Producing 500 bars of soap and feeding 42 Ticos: Un milagro

The shampoo and soap business continues to keep me busy! On Tuesday I went to the lab with Faynier and the other women and we worked HARD. “¡Muy duro!”, as the ticos would say. We had just entered the building when Faynier received a call from a man with an order for 500 bars of soap. The women had planned to produce a new aloe-vera lotion this day, and had not planned for this large order of soap.

Because there was so much work to be done, my duties were upgraded. I helped the women create the new lotion. I got to mix the chemicals, oil, and plants and ensure the reaction took place properly. I felt like a chemist in the lab. It was quite exciting and the final product was riquìsimo! My skin will smell delicious and feel silky smooth for many days.

I also got to help make honey and goat milk soap and soap made from herbs. The women are becoming more confident in my skills to produce and unfortunately I am done helping them in the lab! ¡Què làstima! I wish I could have more time here to help them. We did succeed in producing the 500 bars of soap though, so I feel like I have contributed to their efforts.

Yesterday a group of 42 adult students taking a class on medicinal plants at the University of Costa Rica visited the Association. The preparation for this event was mainly focused on preparing enough delicious food for the guests. Costa Ricans are always thinking about food, so it was imperative we were properly prepared. We arrived at the Association at 7:00 to make the soup, meatballs, tortillas, salad, rice, and beans. The guests arrived promptly at 10:30; ravishing for their cafecito after the long journey up the mountain. We hurriedly prepared the coffee, natural tea, and tortillas with sour-cream. (In Costa Rica it is a sin to eat a tortilla without sour-cream.)

After we had subdued the guests with cafecito Faynier and the other women gave tours of the farm. The guests frantically picked aloe-vera plants and flowers to buy and take with them as souvenirs. On the tour I learned the women had planted sugar cane on the farm. One of the women whipped out her machete and hacked a long cane down for all of us to eat. You chomp on the cane with your teeth and then suck the sugar juice out. It was delicious! I think I taste a new wild food here every day. I guess that is the way it should be, seeing as Ticos are always thinking about food! In fact, I would have to say that filling the bellies of 42 Ticos yesterday was quite the miracle! ¡Fue un milagro!

 

 

 

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