1 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: How did you sleep? First nights are always at the heart. 2 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: That's good, that's a truthful answer. It's an early February 3 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: morning on the banks of the Jervois River in Brazil, 4 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: not far from the Peruvian border. I'm with Louise Abram 5 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: and her dad Andre, and we're here on a simple mission, really, 6 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 1: just try and save the most fragrant chocolate on earth 7 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: from total extinction. We just arrived last night, after a 8 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: full day of travel by planes and small boat, and 9 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: after a rough night in a basic hut. We're moving 10 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: a little slow as we take stock of the situation. 11 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: The story of this mission goes back a few years. 12 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: Luisa had just dialed in her technique for producing great 13 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 1: chocolate from wild cacao beans when a nonprofit called s 14 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: O s Amazonia that works to protect the Amazon It's 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: people came to her with a plea. They had just 16 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: found cocao growing along the banks of the Jeroa River 17 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,520 Speaker 1: in a pristine area where the people had almost no 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: source of income. Would she considered working with them? No 19 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: one had ever tried making chocolate with this cacao, so 20 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: of course she couldn't resist. She flew north clear across 21 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: Brazil and checked out the trees. The pods were tiny 22 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: with deep ridges, the seeds inside were really smaller, and 23 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: when I saw it, I was just like, I think 24 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: we found something different here. Because it was just so unique. 25 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,840 Speaker 1: They collected samples and rushed them off to the U. 26 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: S d A for analysis, and scientists couldn't get back 27 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: to them fast enough. They were like, oh, this is 28 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: a new thing, you know, like you guys really found different, 29 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: not just a new thing, but a wildly new thing 30 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: in geography, genetics, and flavor was on a different plane 31 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: it every other cacao here in this forgotten tributary of 32 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 1: the Amazon, they had struck gold. It was just so 33 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: mesmerized by it. I wanted to show every word this 34 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: Judaha is something else. It's it's a floral bouquet. I 35 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: don't love it. One of the first to get his 36 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: taste foods on it was chocolate critic Mark Christian. It 37 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: was sort of like, yeah, bring this on, okay, Now 38 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: we're finding things, you know, We're find stuff. This is 39 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: what it's about, you know, rediscovery. And if Mark was entranced, 40 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: Matt Capuda was downright obsessed. It almost had this note 41 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: of perfume, things like annis sassafras, like almost jasmine blossom, 42 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 1: but also like tropical fruit notes like in one year, 43 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: I got samples from over four chocolate companies and I 44 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: have to evaluate them. You get kind of jaded. And 45 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: then to taste something like Louisa's judua that is just 46 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: completely singular, and it was just it was intoxicating in 47 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 1: a way. But the Jiuis River was so remote and 48 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: there were so few people to do the work that 49 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: was almost impossible to get the beans picked, fermented, and shipped. 50 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: But fortunately for Louisa, Matt Caputo became a champion of 51 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: the bar, buying the meager supply and building a cult 52 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: following for it in the US as a librarian of 53 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: disappearing in exotic flavors. This was exactly the kind of 54 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: masterpiece Matt wanted to keep alive. Then came epic flooding 55 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: on the Jeruis River. The people were just scrambling for 56 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: survival and there was no way to harvest. And as 57 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: if that wasn't bad enough, then COVID struck and the 58 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 1: specialty chocolate market tanked. Louise's dream was now on life support. 59 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: The family had to make a decision, and in pat 60 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: received a long email from Louise's father Andre. Their chocolate 61 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: sales were taking a beating. They were leveraged with some 62 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: loans and had big time financial struggles fighting for survival. 63 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: They had to drop any project that was losing money, 64 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: and that meant they had to give up on Gera. 65 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: It was just too expensive, too hard, and so they 66 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,920 Speaker 1: had to let their biggest cheerleader down. My heart just 67 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: sank and I felt like I got punched in the gut. 68 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: They felt like, these goals that we have, no matter 69 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: how hard we push, we there's just too many pressures 70 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: that we can't control, and we're doomed to fail. What 71 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: are we going to do? We're just a deli insult 72 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: like we're going to change the whole food system, you know. 73 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: It feels like we're tilting at windmills. Louise's little venture 74 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: seemed destined to fail, and yet here I am two 75 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,360 Speaker 1: years later, in the heart of the Amazon, watching her 76 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:52,880 Speaker 1: take the fight to those windmills. What are your other 77 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,600 Speaker 1: plans for the day, Well, I have a cup of 78 00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:00,040 Speaker 1: coffee from the little porch of our hut. Would in 79 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,280 Speaker 1: our coffee and peer out at the world before us 80 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:05,479 Speaker 1: a sliver of ground between the river and the swamp. 