You may have to wait awhile. These coffee beans need to ripen, which can take from 5 to 7 months, then be picked, processed and dried. Finally the beans are roasted, ground and brewed.
Lots of work for a measly cuppa joe.
Green Giants © 2008 Bo Mackison
Green is greener and grander in a rain forest.
A Central American rain forest located 30 miles south of Belize City in Belize
Security in Belize © 2008 Bo Mackison
Owners in Belize City have devised an unusual way of protecting the entryways of their buildings from intruders. These metal detriments are seen on many structures, new and old.
I guess they must be fairly effective, and a lot cheaper than a wired security system.
This is a new office building in downtown Belize City in Belize, Central America
Spider © 2008 Bo Mackison
This is actually a scorpion, not an itsy-bitsy spider. I discovered (surprise!) this monstrous guy while exploring a cave deep in a rain forest in Belize. Once it was determined he was quite harmless (gulp! – sure he was!) I aimed my lens at the scorpion from 6 inches away. Alas I only had my zoom lens – wish I’d had my macro. Now that might have been a great photo.
This arachnoid-friendly cave is a Mayan archeological site. Scientists have found artifacts from the Mayan Empire dating from 1000 A.D., evidence the cave was used for ceremonial and religious purposes. (You really don’t want to know exactly what kind of ceremonies, do you?)
Edge of Rainforest © 2008 Bo Mackison
Twenty miles south of Belize City, Belize, there exist ancient rain forests. At the edge of the forest, there are well spread out fir trees. A bit of the rain forest – think, tangled, jungly – is farther ahead, mounding in the distance, beckoning explorers to discover its mysteries.
The sun shone brightly as we entered the rain forest, but deeper within, it was quite dark in places, and the plants and trees were dripping from recent, steady rainfall. We were on a thick, muddy, and very narrow road where ruts were easily 6 inches deep and travel offered its own set of adventures.
With over 12 feet of annual rainfall, the highlands of the rain forest mountains provide the watershed to the lowlands through rivers and run-offs. Animals also frequent these water areas including jaguars, peccaries (wild boars) and ocelots. Other rain forest creatures are iguanas, black howler monkeys and 500 species of birds including the cinnamon hummingbirds and toucans. Many of the rain forest inhabitants are endangered.
