My honey experience!

Friday before Semana Santa I got to experience how a local farmer takes out honey from hives.  It might not sound cool, but I'm still so excited I got the chance to.  The farmer's name is Carlos Luis, probably the nicest man I've ever met and he's kept bees for over 30 years.  And at the time, it was especially unheard of around here but it's provided quite a bit for his family.  His youngest son Luis Andres was in my community high school course for the four months it was held and always a pleasure to be around.  So getting a peak into how he's spent a lot of his time was really nice.  For him, going up to the bee hive outside his house is like kayaking in Florida for me... common.

So I was still recuperating from a bacteria in my stomach when Carlos Luis calls Ernesto's house to invite me over.  Ernesto and his Mom frantically start cleaning the boots he's going to lend me... he takes the pressure washer to them.  Ticos are serious about their shoes being clean, and if you know me at all... I don't care.  So I walked all of the four blocks over to their house and they set me up in their nice suit.  Thankfully, this hive that they have right next to their house they only go to just before sunset to make sure the bees don't attack their chickens, or worse their turkeys.  Carmen (Carlos Luis' wife) has "chompipes" (turkeys) and chickens behind the house.  One of the chickens has been killed by bees, but if one of her precious turkeys were killed it would be really bad.

So we made our way up the "path" that they go up every two weeks so it's not really a good path but I made it in my clown boots and all.  They smoke the crates as they open them and all throughout to calm the bees so that they don't get upset.  Apparently the cells in the middle are usually used to harvest the babies and towards the outside the honey.  The top boxes in the stacks are also more likely to have honey and the lower ones babies.  So they go through each box verifying each cell and placing the ones with honey in another box they take to the house. So we did that until sunset, well actually they did.  Luis Andres spraying them with smoke from a little puffer that they put little bits of wood in and light on fire.  Carlos Luis checking each cell and switching them to the other box.

When we got back to the house we cut up some of the panels into blocks that they give as gift to people who chew on the wax to get all of the honey out.  It's honestly too sweet for me to eat such big chunks of.  Then we scrape of the outer layers of wax to then put the panels in this spinning contraption with four panels in each and spin it to get the honey out.  Then, they let all of the honey settle and drain it through a fine cloth.  They bottle the honey in gallons or about 21 oz bottles and sell that smaller bottle for $6 each.  It's pretty expensive actually, well comparatively.  So for those 2-3 hours of work they make a good bit.  But they're still one of the humblest families I know.  They're comfortable enough to send their oldest son to college and hopefully Luis Andres is on his way there too.

 Pancakes sweetened with honey, AND honey on top!

I might be excited since I just got the coolest package from Jessy, but still, the time I spent with them was so great.  He just knew so much about every aspect of his job and it still excites him.  He's also a coffee/banana/basically anything farmer.  I guess most farmers around here are always excited to tell me about their jobs.  That's the beauty about living a life you love.  Having a huge grin ear to ear talking about your job even after working it for over forty years.  I hope I can find that...

Good night loves!