81 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: Pigs and chickens weave between banana trees and wander under huts, 82 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 1: harassed by an old dog a few yards away. The 83 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: river swollen with storm water, a milk chocolate monster churning 84 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 1: with gigantic trees and root balls and drising every day, 85 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: and that means we only have a few days to 86 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,599 Speaker 1: pull off a miracle. Louisa is here to show face 87 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: established connections, teach a fermentation workshop, and convince the homesteaders 88 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: that wild Coco could be a great part of their future, 89 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: because there's another version of their future that's full of 90 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: chainsaws and cattle ranches, which is true throughout the Amazon, 91 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: and Louisa is trying to do her small part to 92 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: head that off. The good news there are four two 93 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: freshly picked pods waiting for us to use in the workshop. 94 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: The family spent all day picking yesterday, so they're at 95 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: least curious. But the bad news is that we have 96 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: to get the beans for menut and dry before water 97 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,799 Speaker 1: swamps everything. It's going to be a high wire act 98 00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: in this part of the Amazon. The accommodations tend to 99 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: be spartan, We're staying at the homestead of a guy 100 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: named Zay. He's a strong, wiry guy in his forties 101 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 1: and shorts and bare feet like most rebering Yo's, as 102 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: river dwellers are called in Brazil. He has no electricity 103 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: or out house. The only drinking water is whatever gets 104 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: caught off the roof, and the only bathing is to 105 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: stand in the muddy swamp behind the lot and scoop 106 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: pots some water over your head. Say warns us that 107 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: anytime you're standing in the swamp, watch out for portaque 108 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: giant electric eels. That's not encouraging, but he also says 109 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: that when the moon is full, a goddess rises out 110 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:50,760 Speaker 1: of the river and the river dolphins dance around her. 111 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: So I chalk it up to Amazonian superstitions until Okay, 112 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: they apparently just caught an electric eel. So he's taking 113 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:04,160 Speaker 1: me down to the river. Let stick look at it. 114 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: I'd actually heard that there were electric geels in the Amazon, 115 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: but for some reason in my head I pictured tiny 116 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: things like maybe a foot long. Instead. Oh my god, 117 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: it's a river minster. I am so not swimming in 118 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: the river anymore. Holy Moly, he's got a tape measure out. 119 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: It's like a seven foot sandworm, as thick as a 120 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: ship cable, a huge mountain. Andre and Louisa are right 121 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: on my heels. This is so huge. Have you ever 122 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: seen one like this? This is huge? Ter forget the 123 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: piranhas the crocodiles piannacondas, because eight points to the beast 124 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: and says this is the most dangerous animal in the 125 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: small It's even shocked by the when did it feel 126 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: like costin Greek? Yeah, you can make a good but 127 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: then the white point. Yeah, if you don't take a 128 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: person out of the water, the poor k going on 129 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: top over the chest and specificly chest, Gonna give you 130 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: another another electric chocolate? Really finished? God? Yeah? So apparently 131 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: these eels like to pile on your chest like linebackers 132 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: electric linebackers, and they like to hunt in packs. So 133 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: whatever we managed to get accomplished this week, it's not 134 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: going to include bathing from Kaleidoscope and I Hard podcasts. 