When driving through Panama, in fact most Latin American countries, you will notice the unique cows that dot the countryside. Their floppy ears, and longing stares make them look so innocently adorable, and cluelessly inquisitive about you and whether or not you pose a risk.
Well, okay so the sheer size and physicality of this bull might make you think more of Ray Lewis bearing down on Brett Favre rather than giving you the cuddle go ahead, but the rest of the team are more like a field of sweet, shy golden retrievers with a high level of intelligence. Looks are most definitely deceiving especially with this big guy - he really is just a gentle giant. The bull that is...I'm not so sure about Ray.
Originating from India, the Bos indicus, known as the Brahman breed are easily identified by their floppy ears, abundant loose skin, and large hump on their backs (the Zebu breed). Brahman vary in color from white to shades of brown and grey. Their loose skin and numerous well developed sweat glands help them withstand the heat of the tropics while also creating an oily sweat that acts as a natural insect repellant. I'm guessing their odor is a bit different from the ylang-ylang you learned about a couple weeks ago.
What about that big hump? Well, contrary to what I have been told, it's not a water reservoir. It is the rhomboid muscle made of meat and connective tissue making it a popular, rare, and delicious cut of meat. Bulls weigh a ton - up to 2,230 lbs (1,011 kg) to be exact. These gentle, intelligent, and adaptable, cattle thrive in the tropics which is why they are the majority of the cows you will see as you cruise the beautiful countrysides of Panama.
Speaking of tons, you may have heard since installing our solar panels last year in November, we have removed approximately 349 tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere which is equivalent to planting over 700 trees or, for a good visual, we removed 349 flying Brahma bulls from the air - nobody likes a flying bull so, you're welcome.
Yesterday, our solar company NSolar, sent out a film crew to create a short video so we got to play movie set for the day. It was a lot of fun. We'll send you the video when it's ready but the best way to experience the sun-powered magic is to see it in person, that's for sure.
Don't worry, we'll keep removing bulls ahem, carbon from the air and planting trees, so every day just keeps getting better and better until you get here.
Your Friends in Morrillo,
Cari and Ryan Mackey
Owners and Hosts
Morrillo Beach Eco Resort
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