Day 6
August 1, 2018 - Wednesday: San Pedro
Figure 1: The Belize City harbor
We left San Ignacio and headed back to Belize City to take a water taxi to an island called San Pedro.
Figure 2: After about an hour and a half ride on the water taxi, and a short walk on the beach, we arrived at our last resort, the Sunbreeze Hotel.
2a: The hotel as seen from the roof
2b: The view of the water and hotel restaurant from the hotel pool deck
Figure 3: Using golf carts, we traveled to the Caye Coffee Roasting Company, where we learned the process of making coffee, from the bean to the brew.
3a: Coffee Co. store shelves
3b: Bean roasting machine
Figure 4: From the coffee shop, we rode to the brand-new Mahogany Bay Resort, which had places to stay as well as little shops of various types. One of these shops was the Mahogany Chocolate Company, where we made our own chocolate bars.
4a: The Mahogany Bay Resort sign
4b: A completed chocolate bar
5f: Michael using the machine to fill the mold
5g: Michael using the vibrating table
5h: Cooled chocolate molds
5i: Chocolate bar
5j: Wrapped chocolate bar and packaging
Step 5: Use the machine to pour the perfect amount of chocolate for one bar into a mold.
Step 6: Use the vibrating table to even out the chocolate paste until it covers the whole mold.
Step 7: Cool the chocolate until solid.
Step 8: Remove chocolate from the mold.
Step 9: Wrap the bar in foil, place in the box, and take with you to enjoy anytime!
Figure 5: The chocolate making process
5a: Cacao pod
5b: Inside of Cacao pod
5c: Crushed cacao
Step 1 (5a and 5b): Collect a cacao pod from a cacao tree. Inside, it contains the cacao, the chocolate bean, which is surrounded by a slimy white skin/pulp.
Step 2: Remove the cacao and its shell and crush it into little pieces.
5d: From left to right: cacao powder, cocoa butter, and sugar
5e: Melanger bowl
Step 3: Crush cacao into a fine powder and collect other ingredients: cocoa butter and sugar.
Step 4: Mix ingredients until they turn into a fine paste.