The most physically demanding day of the first week was the „troja"-day. While one day before I helped to bed the tobacco leaves from the first to the second fermentation, one day later I had the great luck to be part of the construction of the first troja (pilón) of the year 2019.
At the moment tobacco is delivered by the farmers who work in collaboration with Davidoff (they get the seedlings and everything they need for an optimal care of the plants from Davidoff) - the first harvest of 2019. The leaves are sorted and bundled (more tomorrow) and then, some days later the bundles are placed on top of each others for the first fermentation in a big bale called troja.
I was allowed to be there from the first to the last bundle of tobacco. The work was very exhausting, but also somehow beautiful. The bundles make a very individual, clear pattern and although you have to be careful that they sit nice and accurate, you can let your thoughts wander. Because - long live the prejudice - during the work on this job little is said. Why? It's a man's job and even in the Dominican Republic they are less talkative than we women.
What an amazing pattern! Saturated with stories from faraway lands. Thanks for sharing them with us!