Hello! It has been an active last couple of days in the Jungle. On Friday May 16th we got our boots on and took a truck down to the Jungle to search for some cacao. We stopped on the side of the read and just started to climb into the forest. We immediately spotted some cacao on the walk and observed how there were different kinds. Based on the color we could tell if it had fine flavors or was normal cacao. We kept on walking through, and our guide had a machete, which she used to chop open some cacao for us. We tried the pod of the cocoa before it was made into chocolate. I was not expecting it to taste like it did. It tasted kind of like a mango, but then the taste got bad as I chewed more and more. Then I realized you are not supposed to chew and eat it. You are supposed to suck on the cacao nut and spit the seed out when you are done. So, I tried it again and it had the yummy mango taste without the nasty taste after. I even saw a fresh cacao on the tree during the hike and pulled it off. Eventually we made our way back to the road and headed back to the lodge.

On Saturday, May 17th we learned how to make chocolate. it first started out with our guide teaching us about the different cacaos. Then he opened them up and got the seeds into a pan. Next, we placed the pan on the fire and mixed it around. We broke open the nuts and separated the good ones from the bad ones. Then, we grinded them into a chocolate paste, which I tried, and it did not taste good. We mixed the chocolate paste with some other ingredients in a pan over the fire to adjust its flavors. We also added sugar to sweeten the taste. We waited for chocolate to boil in the pot. Finally, we poured it on a plate and dipped bananas in it. It was not my favorite chocolate, but it was still good. It was fun to be able to learn how they make the chocolate out of the cacao pods!

Later that same day we had a river hike. I was excited because it sounded really adventurous and fun to go hiking through rivers in the Amazon rainforest. I got all prepared with my boots and clothes. We piled into the truck and took off for the spot to enter the forest. We got out and we had a guide in front and in the back. They were carrying a machete each to cut a path in the forest or if they came across any snakes, they would also chop them in half. I thought that was pretty crazy to have guides with machetes cutting our way through the jungle. We started our journey through the jungle and made our way down to the river and the first thing I see is an eel. I thought that was so cool, even though it scared others. We continued on the 2-mile hike. Some of the waters were very deep and others pretty shallow. We had to swim through one part, and we saw multiple mini waterfalls. At the climax of the hike, we made it to this pool area with a little waterfall. There was a little ledge where you could jump in, so we got ready to jump in. I was first in line. I was nervous, but also excited. I jumped off and did a cannon ball. I did not touch the ground or anything and that shocked me as I swam to the surface. It was such a unique and cool experience. We finished up our hike and made it back to the truck for a ride back to the lodge. That hike is a memory that I will never forget!