SHANAO CACAO

We all arrived at the co-op on Saturday, June 10th. Euler was waiting for us. We met the crew and began the task of finding out what need to be done and what we could do. The cacao was flowing into the co-op and the local breed of Criollo was the main variety being harvested. Euler's father-in-law was the first farmer in the valley. His plants, first introduced 47 years ago, were then disseminated onto neighboring farms. These are believed to be a cultivar of the Criollo vari

Denver, Houston, Lima, a short overnight stay and then up over the Andes to Tarapoto. When we stepped off the plane onto the hot, humid tarmac, I knew we had really arrived in the jungle. Our first stop at Casa de Palos in Tarapoto allowed us to catch our breath and introduce the children to the joys of the moto-taxi and the local fish market. Neither were fond of the latter. We decided to take a little side trip to Chirapa Manta, an eco-lodge in San Roque de Cumbaza, to rela