Coffee Saga Redux

The Bozo-Bus in all it's glory!

Our garden idyll on the slopes above Matagalpa.

Never underestimate the power of relaxation.

In the second part of our coffee saga, on a plantation far, far away.....

Matagalpa is the Esteli of coffee in Nicaragua. While cigars are the economic lifeblood of Esteli, coffee lies at the heart of the economy of Matagalpa. The Bozo-bus, ably piloted by the esteemed Samir, climbed the mountain road leading away from the Beneficio regions. The Beneficios lie at a lower elevation than the coffee plantations, where the temperatures are warmer. The coffee plantations are at higher altitudes, hugging the montanas that surround Matagalpa, which is itself nestled far above the hot Nicaraguan plains.

Refueled and relaxed by yet another great lunch, we ground our way up into the mountains proper. Our destination was an idyllic coffee plantation and luxurious garden retreat owned and operated by a Nicaraguan gentleman and his American wife. The proprietors are gardeners of the first order and the lodges and terraces are beautifully rustic structures graced with amazing views down the valleys. Even los banos has a jaw-dropping view.

The afternoon was devoted to relaxing, sipping great coffee, smoking cigars and napping in hammocks. There were gardens to wander, dark shaded tunnels through bamboo, beds of gardenias scenting the cool air, and open spaces under the overarching canopy of trees. There was even cheesecake! The tempo of the group wound down to a legato as the lazy afternoon passed slowly by.

As evening approached a group of us trouped down through the gardens guided by Andrea, our coffee maven. We were heading into the working part of the plantation to see the days harvest of coffee being loaded and to learn how the coffee is processed before its critical journey to the Beneficio. Groups of pickers were resting along the narrow track, while others counted or tallied the days harvest and still others loaded the bags of beans onto an ancient truck. A gentle misting rain began to fall on us, bringing cool refreshment and slippery footing. While it slowed us down a bit, it did not halt the workers carrying the bags up a now wet plank ramp.

Our hosts showed us the machinery that pulps the beans, removing the outer skin so that the beans can be fermented. The next step in readying the beans for drying is a short fermentation process. Once started, this is a matter of critical timing. The beans ferment in a simple water bath for about twenty-four hours, depending on conditions. As soon as the beans are ready, they are sluiced out of the tanks into troughs below the process hut where they are washed of any remaining pulp, or hull, and bagged for the journey down to the Beneficio. Beans that ferment too long or that are held up in transport are in danger of molding, which will ruin a very valuable crop.

Slipping on the wet stones, we plodded back up the hill to our garden paradise. As evening came on, it was back on the bus and a wet ride down a dark, twisty mountain road, for which success Samir received an ovation. Dinner was served on the terrace of a local restaurant, a family style feast followed by Tres Leches for dessert and, of course, cigars.

Thus endeth the coffee saga of our cigar tour. It was a long ride home in the dark, stuck behind the lumbering long-haul trucks that ply the Pan-American highway. A late end to a long day, we retired for the evening and another day of touring with a vengeance.