Rubber Factory

          The first grade teacher and I went with a parent of one of her students yesterday on an outing.  She owns a seamstress shop and was taking us out to Tinapa to purchase fabric for dresses.  On the way, we passed by the rubber tree fields.  She told us her father used to be the rubber factory manager.  On the way back she decided to take us by the factory.  She spoke to the current manager and we received a grand tour.  She also took us by the neighborhood where she grew up and stopped by the compound where her mother and sisters live.  It was a really fun day.  Clint didn't come because he thought we were just getting fabric. 

Almost 1,000 acres of rubber trees

The tree is scored and the rubber sap runs down into the pail. 

Motorcycles are used to gather the rubber sap from the trees.

The rubber sap is dumped into this large vat and the water and rubber begin to separate.

They use the sunshine to dry the rubber.

 

The rubber is sent through a press to further remove the water

The rubber is then dried in a huge oven.

The dry rubber is removed from the oven pans and inspected.

It felt like one of those old rubber erasers and smelled like a hot tire.

The rubber is waiting to be packaged.

The rubber is ready to be shipped all over the world.  Calabar has a major port for shipping.