao. The cultivators connected to my cacao cooperative produce cacao to sell to chocolate production in Europe. In Peru, at the farm or at the cooperatives house, they ferment (5-6 days) and dry (3-6 days) the beans.

Whitin home, sometimes marmelade and juice are produced. The matured cacao beans are surrounded by a very juicy and sweet surrounding, and it is refreshing when cultivating the cacao trees in the hot and humid area. 

To get to the different places, I mainly go by motorbike. I have had to cross rivers and walk in steep and muddy vegetation (I have seen one dead small black and blue and poisonious snake as well as one dead tarantula, I prefer to see them dead....). 

Here is much insects and I sleep with a mosquito net to protect me from bites. But during interviews and practichal methods in the fields, it is hard to keep away from insect bites. I use creams and spray, but look forward to my Swedish University friends when they arrive in the weekend and bring some Swedish insect cream. I like that one, very natural and works well for me.

I am still whitest of all here. It is a strange thing to look so different from everyone else. Some are fascinated by my pale color and some are scared. They call me gringa or blancita, but I prefered to be called Senorita C... Even with a bit of a tan, my skin color is very different. Perhaps I will get a bit more morena during my time here.

Yesterday was my birthday (thanks for all sms and emails). I worked with investigations during the day and then at night I was celebrating with my friends here. I rent a room with shower and toilett by a big family that I have become friends with. They had bought me a cake and we danced cumbia, salsa, marengue and other types of dances that are typical here.

I hope you all are well, wherever you may be. I know many of my course mates are far out in the world doing research, and just as me, it may sometimes be days when you feel rather lonely. These days will pass and when we look around, there are beautiful people watching over us. What more is, that even if we are not always able to embrace or talk to each other, side by side, we are all connected by heart and mind, one day once more, rejoining and sharing our stories and experiences. Til then, so long!

(all photos by Ms. C.)

La luz de tu corazon....

...by Jarabe de Palo. Love the intro and the lyrics...

Dine and find in Cusco...

Muchas gustas y gracias Cusco.

Chocolate museum Cusco

Normally, I just ignore all the tourist offers on plaza de armas in Cusco, but when I hear something to my like, I pay attention. This was one of those times, which became a great visit to the newly opened chocolate museum, my felicidad! A great excursion with my Spanish teacher. Clara - who runs the museum together with her partner from France - opened the museum for two weeks ago. Therefore not many cusquenans know about it yet. But it is well worth a visit. Very nicely decorated, chocolate tea and submarine/argentinan hot chocolate and lots of information on cacao production. For those who wants, they could also try making their own pralines.

The chocolate museum began as an hotel initative in Nicaragua and this is the second choco museum, now in Cusco.

Intensive Spanish lessons

Ohw, I am so delightful! My beautiful Spanish school have helped me to change my group lessons into private lessons! A great way to end my four weeks study here, closing up with an intensive week. I am thrilled with excitment, happiness and joy (might also be a bit because of the hot chocolate a drank.... ;) ).

I love this song....

Green Architecture

So here´s a book tip for today, great table one...just to browse thorugh those inspiring pages. You could find it here  (where the photo comes from) and see more pics here.

Touring the city

Today my sisters here took me around town and showed me their University. I felt very hounored to take part of their life. They are studying history and anthropology there.

After the walk, we went for some typical roaster and chips. I took a bigger plate with a little bit of everything. Like cheese, chicken, rice, mushrooms, chips...very saturating...but nice. Found some cool murials and statues....

Swearing is hard, when u dont use it....

Last year the movie The King´s Speech was released on the cinemas. I watched it yesterday. It keept me captivated. It has a bunch of really good actors. One scene I find entertaining is when Colin Firth - playing the main character King George IV - is trying to get out some anger.... and therefore is aiming at swearing.... But he is not really used of it so it comes out a little bit clumsy....but he gets better, cute ending... made me laugh....

So anyone else has any ideas of how to get of frustration or anger without hurting others or swearing?

A walk in Cusco....

So yesterday I met up with a German girl I met on the airport in Lima when I arrived in Peru. She is working as a volounteer in a orphanage 4 hours away (by bus) from Cusco. She was here during the weekend with another German girl that is doing here internship as a dentist in the same village.

Had a great walk and day in Cusco. Did not enter Sassy Woman....(never remember the right quecha word for that archeological heritage). But we were outside the ruines, constructed as a puma. Ate a choclo with cheese (non sweet maize) and avokado (totally different from the ones in Europe) on our way back down. A lovely time. Thanks!