Today funnily enough was another day of sitting on the bus. We visited some small produces in
Atitlan called Nimak Cape. It’s a coop of producers who own say from ½ a hector to a hector. In Finca terms this is very small, and something I’ve not been a massive fan of. I wouldn’t say I shyed away from coop coffee’s (we have some in our range that are great examples of fine coffee), but given the alternative of one farm or a coop and the same in the cup, I’d go for the finca.

But what this day taught me was there is no difference as these small farms make up the same, just run by individuals as the larger farm. But the most thought changing part was that if you have individuals tending a small lot that is their coffee they grow it pick it tend to it, where as the larger fincas they have to bring in pickers and buy in labour. I know from experience that if you pay some one to do something they will do it to the best of their ability, but owners will go that extra mile and has an added incentive to make sure the quality is exactly perfect. Some of the picking we saw was truly awesome not a green cherry in sight hand picked to perfection.

Another thing that amazed me was that everyone in the family was involved in picking and moving the coffee to the collection stations, even the young children. At home it’s a chore for my son to move his plate to the kitchen, yet children younger than him were moving 50kg of cherry, and happy and smiling whilst doing it. When I cant get him to tidy his room, but they were picking coffee for hours upon end. Very humbling experience, and such happy nice people.

From there we moved onto a boat ride across lake Atitlan to the town of Panajachel. An interesting town, very touristy that is nice and a chance for some retail therapy, where we stopped in a great hotel overlooking the bay (see photo). Now it is the next day and I’m pleased to be leaving as it felt a very false place and not real Guatemala. We are again on the bus but this time I mind not, as we are off to Finca El Bosque, a coffee we started stocking last year, and is a BIG favourite of mine. So the chance to meet the growers (3 brothers) is very exiting for me.

This was not meant to be part of the trip but everyone kindly gave up the morning shopping to stop me crying and wailing and carrying on “I WANT, I WANT, I WANT, TO GO TO EL BOSQUE”

Sorry for the lack of updates, I’ve been writing but no internet connection has stopped me posting.

So today was visiting two farms managed by one person. He has another farm but this one was too far out.  The man, Rony Ascencio and a realy cool host. On the way to the farm we stopped of at a roadside café that is far nicer than any roadside café in the UK. Lots more eggs but not as good as the Las Nubes eggs but right up there 

The first farm is one that he’s taken over recently in the past few months. Its been producing OK coffee but Ronys task is to make it produce awesome coffee. This is done buy looking at every component and look at how things can be done better. This may be adding or reducing shade, or increasing drainage, ripping out plant stock and replacing, observing soil content and use of fertilisers and pesticides. I’m firmly of the opinion that the use of pesticides is a good thing if it helps production and is used as little as possible but as much as necessary.  Organic is great but for some people unobtainable and cost restrictive. It also means the market would have to bear the brunt of these costs, which is unnecessary as long as the rules are followed

Anyway off track, the farms were great to see the people SOOOOO NICE. I have a new friend in mi amigo, the little one who chatted away in Spanish to me (see photo below). The food that was put on for us amazing, I don’t think I’m going to be able to fit in one of those airline seats for the journey home.

Good times but lots of bus journeys and lots of rain. Now we are on our way back to Guatemala city, to be based around that area for a couple of days, updates to come.

Day 1. WOW you knew that was coming but loving this place. Sunday was spent on a very long bus journey to Esquipulas, to visit a farm called Las Nubes, a small to medium sized finca outside of the town. This is a farm we have cupped many times but has been bought up by long time buyers. Its kind of a queue and we have moved forward to be able to get some of this on the new crop.

The journey was  kind of fun, chatting with the others on the trip and looking at the scenery. We arrived 4 hours later (yes 4 hours). The town is very famous for its church and we arrived on the busiest day of the year. People from all around Guatemala travel on a pilgrimage to the church to see the Black Christ. It’s a statue of Jesus made out of a dark black wood. The queue to touch it was over six hours. People were sleeping under tarpaulin sheets all day and night.

