Excerpt from Zoe’s journal: Day 2, La Finca de Pina

Yesterday we went on an excursion to a pineapple farm. I always imagined pineapples growing on trees, but they don’t. They grow on small plants that have lots of long arms sticking out like yucca or aloe. The pineapple looks like it doesn’t belong on the plant. It perches on top, in the center of the plant.

The pineapple farmer told us all about how pineapples are gown. he spoke only in Spanish, so someone who came with us from La Mariposa translated for us. There were lots of exotic flowers around. The farmer picked some and gave them to us. One of them was really strange looking. It hung upside down from its plant and had a long tail hanging down with a tassel-y thing at the end.

At the end of the tour we got some pineapple samples. The pineapple was a different kind than what we eat at home, much softer.  It was lighter color and very sweet and juicy. it was very good.

I learned that farmers have to wait a year and a half to get the first fruit from a pineapple plant and even more time to get the second. I will think differently when I eat a pineapple from now on.

Some more flowers from farmer Wilmer’s garden.