First tour

The mountain community of Ocotal recently started a tourism initiative to offer horseback riding, hiking to a lookout on top of the peak and tours of their organic coffee farms. Yacarely and Kellan and Irene, a Peace Corps worker, are helping them organize and start a cooperative that encompasses the coffee growers and those interested in tourism.
Today, we had a meeting on the mountain, in Las Minitas, with the farmers to talk about the progress and their first tour. Last Friday, the volunteers from Rochester's Ciudad Hermana were the first tourists in Ocotal.
"I think they (the farmers) liked it more than the tourists and they loved it," said Irene.
About 30 people came to Alfonso Martinez's farm to meet, some riding their horses one hour to come. Thirteen new residents joined the cooperative today based on the success of the first tour.
"The first tour was a historic day in Las Minitas," says Alfonso, the leader. "For me and the community, it was really a special day. There was a lot of joy."
The photo is of a member of the new tourism/coffee cooperative.
On Wednesday, they will show me around their plantations and homes for the flavor, including, I hope, some homemade, roasted coffee.