We were then invited by Fabio the owner of Las Nubes to dinner at his daughter’s house. This was a reasonable sized house with a huge garden where we all sat out and ate a wonderful home prepared meal. The house is in the middle of the town so was very close to the hotel where everyone else was stopping. Notice everyone else me the two owners of Mercanta and Richie the roaster from Monmouth were lucky enough to be invited to stop on the farm in a guest house that’s been built.

Now for someone who loves everything coffee the opportunity to stop on a Farm who’s coffee you enjoy and get a chance to sit and drink rum with the farmer his wife daughter and grandchildren is something that’s special. A few times I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. It sounds a little corney but I felt quite emotional. I didn’t sleep too much more exitiment than anything else, but got up around 6:30 ish. An apology to Richie who had to share a room with me (separate beds I must stress) but noone deserves to have to do that.

The morning carried on where the evening left off with enjoying breakfast with some wonderful company. One thing I’ve got to share with you is Sonia’s recipe for Las Nubes Huevos. These are poached egss with a twist. For this you need

1 Egg
Basil
Coriander
Onion
Chilli

You take a small amount of onion and chop it finely. A small pinch of chilli basil and coriander and add to the onion. Take a plastic bag and place the mixture in one of the corners. Then crack the egg and place it in the same corner. Then you knot the bag and place it in boiling water for 10 mins, remove and serve. Wonderful wonderful wonderful.

So the farm great tour loads of photos as soon as I can upload them you’ll see them but a few below. I also got to do an interview with Fabio on my video recorder about what he thinks about our importers us and fairtrade, interesting stuff and I hope to get that on the website some time once I’m back.

We sat ate a wonderful meal, chatted with some great music. I must apologise for the over use of wonderful and awesome but they both fit so well.  This trip is starting to feel a little different to every other trip I’ve been on. The emphasis is much more on meeting and socialising with the farmer and less about cupping. Sure we have some cuppings later in the week, but I’m feeling quite emotional about it all.

So now I sit on the bus for another 4 hours to move to Coban, where we are heading ready for tomorrow. One night (tonight) at the hotel then onwards again. The Internet connection has been non existent my emails must be in the hundreds and I’ve no way of contacting home. But when you read this I must have them all back as I’ve uploaded this :). The time flies and I know soon I’ll be setting home but for now I‘ll enjoy.

So I’m here in Beautiful Guatemala, I arive at the hotel around 24 hours after leaveing home the previous day, but with time zones and alike my body doesn’t know if its coming or going.

My advice if you are ever visiting central / south America is don’t go through Newark or Houston in particular, Chaos is the only work I can use to describe both of them. Every time I go through US border control it gets a little hard, slower and more hassle. I believe there will come a time where no one can enter the country, kind of understand why, but I was in transit and having to collect my mugage and re check in bizarre!

Any way the coffee the coffee. Not much to tell you as all I’ve done is slept, but this morning we are off to Esquipulas of which I know little about but hope to telll you more later

But as a first off the view I woke up to this morning, its not a bad life.

Well it’s seems like an age since my last trip. It’s been nearly 1 year since my last visit to origin, so I’m chomping at the bit to get out and see it all. I’m hoping that during the trip to keep you regularly updated with photos and postings.

While I’m away Sarah and John (and the help of our family with Sarah’s mom dad and her sister all chipping in) will keep things going. But there may be occasions they cant get things out as quick as we normally do (hey it will probably quicker without me in the way). But I ask you to be a little more patient. Emails will still be going (Internet connection willing) and Sarah will also be checking.

Great news for me this week. I’ve been able to confirm my trip to Guatemala in January. This time the trip isn’t for cup of excellence but for me to go and visit some of the farms we have bought from and plan to buy from next year. Also it’s a chance for me to expand my coffee knowledge with trips to farms and to mills to see from seed to cup. Of particular excitement to me is the chance to go and see coffee farms during harvest time.

I hope to bring back lots of pictures, lots of storeys and lots of great coffee. Got to say thank you to Mrs Has Bean who is letting me go off on this expedition, who will be holding the fort while I’m away, she puts up with a lot bless her.

There will be more about this as it gets closer, in fact you may have to tell me to shut up