Fields of Sugarcane

I recently spent a week in the Dominican Republic. An all inclusive resort, the Viva Wyndham was my home for a week of food, drinks, fun and relaxation.  I like touring the area when I am in a new place so we went on a safari tour with Runners Adventures. We went to a sugar cane plantation where those who work there live for free and also have free education for their children and free medical care.  The sugar cane crop went for as far as the eye could see.  We were in a safari style jeeps with no windows so the breeze was great as we cruised around the fields. We stopped and our driver cut down some sugar cane with a machete. We took a break and he peeled the sugar cane and we all enjoyed the sweet taste of it. This really brought back memories for me.

When I returned home, I told my dad about the trip, the safari and our sugar cane stop.  I remember dad bringing home sugar cane when I was a child. I know my granddads were farmers but I never really thought about the process. Both farmed sugar cane among lots of other things. Dad doesn't eat it now because they had so much as a child but he said it made the best molasses.  I had a good time talking to mom and dad about their days of farming.  I asked dad when did he go to school and he said around November when the work was done. I guess there were no rules back then, farming took priority. In the Dominican Republic the main economy consists of agriculture like farming sugar cane, coffee beans, cocoa beans and tropical fruits. This one experience of riding through sugar cane crops brought back some fond childhood memories of eating sugar cane with my dad. I think I am going to ask for some the next time I go home J