While working at Paradise Products Costa Rica, one of my greatest privileges was meeting people from all over Costa Rica. Entire communities and families welcomed me into their homes, sharing their ideas, projects, challenges, and dreams with me.
This was the idea behind all my efforts: traveling and helping my people showcase, sell, improve, and be recognized by the world.
One of these cases was that of Doña Nora and Doña Melissa Páez. Mother and daughter, they belong to the Bribri people of Suretka in the canton of Talamanca.
We met years ago while I was developing my first reservation system for Paradise Products Costa Rica. I had the honor of representing their project, called Granja Agroecológica Siwakabata, in an international trade mission organized by the ICT (Costa Rican Tourism Institute) about six years ago.
Since then, we have developed a great friendship. Traveling to Talamanca and learning about Bribri culture and religion, tasting the true flavor of the cacao drink known as Siru, and being among the true Costa Ricans is a memory and a pleasure I deeply cherish.
In 2024, we are going to reopen the farm to tourists. Doña Melisa and Doña Nora have been preparing after three years of pause due to the pandemic. Tourism is relatively new within indigenous reserves, and although some still view the idea of having tourists in indigenous territory with skepticism, many also advocate for this opportunity—as long as tourists recognize their role as respectful guests of the continent’s ancestral cultures.
These women are courageous, and the community needs them, appreciates them, and trusts them. We want to provide the Bribri people of Sepecue, Amure, Suretka, Teliere, and all of Talamanca with a clean and reliable source of income while also offering tourists the most authentic and unique experience of their lives.
Hopefully, I will return soon and be able to share new photos and updates on the project.
