Chocolate and flat tires...

Yesterday was exciting!  We went on a planned outing to a chocolate factory about two hours from the ranch.  Had to shove 6 people in a car meant for 5 at most (called a "galloper", not sure what brand), and two of then were youngins, so that was interesting.  The tour at the "factory" (it's a very small scale operation, family run) was fun and interesting.  Got to eat the cacao fruit again, which rocked (even got to take one back with me!) and see each step in the process, from the fermentation, to the drying, roasting, shelling, grinding, and making into the chocolates.  Also, there was a litter of puppies, which added to the whole event a ton of cute.  Bought some goodies to bring home, and got to taste a bunch.  It is weird to me, back home I don't like dark chocolate, but this stuff is dark as you can get about, and I love it. /shrug.
The exciting part came on the drive home when, about 15 minutes away from the factory, we blew our back tire.  And had no spare.  And the last bus had already passed.  A car stopped and tried to lend us their spare, but it wouldn't work.  We were all eyeing the trees to spot good sleeping locations when it turned out a friend of Abel's was in the nearby town and returning to Puriscal and was willing to give everyone but Abel (who needed to stay with the car, and wouldn't have fit anyway) a ride back.  So we all pile in.  We get to stop at a restaurant with a lovely view of the sunset, which was nice, and suddenly we all see Abel fly past us! Apparently he found someone to lend him a spare, and he got it wrong where we were waiting. So!  We all pile back into the friend's car, and speed home.
Oh, I suppose I should mention that the friend only spoke Spanish, and apparently had a big ol' crush on yours truly.  He nicknamed me "Linda" which means beautiful, and was fond of furtively touching my leg as we drove.  Oh, and he had two beers over the course of the trip.
Like I said, yesterday was exciting. Lol
Now for pictures!

Tour guide guy about to cut open the cacao fruit.

Cut open.  Looks gross, eh?  Tastes wonderful!

Shelling some freshly roasted beans.

Can't get enough of the sunsets in this country.

Puppy!  All I could do not to smuggle this guy home.

More sunset. :-)

Hey, me and the sunset!