135 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: This is Obsessions wild Chocolate. I'm rowing Jake's chapter six, 136 00:08:47,160 --> 00:09:16,000 Speaker 1: The Gospel Chocolate. One by one, we hear the pucka 137 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 1: pucka of tiny outboards approaching, and soon we're joined by 138 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,920 Speaker 1: about a dozen reburying yves. Louisa is psyched. She and 139 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: Andre sent money in advance to pay for harvesting and 140 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,720 Speaker 1: for the construction of a new fermentation shed. The reburying 141 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 1: yeves have been living off the grid for generations. Say 142 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: his parents came here from eastern Brazil during one of 143 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: the rubber booms, tapping wild rubber trees for the latex sap. 144 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,040 Speaker 1: Once the rubber busts followed, they stayed living off the land. 145 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: They grow their own food, build their own shacks, and 146 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: make a little cash by fishing and gathering murumuru, a 147 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 1: local palm nut that's rich in kisomnic oils. They like 148 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: to keep things Simplecao would be a lot more responsibility 149 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: with the fermenting and drying, and so far they're not 150 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: convinced it's worth the effort. Yes, they picked and delivered 151 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: these pods yesterday, and yes a few have shown up 152 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: for the workshop to meet Louisa, but they're skeptical. And 153 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: let's be honest, there's one real reason why these families 154 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: that put their daily lives on hold, why they spent 155 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: the day before slogging through the wet jungle picking pods. 156 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: Why there's a brand new shed in the middle of 157 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: Day's compound, piled with little golden footballs, and that reason 158 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: is cash in. When floods and COVID forced everyone to 159 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: pull back, Louisa and Andre took a different approach. We 160 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: almost gave up, almost, But then Matt was the one 161 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: that was like, no, you can't totalize. Just too good, 162 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:48,040 Speaker 1: it's just just special, Like I'm just going to help you, guys, 163 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:52,839 Speaker 1: just please don't give up. So the whole reason that 164 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:58,080 Speaker 1: we kept on coming back, it was because of him. 165 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: Yes we're here. Because Matt Capooda fell so deeply in 166 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: love with Louise's Gerwabar that they couldn't let it go. 167 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 1: It was my favorite bar. And I thought to myself, like, 168 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: you know what, what if we prepaid them for the 169 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 1: next harvest? Now it was a crazy suggestion. Even if 170 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: the cash came through, the timeline was against them, and 171 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 1: Andrea is like, what are you talking about? It will 172 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: take like two years for you to get chocolate. Just 173 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: to be clear, the number of times that a retailer 174 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: offers to prepay a chocolate maker two years in advance 175 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: is uh, let me see here. Uh. Never. Usually producers 176 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: have to chase retailers for months to get paid. It 177 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: was the kind of risk sharing Vulker Lahman it soft 178 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:42,199 Speaker 1: for years and never found it was such a crazy offer. 179 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,079 Speaker 1: Andre didn't know what to think. He just kind of 180 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: dismissed it, like, that's not a possibility. I'm like, no, 181 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: no, no no, what if we were patient? What would it take? 182 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,559 Speaker 1: And he was. He basically came back with like, well, 183 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: it would take seven thousand dollars. And I said to myself, like, well, 184 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: Carpudos isn't that big of a company. But at the 185 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 1: same time, seven thousand dollars to say, one of the 186 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: world's great foods and MCDA, Amazon more resilient. That just 187 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: couldn't get the idea out of his head. And I 188 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: was definitely did some soul searching as to whether it 189 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: was a good idea to send, you know, a good 190 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 1: chunk of money out the door. And I but I 191 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 1: talked to my wife about it and said, you know, 192 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: if it's at these times when you really see what 193 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,679 Speaker 1: you stand for. We love these people, we believe in 194 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: our mission, and we had an opportunity and if we 195 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:32,840 Speaker 1: didn't take it, even if it was going to be 196 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: a loss, if we didn't take it, then we're we 197 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: don't practice what we preach. Matt also did something else 198 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:48,120 Speaker 1: you won't find in your business textbook. He said, I 199 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:50,320 Speaker 1: want you to charge to be more for every bar. 200 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: That's right, raise my prices and then turn around and 201 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: pay the people more. Louis and Andre crunch the numbers 202 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: and decided that if they really to get there burinos 203 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: on board, they were going to have to pay eight 204 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: dollars for a kilo of dry coco, twice as much 205 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: as any other cocaw on the planet, and five times 206 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,559 Speaker 1: where an African farmer gets. And with Matt's help, they 207 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,400 Speaker 1: actually had the opportunity to do that. So they did, 208 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: and with that move, Louisa and Andre and Matt flipped 209 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: Big Chocolate's playbook on its head. Instead of selling cheap 210 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: chocolate to unknown customers and grinding farmers into poverty to 211 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: make the numbers work, they decided to pay their partners 212 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: well and count on consumers to care enough to buy it. 213 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: Will that work? We got our first inklings after the break. 