Hacienda La Danesa, Ecuador – Land of Milk and Honey (and chocolate)
By Simon Heyes
“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” So wrote revered Taoist sage Pooh Bear, and I put it to you that he would have absolutely loved Hacienda La Danesa – friends (travel with old or meet new), honey and chocolate to boot!
Bear with me. Just an hour’s drive from Guayaquil airport in the Ecuadorian Pacific lowlands lies rural idyll, La Danesa. Dairy and cacao farm, as well as teak plantation, fresh cheese producer and breeder of beautiful pinto quarter horses, where 3 generations of the charming Olsen Peet family have toiled happily in 500 hectares. In 1977, Niels Olsen Pons and Sonia Peet inherited the farm, and recently Niels Junior – one of the 3 children they brought up here – opened the doors of their charming farmhouse to a limited number of guests.
One of Danesa’s experiences is Bean to Bar. Ecuador is home to one of the best cacao varieties in the world, and at the plantation with local host and guide Ivonne I discovered that the fruit that surrounds the cacao bean is one of the most delicious I have ever tried: who knew?! Couldn’t stop schnaffling them. I have vague memories of this being mentioned to me before, but until you try it… that heady and quite addictive mix of super sweet and citrus – it would make an excellent cacao-inha.
“It’s never too early for chocolate” – Winnie the Pooh
After roasting cacao beans, cracked the husk off by hand, we ground them into a thick bitter-sweet paste – already delicious on its own or with a sprinkling of organic demerara sugar. Then Ivonne and I moved onto the chocolate workshop with local chocolatier and also ever-smiling Nadia.
After the processes were explained, techniques were practised (more practise needed in my case) and before long I had my very own Simoncito’s Bar, 65% cacao with alternate layers of sea salt, cranberries, cacao nibs and coconut. Packed straight away for the kids to try back home.
“When you go after honey with a balloon, the great thing is to not let the bees know you’re coming.” Winnie the Pooh
The next day, we donned protective white suits and after a fascinating talk from our guide – local Guayaquil bee expert and honey entrepreneur Guillermo Coromiel – headed to the other side of the farm to meet 100,000 bees. I had long-wanted to learn more about bees (and honey, propolis, royal jelly etc) and this didn’t disappoint.
It was educational but also utterly immersive: a bee smoker calmed the rightfully slightly grumpy inhabitants of several homes, and we were able to look inside a living hive and learn of their amazing lives and fundamental importance to our ecosystems. (random NB being covered in bees reminded me of a fascinating book i read many years ago called the Shamanic Way of the Bee by Simon Buxton).
Afterwards we sat and talked over a delicious honey and cheese tasting back at the restaurant. The hospitality and food generally at Danesa is second to none!
“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” Winnie the Pooh
That afternoon, I headed off by bike alongside my guide, each of us grabbing a large inner tube under one arm. Lazy river tubing is, as the name implies, an activity lacking even trace elements of adrenaline, yet it absolutely enhances the delight of Danesa (oh & I am quite sure Pooh Bear would have absolutely loved it too). You start off thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’ and ‘Where is my phone?!’ and soon, you wish it would never end and have forgotten altogether about screens. It gently produces a child-like delight and present-ness. Slow your pace to that of the meandering river, its turns and eddies, spotting wildlife whilst enjoying the cool waters. Farm stays I mused are much about this important change of pace from modern life, remembering to breeeathe and look around to see what we often miss.
And so I put it to you, esteemed ladies and gentlemen of the imaginary jury, that Pooh Bear would have been a very happy bear at Hacienda La Danesa. Can you really imagine him not being charmed by their hosts and guides, loving the honey – though the bees would have caused him much chin scratching and dastardly plan hatching – their wonderful bean-to-bar chocolate making, or indeed their ever-so-lazy river tubing?!!
‘If everything is honey and I am what I eat, I must be made of honey… and life is very sweet!‘
Hacienda La Danesa, Ecuador, has 6 beautifully decorated and spacious en-suite guest rooms, all well-equipped with modern comforts. A wide variety of family-friendly excursions are available and sustainability is at the heart of La Danesa’s ethos, with a focus on creating jobs in neighbouring communities, preserving the environment and sourcing local materials and ingredients.
http://www.senderos.co.uk/en/partnerships/hacienda-la-danesa.php
https://www.haciendaladanesa.com/
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