Today we had an early breakfast and made our way to a cowhide processing facility. We started by observing the raw hides being cleaned in a mixture of sulfuric acid, lime, and salt. Next, we looked at where the clean hides are kept. The hides are preserved in sea salt and left until it is time to dye them. To dye the leather, there are 30 basins of dye that the hides are soaked in and passed through. After seeing the process of creating the leather, we drove to a separate location to watch as the final product was being used to make chairs. With only a hammer, nails, and a knife to cut the leather our instructor created an entire chair in under 5 minutes. Next, we went to an iguana breeding facility and saw parrots, birds, baby iguanas, and chickens. After lunch, we took a well-needed rest and explored Las Tablas. Here we were able to go shopping and get some food. We returned for dinner which was cheeseburgers and french fries. Tomorrow will be an off day for us, and we will spend some time at the beach.
-Ian Hill and Jonah Levy
Click on leather making and more to see a short video of our activities today.
Click on leather making and more photos to see photos of our activities today.