Morning of Day 2

We got up at 6:30 in the morning to have breakfast at 7 am. We were served scrambled eggs. Then we got on the bus to head to the cloud forest, Yunguilla. Yunguilla is the home of a community of people who have created a sustainable project to try to help the environment around them. There was a major plant nursery where they cultivated native species to reintroduce to the cloud forest. We visited the cheese factory and witnessed how they made two types of organic cheese. We also went to the jam factory to watch the process of jam-making. The whole building smelled delicious, and we got to try it. In addition, we went to the arts and crafts cabin where the children of the area did their part. They made jewelry from nuts and seeds and a bit of plastic to sell. They also painted on wood for the shop. Another place we went was the orchid greenhouse where we saw many different species of orchid. A favorite of the group was the Vampire orchid! They were experimenting to create the best orchid. We hiked to the top of the hill to see the picnic and camping area. It had a great view of mountains covered in fog. We discussed invasive species on the way down. The leaves of Bromeliads, one of the most common plants, housed tadpoles in the water that collected at their base. Next, we visited a host family for a group of volunteers from Denmark. The design of the house was simple yet beautiful. Afterwards, we went to the shop. Along the way, many cows and chickens greeted us. We bought delicious chigualcan and uvilla jam. Finally, we had lunch. They served popcorn first, which we ate before we realized it was for the smoky green vegetable soup. We also ate latkas, beef, and salad. For dessert, we got to try the cheese with chigualcan jam. Then we got back on the bus to head out for the afternoon activities....