Shopping - Vanilla and Coffee

[scottam]

Hi Everyone,

Most of the Countries that we will be visiting on our upcoming PC Cruise are known for their great coffee. If we were to only buy at one or two ports, which one(s) should it be? We are visiting Porto Queztal Guatemala, Puntarenas Costa Rica, Ocho Rios Jamaica, and Porto Corinto Nicaragua. Also, I'm almost out of the vanilla we bought in Mexico and need to re-stock. Which port is best for that?

 

Thanks!

 

Tammy

[moggyhill]

Hi,

We went to a local grocery store in Costa Rica with our quide. You could get very inexpensive coffee to Cafe Brita. Prices were cheaper than anywhere else. They also had the local vanilla. The grocery store accepted credit cards.

[D & D]

We were in Jamaica and bought Blue Mountain (or something like that) after sampling some. It was smoother, less acidic, than our normal US coffee but that's about the only difference. It wasn't very cheap, about $10/lb. Just about all the touristy places sold it.

[Richard in Panama]

I grow gormet coffee in Boquete, Panama when I'm not out on ships. Coffee is like wine. Different soils and microclimates, in addition to different types of trees and conditions (like altitude and shade) result in a wide variety of flavors and quality.

 

"Which port" is like going to California, even more specifically Napa Valley, and saying "which vineyard" should I buy wine from!

 

I would buy a bag of BEANS from each place and then when you get home have a coffee tasting party. Brew a cup of each, then have your friends blind taste them . . . seing what tastes they discover, and then rating them. Fun event! You'll be amazed at the variety of tastes! And then you can show videos of your cruise . . . knowing the coffee tasting will keep them awake!

 

Vanilla . . . Mexico definitely!

 

Regards, Richard

[MSN-Travelers]

Outstanding coffee and sells for roughly $50 per pound in the states.

[cruznjan]

I prefer Costa Rican coffee to the Jamaican.

[Cruz'nDoc]

I have had some of the best coffee I can remember in many years from Dominica! It was almost as good if not better IMHO then Blue Mountain coffee. I also enjoyed Kona coffee from Hawaii. I know none of these are places on your itinerary, but something to consider for future trips! :)