214 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 1: Here's your chance to be one of those carrying consumers 215 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: who is the pouring the Amazon by eating this super rare, 216 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: super tasty chocolate We've teamed up with Louise Abram and 217 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: Stetler Chocolate to create a special tasting box with Jerwa 218 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: River Chocolate and two more of Louise's special creations. Go 219 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 1: to www dot Stetler dash Chocolate dot com to order 220 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: a box. Link in the show notes. Here's a fun fact. 221 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: There's a tiny fly in the Amazon called a plum 222 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: that everybody dreads from dawn to dust. The PM feast 223 00:14:44,880 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: on all exposed body parts and raise red welts that 224 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: it's like insanity itself and the worst spot in the 225 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 1: entire Amazon for pum. Yes, that's right, the Jeri River. 226 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: Even other hardcore Amazonians avoid the area because of the bugs. 227 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: But here we are swarms of pam shredding our necks 228 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: and ankles. As we all gather in the open sided 229 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: shed for the pod breaking workshop. It still smells a 230 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: fresh lumber. It's basically just a platform on stilts with 231 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: a roof overhead, but in the Amazon, roofs and stilts 232 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: are everything. There's a mix of men and women sitting 233 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,200 Speaker 1: around the mountain of cacao pods in the middle. It 234 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: looks like smogs treasure pile. We grab wooden clubs and 235 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: start thumping pods. As Louisa walks us through it. The 236 00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:33,000 Speaker 1: pods break open with the satisfying pop, and we scooped 237 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: the slimy pulp and beans into buckets. Oh. Louisa directs 238 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: a lot of her teaching towards the women who have come, 239 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: and during a break, I asked why, I think paid 240 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: more attention. And also here in the Amazon, most of 241 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 1: the work and most of the income comes from the men. 242 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: So with this selection, we can make the how harvests 243 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: more I guess, um, what's the what's the name? More inclosive. 244 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: When the buckets are full, we poured the beans into 245 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: hip high wooden boxes. The boxes have holes in the 246 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: bottoms of the juice can drain now, and local bees 247 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:20,840 Speaker 1: have already found it. Zay, our host, built these boxes 248 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: to Louise's exact specifications. But he's eyeing this whole scene skeptically. 249 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: He's never paid attention to a cow, never tasted chocolate 250 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: until Louisa brought her bars for everyone to try. And 251 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: Andre's impression is that he's going to need a lot 252 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: of convincing. I didn't feel he he was, you know, 253 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: troup confident that this thing would work, no plick put 254 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: or to be a hide. A little female fish that 255 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: was like, I don't know, you know this thing, we 256 00:16:55,040 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 1: will mess with my you know fish going to good 257 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 1: catches the river. This is what they're up against. It's 258 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: one thing to continue a how tradition that has lasted 259 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:12,760 Speaker 1: for centuries. It's another to build one from scratch. Nobody 260 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: here has any romantic attachment to chocolate. They just have 261 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: one very practical question, how is this going to improve 262 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: my life? In a few hours, the pods are all 263 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 1: broken and the boxes are full and starting to ferment 264 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:29,439 Speaker 1: in the steamy Amazon air. Each day Louisa Andre have 265 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:31,920 Speaker 1: to come back and turn the mass, scooping it into 266 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: a new box and mixing the hot center and the 267 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: cougar edges to the fermentation. Evens out. Three of the 268 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 1: people at the workshop turn out to be from s 269 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: OS Amazonia, the nonprofit that first alerted Louisa to the 270 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: existence of this shiar wakako. They're here to learn the 271 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: techniques and teach them to other communities even deeper in 272 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,119 Speaker 1: the back country, and so as just trying to open 273 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: two more origins up prefer But they don't they don't 274 00:17:55,720 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: know the Cacao Chainou the protocols, so they came to 275 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: um learn with us. All of the collegues coming up 276 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,800 Speaker 1: is going to come for me. So that's not maybe 277 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,040 Speaker 1: the Queen of Amazon. Oh yeah, that's the main goal, 278 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: I guess. The s O s Amazonia guys are young, 279 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: born in the Amazon and familiar with its ways, and 280 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: Louisa says she couldn't do this without them, and so 281 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:30,400 Speaker 1: as really helps a lot of people here. Yeah, everywhere 282 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:34,639 Speaker 1: they go they're like welcomed. So it's really good to 283 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: be with them because then whenever we're arrive in somewhere 284 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: like new place, they're like, oh, they're with us, and 285 00:18:44,840 --> 00:18:48,160 Speaker 1: that's really important here in a region where activists are 286 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: often killed. A few months after our visit in this 287 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: same region, a British journalist and the indigenous rites activists 288 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,360 Speaker 1: he's working with will be murdered by a legal fisherman. 