Saturday 26 October 2024

By Macy Kewley and Amari-Elijah Ajayi

Amari enjoying the cow milking experience. Picture: Phoebe Smith

Today was an interesting and very fun day. At 7:15am we left to meet a man called Antonio Hill, a dairy farmer in the Highlands. When we arrived he had 12 cows each of which he told us could produce an astonishing 12 litres of milk per day. He told us some amazing facts: for instance , did you know that only 3 udders get used as the fourth udder is reserved for the calf?

We all took turns milking the cows (including Dwayne and Phoebe). We then went back to the main building. There Enrique, the farm manager, introduced us to his two children Brian and Amy. They are all from an Amazonian tribe called Shurar. They shared some cultural dances with us. They taught us some amazing dance moves and showed as all the beautiful face paintings, which were made using special roots from the cassava plant. It can be used as a black dye that they put on their faces. The images are believed in their culture to ward off dangerous animals such as snakes. They also wore traditional necklaces made from beads. They also carried a gourd that they fill with water. It acts as a natural insulator to keep drinks at a cool temperature.

Brian and Amy perform a cultural dance for the team. Picture: Iyla Majeed

After the cultural interaction, we hesaded out into the farm to helped remove unwanted plants with a machete so they could be ground up for the cows to feast on. During this process a lot of us tried sugar cane for the first time. There was mixed impression of the plant’s taste, some people found it too sweet, however we both loved it.

After this, we went back to the main building to see how the milk we’d collected could be used to make cheese. Enrique’s wife separated the whey from the curd, then added salt, before placing in it in a mould and squeezing out all the excess liquid. After she made it, we tried it and it tasted unexpectedly nice. We also drank the milk which had been boiled to make it safe.

Alex helps Enrique chop the sugar cane and plants to make cow feed. Picture: Iyla Majeed

After lunch we interviewed Antonio to learn more about his life as a local. He talked about how his was one of the first families to come here in 1897 and that there was only 7 other people on the island at the time. His family has now been here for 4 generations. Before the pandemic he was only a tour guide, but during Covid he decided to expand what he did, he learned how to make cheese and now produces enough to supply the local area – one of only 7 producers on the island. We asked him his opinion about tourism, and if it can ever be sustainable. He said they are good for islanders as long as the numbers are controlled and those who come act responsibly.

One of the Giant Tortoises at the Breeding Centre. Picture: Ariana Kojie

We left the farm and went to the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre. We saw many giant tortoises and learnt about how old long they can live for and how you can tell if they are old or young by looking at their shells. Apparently they can live over 150 years old, with the oldest recorded tortoises being 191 years old. We were told about the threats they face – including invasive species and human interference.

When we came back to the hotel, we were surprised with a Selfie Scavenger Hunt, which everyone found extremely fun and we personally thought it was a good way to bond and recharge with everyone. All of the questions were asking to take a selfie however we had to find the locations to take the selfie which was often challenging.

Similar Posts