Switching Gears, and Happy Halloween

The last day of my second class finished today. Tomorrow morning we will but up at 5 a.m. to hit the road. For the next five days we will be traveling by four-by-four vehicle to visit the coffee production areas of East and West Harar, starting with the East. Everyone keeps warning me how bad the roads are, but we are looking forward to it. Traveling a bad road and breathing the fresh road out the window can be invigorating after 14 days in the crowded, dusty city. It's been a lovely two weeks here in Dire Dawa, teaching the cupping classes and having discussions with the various export companies here. But it will be good to be on the open road, to get out of the urban areas and out under the stars.

Yesterday our class ended with such a great cupping session, I was positively glowing when we got back to the hotel. All the coffees on the table were 80+,
and there was one solid 90+, the Lensamo Lamisso coffee from Aleta Wondo that I have raved about before on this blog several times. What really made me happy, though, was the discussion our group had after the session. Everyone's scores were grouped together nicely, which means we were well calibrated, the technical aspects of the cupping were all handled cleanly, and everyone was focusing well. I wish I could invite anyone who is skeptical about the analytic power of coffee cupping to one of these professional sessions. It's amazing to see 17 different people come to basically the same conclusion. The Aleta Wondo coffee was number four of four that we discussed, so that people were all smiles as we left, thinking happily of how delicious that coffee is. One cupper said it was like mother's milk.

Strange to realize that today is Halloween! It's about 90 degrees and very dry here today, and no one is wearing a costume. I'll post when I can from
the road... we should have internet again in 3 or 4 days when we get to the town of Jiro, and if not then, in a week or so I will be back in the capitol Addis Ababa. I hope everyone has a fun day.

Anyone I know dressing like a cat today? You know who you are.