289 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 1: Anything goes in the Amazon, and the life expectancy isn't 290 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: high for anyone who challenges the illegal loggers, miners, ranchers 291 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: and fishermen. But somehow ss Amazonia is making it work. 292 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: The hope is that with their help, what Louise is 293 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,040 Speaker 1: doing here will start a wild cocow movement that can 294 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: spread clear across the Amazon. We break for lunch, then 295 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:24,639 Speaker 1: head to the boat for our afternoon mission, looking for 296 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: new recruits to produce enough chocolate to make the Jerwabar 297 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: a real thing. Louisa needs more help, so we're going 298 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,479 Speaker 1: to visit each homestead on the river and hope she 299 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: can work her magic. Our craft is a long, skinny 300 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 1: boat with rows of benches like little pews. It feels 301 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: like a theme park ride or the kind of thing 302 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: missionaries would have used back in the day, And suddenly 303 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:49,960 Speaker 1: occurs to me that Louise and Andre are basically Coco 304 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: missionaries bringing the gospel of chocolate to the Amazon. At 305 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: each stop along the river, faces peer out of the 306 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,400 Speaker 1: windows at our mysterious entourage. But each time we doc 307 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: people choose to listen were never turned away. Everyone collects 308 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:07,440 Speaker 1: on the cabin floor and sprawls out as Louisa makes 309 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: her pitch. Yeah that was great. Actually, like this family 310 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 1: has like a lot of people, so they have a 311 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: lot of potential to get more pods. Yeah, I look 312 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 1: like they're a bunch of kids there, and yeah, it 313 00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: has a nice vibe to it. It's amazing. Pretty much 314 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: everyone is on board fourth family and that was nice. 315 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: They so far they are the winning family. They got 316 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:39,400 Speaker 1: three hundred pods in one day and they said that 317 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: if they had more time they would have caught more. 318 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 1: So that's a win. And they're pretty excited about cacao. 319 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:50,400 Speaker 1: As we head back to day's that evening, I can 320 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,360 Speaker 1: feel the hole Jiwa dream becoming real. The pickers are 321 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 1: all in, but now we need the fermentors, someone to 322 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:00,959 Speaker 1: run the station where everyone will drop off their beans 323 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: and get paid. It's a much bigger commitment. And while 324 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 1: they agreed to build the drawing shed and even put 325 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,120 Speaker 1: us up for a few days, so far he's still 326 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 1: a firm. Now you're turning the box in layers, so 327 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 1: we don't really like dig a hole in the box. 328 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: We try to do it in layers because by doing 329 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: it in this way we can make sure that we 330 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 1: are cooking all the layers. Even for the next few days. 331 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,440 Speaker 1: Louisa keeps teaching using the special protocol she developed for 332 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: the middle of Nowhere in more developed places. Pickow fermentation 333 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:15,720 Speaker 1: relies on a lot of gadgets, thermometers to measure heat, 334 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: refractometers to see the level of sugar in the juice. 335 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: But in the jungle, things break and batteries die. If 336 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: a battery dies, you are four hours away by boot 337 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,920 Speaker 1: from the next city. Are you going to go and 338 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: go there just to get the battery? Oh? The fermentation, 339 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:38,199 Speaker 1: please stop because I don't have a battery here. You know, 340 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: like it's it doesn't work like that. So um, we're like, okay, 341 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: let's just go buy the field smell tasting visual and 342 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: the field the warmth. She developed her own low tech 343 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,400 Speaker 1: Amazonian protocol. I was like, well, the temperature of your 344 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: body is X. If you get in get in there 345 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: and the temperature feels higher, it's because the temperature is 346 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: higher than thirty seven celsius. Because your your body tempature 347 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 1: is thirty seven. If the temperature feels lower, it's because 348 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:24,479 Speaker 1: the metabolism of the whole mass is going down. And 349 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: then smelling, oh look this alcohol smells really volatile. And 350 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: then vinegar you almost want to cry when you when 351 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: you like smell a lot of vinegar. So we slowly 352 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: we had a protocol where they don't needed any gadgets 353 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:51,640 Speaker 1: to make a good being. Honestly, it's a total game 354 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: changer for places like this Instead of fermentation being totally 355 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,399 Speaker 1: intimidating for people who