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| Carolina, Social Anthropologist |
As is so often the case, when you set out to find something, you stumble upon so much more. I set out with my backpack full of books this afternoon in the heat of the day to find "The Tea and Chocolat Place." My plan was to read while sipping tea.
But the route conspired against me.The map and directions seemed clear. Walk up the hill six blocks and turn left. I walked and walked and finally, all hot and dusty, and tired of hearing people say, "I've never heard of this chocolat place. If you want chocolat go into town," I found a wonderful oasis which is also The Copan Botanical Research Station. The young woman in the photo is now working with her parents to develop the Research Station and at the same time provide wonderful Noni tea and homemade chocolat (the real deal) to clients.
She returned not long ago from seven years of study in the United States and is doing anthropological work in Copan, funded by an American endeavour. Her family has purchased land and their objective is to halt deforestation, to plant trees which will prevent future erosion of the Copan land and to educate the local children on the issue of land conservation.
The driver of this huge undertaking is the woman's step father, Dr. David Sedat who was a Consulting Scholar with the University of Pennsylvania Museum. He served as the field director of the team that discovered two of the richest tombs found in the Americas. They contain Copán’s dynastic founder and his queen, the so-called Lady in Red.
The photos below give some idea of the area. It's a beautiful place and I can't wait to go back.
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| Guapinol Tree and fruit |
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| tea drying |
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| chocolat beans |
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| cactus drying to be made into tea |
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| view from The Place's balcony |
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| from the past |
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| getting ready for dinner |
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| over the hill is the planted land |
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| Noni tea, chocolat and pumpkin seeds, all made my hand |
Saludos
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