Tuesday, August 4, 2015

The second day of our service project brought heavier lifting and warmer temperatures.  We joined several local volunteers to mix huge batches of concrete by hand, using a flat spot under a tree as a mixing surface.  The concrete was a heavy mix of sand, rock, and cement, so our muscles got a workout.  We poured the fence foundation in the trenches that were dug yesterday - the perimeter is growing quickly! We also cleaned the school's kitchen, scrubbed down the windows and window louvres, picked up trash, and removed debris.  We were impressed with the toughness of the local workers who continued with the heaviest work long after we were gone for the day.  Physical labor in Belizean summer heat is not easy!

Lunch was a welcome break at midday.  We had a couple hours to relax, chat, and catch up on our journaling in the relative cool of the screened dining room at Nuuk Che'il Cottages.  In the afternoon, we toured the Che'il Mayan Chocolate Company ("Wild Mayan Chocolate").  First, we were taken onto the farm property where the cacao beans are grown. We walked through citrus orchards and forged a small creek to get to the grove of cacao trees. We were able to see and touch the raw cacao beans, which were surprisingly slimy in their natural state. On our return to the factory, we learned to grind the dried, roasted cacao beans on a traditional Mayan grinding stone.  After LOTS of elbow grease, the dried beans turned into a rich, dark, chocolate sauce.  We added sugar and cocoa butter and let it harden in the freezer for a few minutes - and voila! We were able to eat chocolate bars we made ourselves. Everyone enjoyed buying a few chocolate bars for ourselves and our homestay families, but they had to be eaten quickly before they liquified in the heat.

Evening was again spent with our homestay families.  Everyone shared a delicious dinner with their hosts and spent the evening playing soccer, Jenga, and other games with the youngest children. Some families were also busy making traditional tamales for a local celebration taking place the next day, so we were able to see the women of the community working together to cook giant vats of chicken over open fires and wrapping tamales in the giant plantain leaves for tomorrow's feast.