aren't used to high tech gadgetry, 356 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:03,119 Speaker 1: the process becomes intuitive, it even fun. One person who's 357 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:07,199 Speaker 1: totally uninterested is z Andering. Louisa had him hanged as 358 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 1: the guy to run this momentation center, but he often 359 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: wanders away during the workshop. But as it turns out, 360 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,360 Speaker 1: we don't have to look far for a solution. Mic 361 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:24,120 Speaker 1: On his son is asking lots of good questions. Mica 362 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 1: And is twenty, a handsome kid with an earring and 363 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: stylish haircut. He blended seamlessly on streets of any city, 364 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:31,920 Speaker 1: and you can tell he's got his eye on the 365 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,120 Speaker 1: larger world. But he also loves life on the river. 366 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: So after the workshop we asked him what he thinks 367 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 1: people sash dasha ki. Yeah, it's so good, not too 368 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 1: not too much work. No, no, I'm going to defease you. 369 00:24:58,400 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: It's difficult because it's new, but the movement. As as 370 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:07,120 Speaker 1: time passes, he will He is sure that he can 371 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 1: handle this process. How many boxes do you think you 372 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:23,439 Speaker 1: can handle? People said, Fuzzy wash five. That would be 373 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: about KOs of dried cacao, enough for a few thousand bars. 374 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: A good start. Later, when we're alone, Andre tells me 375 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: where my CON's interest in Cacao comes from. He said 376 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: that maybe there's a lot of over fishing. Every year 377 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: there's a migration of the fish upstream up river, and 378 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 1: he said that nowadays they have like a thousand boats 379 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: waiting for the fish. Yeah, Michael ZiLs, but not not 380 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 1: that many fish. And so he was really really hopeful 381 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 1: that Kao could will become eventually something that would be 382 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 1: bigger than fishing here, and it was. The problem is 383 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: actually pretty devastating. Fish stocks throughout the Amazon are collapsing 384 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:16,959 Speaker 1: in the face of overfishing and climate change. The Amazon 385 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: is the greatest abundance and diversity of freshwater fish in 386 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: the world and that has always been the foundation of 387 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: rivers diet and income. And when it goes they often 388 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: go with him and the loggers and ranchers move in. 389 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: So I can see why my con is so laser focused. 390 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,280 Speaker 1: And he said they were gonna work hot for that 391 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: to happen bec become a major source of income in here, 392 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: which was the very first time that I heard someone 393 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:51,320 Speaker 1: from from from here so enthusiastic, and so I think 394 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: all are responsive about it. Is even bigger. He was really, 395 00:26:55,520 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: you know, counting on us. If the community can band 396 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:13,160 Speaker 1: together with Louisa to preserve this wild cacao, it might 397 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: just help them hang on. But for that to even 398 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 1: be a possibility, the team has to make it to 399 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: the finish line on this workshop, and Louisa, she's starting 400 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,960 Speaker 1: to flag for good reason. It's been seven years since 401 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:33,119 Speaker 1: we come to different communities in the Amazon, but it 402 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:40,159 Speaker 1: has never been so tough for me. Um I'm pregnant today, 403 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: is actually twelve weeks pregnant, and first timemester is just 404 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 1: I don't know, morning sickness, and to be here in 405 00:27:55,240 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: this time of my pregnancy has been tough. I'm not 406 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,360 Speaker 1: gonna lie, And of course I can't say what it's 407 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 1: like to be fighting back morning sickness while you're getting 408 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 1: mauled by pium and you're trying to stay positive about 409 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: your cow works job. But I'm just going to go 410 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: out on the limb and guess that it's not ideal 411 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:21,119 Speaker 1: and that to pull it off, you gotta believe. I 412 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,479 Speaker 1: can't help but think back to Louise's Aiahuasca awakening, her 413 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 1: understanding that the forest and the people are one and 414 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: her commitment to total partnership with the Amazon, and yet 415 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: right now the Amazon is being a bit of an asshole. 416 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:39,000 Speaker 1: The rains are pounding, which drops the temperature, and that 417 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: slows down the fermentation, which means the beans might not 418 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: be done by tomorrow morning. But we have to leave 419 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: tomorrow because there's no other flight out of Cruzaro for days. 420 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: But if Louise has to leave before she can show 421 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,680 Speaker 1: everyone the final steps, that could endanger the whole experiment. 