Shani (Elise)'s Travels

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Matagalpa and Coffee Country

Here we are...our final week in Nicaragua. We decided to venture into the most mountainous(and coolest!) region of Nicaragua. After a 4-hour trip from Leon through winding roads, up and down mountains, we finally landed in the city of Matagalpa. It was not at all what I expected. The people are different than Nicaraguans in other parts of the country. Their skin is much lighter and they are not quite as friendly. Although it's off the beaten tourist path, and thought of as kind of "the sticks," Matagalpa had several yummy restaurants and cute boutiques with very modern and stylish clothes. Internet connection is sketchy, though. And, no backpacker hostels. Since this was my last week, I decided we could splurge a little...I paid $7/night for a little hotel room. And, we had to eat out the whole time. We enjoyed walking the streets and getting to know the town. We even went to a hair salon that Moon suggests to have our hair and nails done (well, Sydney's nails...you know I don't have any to be "done"). They were this group of very flamingly-gay stylists. Only the best! I could have passed on this adventure...but Sydney really wanted us to go there. How is she my daughter!?!? Needless to say this was her favorite city in Nicaragua. Funny...I think it was my least favorite.

While out to eat one night, we met a nice family visiting from California. The mother is a native of Matagalpa, but like most Nicaraguans who now live in the U.S., she left during the war-torn 1980s. I told her some of the places I was looking at to visit and she singled out the Selva Negra coffee plantation as the best choice on my list. She said she wanted to take her kids up there and offered us a ride. Great! Of course I accepted her offer.

After 2 days in Matagalpa, we loaded up in my new friend's truck, kids in back, of course, and headed to Hotel de Montana Selva Negra, about a 30-minute ride out of town. This was the ultimate splurge for me...$30 for one night in one of the cottages. But, it was totally worth it. Selva Negra is a cloud forest retreat and working coffee farm.The cloud forest in Monteverde, Costa Rica cannot even compare to the experience we had here. We took a two hour hike and encountered only one small group of people while on the trail. We saw a few animals, that I've yet to figure out the names of. It was beautiful. I took a few pictures, but they do not do it justice.

The resort itself is made up of several chalets and has this beautiful sanctuary, which is a popular spot for weddings and reunions. Along with hiking, you can also rent horses, or visit the small artisian hut where you can buy local pottery and crafts.

We also went on a tour of the coffee farm. I was so impressed. I have to get on my soap box now...this place was incredible. The farm aims to have zero waste. All the coffee is shade grown and organic. They do not use pesticides or herbicides. Instead they grind up plants that are undisirable to insects and make it into a slurry to spray on the leaves. They raise flowers, and other products to supplement their coffee income. They raise all their own food for the resort's restaurant, as well as for the workers' meals. They have a huge compost heap where they collect any lawn clippings and braches from the resort and farm. They reuse this organic matter all throughout the year.

The social program is also pretty progressive. They provide housing and fair wages for all their employees. They also have a school on site for children aged 5-14. If the child decides to go to high school (which entails going to town) the farm pays for the transportation and any expenses associated with it. This is the case with any student who wants to go to college, also. Finally, they have a full-time nurse employed as well as a part-time doctor, which is unheard of.

There is so much more that I won't write now. But, I encourage any of you coffee drinkers to try to buy shade-grown coffee to support your habit. The traditional slash and burn coffee farm practices are very unsustainable, and is a huge cause of rain forest depletion around the world. Although in the short run these types of farms yield about 2/3 more coffee per season than shade-grown plantations, there are only a few years of productivity in the land, thus causing the producers to move on to virgin rain forests to start the process all over again. Shade grown plantations work within the forest, adding nutrients back to the soil, thus ensuring sustainability over the long run. And, the social benefits many of these farms implement are an added bonus. If you are interested in finding our more about Selva Negra, or shade-grown coffee in general visit: http://www.selvanegra.com/. They have lots of beautiful pictures of the farm on this site.

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