Another hot, bright day dawned when we arrived in port. The tour I was assigned to was Finca Emma Banana Plantation. It was a good 45 minutes’ drive in an air-conditioned minibus and when we got to a height restriction barrier at the plantation our guide had to get off the bus to open the barrier as the roof of the minibus wouldn’t quite make it. Unfortunately the opening mechanism was stuck fast so our driver got out of the bus to help him. After a bit of banging on the mechanism with a rock, the barrier could be moved and our guide swung on the high handle of the barrier as it opened.
When we got to our destination we were able to use the toilet prior to walking around the planation but unfortunately one of the two was broken so 21 people using one toilet – it took quite a while!
Eventually we were able to start the tour where we could see the different stages and agricultural practices of banana and plantain production. From there we went to the processing plant where bananas sprayed with liquid chlorine to get rid of any bugs or fungus. They are then cut off the main stems and put into a water bath to be rinsed off. Workers take out the bananas and cut them into bunches of 5 or 6 fingers. The larger bananas are put in trays, sprayed with glycerine to stop the ripening process and then packed up in boxes, ready to be sent for export. Smaller bananas are put on a conveyer belt to another area to be boxed and sent to markets. Apparently Emma Finca is one of the largest exporters of bananas in the world.
Back on the minibus, we were taken just down the road to Hacienda San Jeronimo - a sugar plantation dating back to the 1700s, famous in the colonial era for its production and worldwide export of sugar. We weren’t here to tour the plantation though. At the old farmhouse we listened to local music and saw dancers as we had a snack of bananas cooked in 2 different ways, and dried plantain chips with dips. Plantains look like bananas but they are much longer and more starchy than bananas, slightly bland to the taste. After having our snack we were free to wander around the farmhouse gardens and visit the on-site shop before heading back to the ship.
The ship has set sail now for Puerto Quetzal, Gatemala. It is now time to have dinner and relax. We have been watching episodes ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ by Roald Dahl, and also ‘Foyles War’ in the evenings.
You can see my pictures on facebook via this link: Excursion: Finca Emma Banana Plantation & Hacienda San Jeronimo
When we got to our destination we were able to use the toilet prior to walking around the planation but unfortunately one of the two was broken so 21 people using one toilet – it took quite a while!
Eventually we were able to start the tour where we could see the different stages and agricultural practices of banana and plantain production. From there we went to the processing plant where bananas sprayed with liquid chlorine to get rid of any bugs or fungus. They are then cut off the main stems and put into a water bath to be rinsed off. Workers take out the bananas and cut them into bunches of 5 or 6 fingers. The larger bananas are put in trays, sprayed with glycerine to stop the ripening process and then packed up in boxes, ready to be sent for export. Smaller bananas are put on a conveyer belt to another area to be boxed and sent to markets. Apparently Emma Finca is one of the largest exporters of bananas in the world.
Back on the minibus, we were taken just down the road to Hacienda San Jeronimo - a sugar plantation dating back to the 1700s, famous in the colonial era for its production and worldwide export of sugar. We weren’t here to tour the plantation though. At the old farmhouse we listened to local music and saw dancers as we had a snack of bananas cooked in 2 different ways, and dried plantain chips with dips. Plantains look like bananas but they are much longer and more starchy than bananas, slightly bland to the taste. After having our snack we were free to wander around the farmhouse gardens and visit the on-site shop before heading back to the ship.
The ship has set sail now for Puerto Quetzal, Gatemala. It is now time to have dinner and relax. We have been watching episodes ‘Tales of the Unexpected’ by Roald Dahl, and also ‘Foyles War’ in the evenings.
You can see my pictures on facebook via this link: Excursion: Finca Emma Banana Plantation & Hacienda San Jeronimo
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| Route to our next destination: Puerto Quetzal, Gatemala. |
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