422 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: And more urgently, the river and the swamp behind the 423 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: shack are rising so fast that it's not clear we'll 424 00:29:01,960 --> 00:29:05,719 Speaker 1: have any ground to stand on by tomorrow. Still, as 425 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,120 Speaker 1: we huddle in our cabin staring out at the rain, 426 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: Andre says he's glad we can't we make this big 427 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: bat that's raising our prices. Who would be engaged? More people? 428 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: And did Uh? I was really surprised that they could 429 00:29:21,880 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: build up fermenting am fermenting place, a place, a ferment total. 430 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: Uh moved the boxes so so fast it's like a month. 431 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: So I think Michael understood that here's an opportunity. I'm 432 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: not to get up. Let that gonna go through much fingers. 433 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:48,240 Speaker 1: Let's works, Let's have a go. But that night the 434 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 1: Amazon has a go at us. It's a deluge all 435 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,600 Speaker 1: night long. The river tears away chunks of the bank. 436 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 1: The swamp is now a lake lapping at the edge 437 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 1: of our cabin. It's somebody pulls a six ft anaconda 438 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 1: out of it, but nobody even cares. Sometime after midnight, 439 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: I hear the explosion of one of the huge trees 440 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:12,400 Speaker 1: in the compound, carrying leaps in its breeks. So one queasy, 441 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: eternal second I wait to be crushed. Then the world 442 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:24,600 Speaker 1: explodes with the sound of the tree crashing down nearby, 443 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:29,480 Speaker 1: no direct hit. In the morning, an Amazonian giant stretches 444 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: dead across the compound. It was a narrow sky and 445 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: it's water water everywhere. The river is now as the 446 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: rivers requaimed all the land like, there's just water everywhere. Um, 447 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: there's very dry land for little walk on. We're supposed 448 00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: to head back to turo Desul that um, but that 449 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: means a very long trip against the blow up river, 450 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: and were is just gonna be full of massive trees 451 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: tearing down stream um and doing so fast. I'm not 452 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,360 Speaker 1: sure the boat's gonna be able to do it. Louisa 453 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 1: is concerned too. I'm so worried because we're growing on 454 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 1: the river today. That's what I was talking about all night. Um, 455 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 1: that river is just gonna be scammering and we have 456 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: to go up river. I hope the rain stops today 457 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:35,280 Speaker 1: because if it doesn't, we are not flying tomorrow. Honestly, 458 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: it feels grim. But then this guy is suddenly part 459 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: for brief window and we take advantage. We scramble over 460 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 1: the soggy ground the drying racks so Louisa can demonstrate 461 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: the last step in the process, scooching through the spread 462 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,400 Speaker 1: out beans with your feet to push them into long 463 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:58,160 Speaker 1: rows for better drying off. In the Nac just scooched 464 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 1: through the beans with her feet, gucci along the way 465 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 1: to make channels and ridges things. But as she rushes 466 00:32:11,200 --> 00:32:15,280 Speaker 1: through the process, mike On has some final questions. Later, 467 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: Louisa gives me the lowdown. He thought it was quite 468 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:24,719 Speaker 1: easy and doable, which is always great. Um. He also 469 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:33,360 Speaker 1: asked how many days I thought it would take? Okay, 470 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:39,040 Speaker 1: how many days? I said between ten and twelve days. 471 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:44,960 Speaker 1: They want to take a picture. No, that sound you 472 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 1: here is not a swarm of bees. It's a drone. 473 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: Louise's team brought it along and it's time for the 474 00:32:50,520 --> 00:33:00,120 Speaker 1: group photo, and then we scramble for the boat and 475 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:02,960 Speaker 1: push up river against the current. Well I think we 476 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 1: got out, just like the last chopper out. Yeah, Oh 477 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:17,360 Speaker 1: my god, your feet, you look like you've got Hannah tattoos. 478 00:33:17,520 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 1: New tattoo who is washing her feet in the river 479 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,080 Speaker 1: as we are hanging off in the boat. This is, uh, 480 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: what's over? A new moment in extreme pick O. The 481 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,240 Speaker 1: storms return and we huddle under the boats, torn to heart, 482 00:33:38,760 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 1: but our pilot is faced first into the down war 483 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:44,480 Speaker 1: for hours, dodging the trees that comes flailing down the current, 484 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 1: any of them could capsuize us. But half a day 485 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:53,120 Speaker 1: later we straggle into trizero dosool like drowned rats. And 486 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:56,520 Speaker 1: the day after that we're back in sound Paolo and 487 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: Louisa just has to cross her fingers. She's gone a 488 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:03,480 Speaker 1: even beyond, and so has Matt And now it's in 489 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 1: the hands of the reburying news. They know what to do. 490 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:08,680 Speaker 1: We just have to hope that their relationship with Louisa 491 00:34:08,840 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 1: is now deep enough and that the river cooperates. I 492 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 1: want to taste of some of this god level chocolate. 