We have all heard of “farm to table” restaurants featuring incredibly fresh food. What would happen if you could do the same thing with chocolate? Sherry and I just experienced a tree to table experience that was outrageously great.
On our way to the Galapagos, Sherry and I decided to spend a couple of days in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The city, which is the largest in Ecuador, is not known as a tourist mecca. It is the banking capital and houses the largest port in the country. The tourism industry has been battered; first by the pandemic, and then by the drug gangs fighting for control over the ports. None-the-less we wanted to explore and learn, so we connected with a tour company and our guide Corina to assist us in staying safe during the visit.
On our first day, we explored the City Center, visiting government facilities and learned about how Ecaudor won its independence from Spain. Hint, it involved a fancy party in 1822, where the wives of the leaders of the town intoxicated the Spanish military leaders. Much more civilized than the American revolution!
We then visited Parque Seminario, also known as Iguana Park, the charming old town with its 400 steps, Malecón 2000 (a fun boardwalk now celebrating its 25th year), and Parque Histórico Guayaquil a large open-air museum dedicated to showcasing the natural and historical heritage of the region.
That sounds like a lot, but it was not even a full day, so we were able to spend time in the afternoon by the pool. I continued practicing my strokes (still working on adventure number 22).
We had some evening fun at a themed restaurant Central 593 with characters from Ecuadorian folklore meeting us at a train station. We met the devil (who served a delicious fiery “palion del diablo” drink) and a mysterious woman who murders her lovers. The food was surprisingly delicious and co-owner Juan Javier spent time with us sharing his thoughts about the city.
For our second day, we headed east to the Churute Mangrove Forest, an Estuary of the Guayas river, where we were delighted to see thousands of birds while being transported in a 25 foot motorized canoe.
Our guide Jairo pointed out dozens of species. One of our favorites was the beautiful Roseate Spoonbill with a beautiful pink color. We then headed into a nearby tropical dry forest to see howler monkeys.
Cocoa like no other
The highlight of our time in Guyaquil happened just after a delicious lunch at the “Hacienda Cacao y Mango” Cocoa plantation part owned by Jairo.
His brother Jamil taught us all about the two types of cocoa they grow, and guided us while we personally executed the huge number of steps to convert cocoa into chocolate. He helped us to harvest the cocoa fruit from the tree, remove the seeds, roast the beans, winnow to remove the nibs, grind, refine, mix, temper and then mold them into our own chocolate bars. Truly a tree to table, amazingly delicious experience!