493 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:30,080 Speaker 1: We got you covered. Kaleidoscope has joined forces with Louise 494 00:34:30,160 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 1: Abram and Stetler Chocolate to make a special box to 495 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,400 Speaker 1: go along with this very podcast. Now you could sample 496 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,600 Speaker 1: flavors from the banks of the Amazon without having to 497 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:42,320 Speaker 1: fight off jaguars and anaconda's. Just visit www dot Stetler 498 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: Dash Chocolate dot com to order your wild Chocolate today 499 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 1: check the link in the show notes. A few months later, 500 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:04,480 Speaker 1: get a zoom call from Louisa. Hello, Hey, Luisa, can 501 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:08,680 Speaker 1: you hear your voice? How are you? I'm good? How 502 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:11,920 Speaker 1: how's it going? After so much waiting, this was the 503 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:14,440 Speaker 1: moment of truth and Louisa was calling me with the 504 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:18,879 Speaker 1: verdict straight from her factory floor. I just got into 505 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:24,560 Speaker 1: I never had so many beans in my factory, which 506 00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: is very, very exciting. This just was an eighteen. We 507 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:36,920 Speaker 1: had to klos this year. We got one point one ton, 508 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 1: so you double this is double that? Yeah, yeah, I 509 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: just opened too of the stacks and right off the bat, 510 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 1: I know that dish is my Jubi. They smell great. 511 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 1: I am beyond happy and hoping that everyone loved it. Honestly, 512 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: I was too Somewhere along the way I got invested. 513 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:12,400 Speaker 1: I would have been heartbroken to see this cacao and 514 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 1: those Riverino's give way to cattle ranches. And if you 515 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:19,279 Speaker 1: think we were happy, well there I am sitting in 516 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:21,200 Speaker 1: my office, the same place where I got the email, 517 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,480 Speaker 1: and Heather marketing coordinator walks in puts it on my 518 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:28,799 Speaker 1: desk and I look up and she's got tears in 519 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:34,520 Speaker 1: her eyes. Matt Caputo was over the moon. His crazy 520 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:37,600 Speaker 1: seven thousand dollar bet had just paid off. I asked 521 00:36:37,640 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 1: Matt to walk me through the moment when there's your 522 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:42,560 Speaker 1: wah bars first arrived. I was like, this is it, 523 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 1: and she's like, I'm just nodding her head. And so 524 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,680 Speaker 1: I opened it up and I'm so nervous that I 525 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:53,879 Speaker 1: pop it in my mouth and then the flavors open 526 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 1: up and everything that I love about Judua in the 527 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 1: past is there. I just know than ten seconds, this 528 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 1: is the best chocolate Louisa has ever made. This bar 529 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 1: doesn't taste like anything else anywhere in the world. You 530 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: know we did something where we we helped to preserve 531 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:21,480 Speaker 1: this cacao, and I know the other like minded people 532 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:25,640 Speaker 1: like me are going to appreciate this and to join 533 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 1: us in this fight, and the beautiful thing in this 534 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,880 Speaker 1: fight is, you know, our weapons that we use, or 535 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 1: sharing stories and tastes of things that we love and 536 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:43,560 Speaker 1: kind of spreading that love, chocolate and love. What could 537 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:52,920 Speaker 1: possibly go better together? Right? I forgot chocolate and revenge. 538 00:37:53,160 --> 00:38:00,960 Speaker 1: So we agreed to catch catch the guys in Flagrante Forest. 539 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:07,520 Speaker 1: How's that gonna happen? Yeah, he said he would need help, 540 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: and then we do an operation and we get the people. Yes, 541 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:14,640 Speaker 1: just when you thought it was safe to go back 542 00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:19,239 Speaker 1: in Bolivia, it's the return of Vulcar next week on Obsessions. 543 00:38:19,640 --> 00:38:33,319 Speaker 1: Wild Chocolate. Wild Chocolate is a Kaleidoscope production with I 544 00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:36,840 Speaker 1: Heart Podcasts, hosted and reported by me Rowan Jacobson and 545 00:38:36,880 --> 00:38:40,480 Speaker 1: produced by Shane McKeith at Nice Marmot Media. Edited by 546 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:43,800 Speaker 1: Kate Osbourne and my Guest how to Kudor, Sound design 547 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:47,600 Speaker 1: and mixing by Sound Boring. Original music composition by Spencer Stevenson. 548 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 1: A k a Botany production helped from Baheni Shorty from 549 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,600 Speaker 1: My Heart. Our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Etor. 550 00:38:56,160 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 1: Special thanks to Laura Mayor, Gustas Linos Oswalash and Aaron Kaffman, 551 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:05,120 Speaker 1: Will Pearson, codel Burn, Bob Pittman, Daria Daniel, and the 552 00:39:05,160 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 1: team at Stetler who are helping us make a very 553 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,400 Speaker 1: special chocolate of our own. That's right, We're working with 554 00:39:10,480 --> 00:39:13,480 Speaker 1: Louisa at others to protect the rainforest and make delicious 555 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:18,879 Speaker 1: Amazonian chocolate. Visit www dot Stetler dash Chocolate dot com 556 00:39:19,239 --> 00:39:23,680 Speaker 1: to taste it for yourself. That's www dot Stetler dash 557 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:26,719 Speaker 1: Chocolate dot com. And if you want to hear more 558 00:39:26,719 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 1: of this type of content. Nothing is more important to 559 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: the creators here at Kaleidoscope than subscribers, ratings, and reviews. 560 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:35,399 Speaker 1: Please spread the up wherever you listen.