“I hope people show up,” Erica asks, more to herself than anyone. “Honey, drop it,” her husband replies as gracefully as possible considering the situation. “Ok,” she says, quickly pulling herself together. Although a good day for Erika and Matteo “Matt” Hogan often involves several stressful moments, today’s inaugural Open House at Finca Bellavista is different. After 5 years of developing the first sustainable tree house community in the world, their farm, located in the south-western jungle of Costa Rica, is ready for some big-time attention. With everyone from the governor, to local farmers and friends on the RSVP list, there is much more at stake here than showcasing an alternative lifestyle, the business itself hinges on attracting some serious investors.
It didn’t start out that way. Matt’s 2005 memorable surfing trip on the coast of Costa Rica ended with a convincing phone call to Erika to join him in the Osa Region. “The initial plan was to buy a little fixer-upper surf shack,” explains Matt, “and to switch between Colorado and here.” Surveying the area, they settled on a 62 acre secondary growth plot, marketed as a ‘fast-return on investment’ due to it being tagged as a timber harvest site. As soon as the early 30-somethings fell in love with the area, they found 9 other farms being sold for the same reason. “We’re going to have to buy the whole mountain to save it,” Matt told Erika. After petitioning each of the owners, mortgaging their home, and pooling their life savings, they held the title to over 350 acres of Costa Rican rain forest. The question then became what to do with it. In a monumental dream state, Erika free-formed “Why don’t we build an Ewok Village with zip-lines and bridges?” After some research, they realized it was possible and from that first machete-wielded trip through their property, they set to work.
Their first 18 months resembled more of a mud pit than a construction site, but determined to work with as little impact on the environment as possible, Erika, Matt, and 35 Ticos slept under a tarp, washed in the river, and used a hole in the ground for a toilet. Their dedication and commitment to the integrity of their project was monumental, fighting off flesh-eating insects, watching for deadly snakes, and flash floods, that could bring a 6 foot wall of water through the ravine in seconds.
The groundwork was being set for their unimaginable project, with paths hewn out of the mountain-side, indigenous trees planted, the land surveyed and strategy planned meticulously. By being completely ‘off-the-grid’, it was solely Erika and Matt’s responsibility to ensure healthy long-term growth. Electrical needs were to be satisfied through solar panels, water used from rain catch and an artesian well, and waste eliminated through bio-digesters. Transportation throughout the forest would rely solely on the footpaths, and zip-lines. Meals were meant to be primarily harvested from the garden and the only time one would have to leave would be for the 3 B’s: beef, beer, and booze.
The Hogans became an unstoppable force of PR after others became interested in getting involved. Every step forward took them one step deeper into the project, as the details of developing a community from scratch became more complicated. Complicating things further, both the government, and private professional companies severely hampered their progress through corruption, and costly errors. One specific surveying error cost the project over $750,000 in lost property, and $300,000 to rectify it. As the couple were far from a conglomerate with wealthy investors behind them, major setbacks threatened Finca Bellavista on a daily basis. Without advertising, and relying on word-of-mouth and a website, 45 of the 94 plots they subdivided were sold at up to $65,000 each, providing the necessary capital to build a much-needed road, hydro-electric generator, a community centre, and open-air verandah. It seemed they weren’t the only ones who preferred watching toucans, macaws, or bands of white-faced capuchin monkeys travel through the rain forest canopy rather than TV, or the sound of the river and crickets chirping at night over the din of constant traffic.
So, how did the open-house go after all? Over 50 people showed up, ranging in age from 6 months to over 60 years, but one notable face was absent: the governor. Despite receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes, a new police station, a public road and bridge, the government has not shown any special gratitude for the continuing tax dollars, local employment, and investment interests the project has created. He is not the only one who seems less than thrilled over a couple of gringos in their territory. The couple almost died this week in a car crash due to faulty brakes installed by a local mechanic. “I’ll be going down there and asking for my money back”, Matt quipped, without any hint of giving up his fight.
http://www.fincabellavista.net/
ing about 20 of ‘em across the ceiling. This was one of the gifts mom and jod had sent me in a care package received in San jose, Costa Rica. ¿Overkill>? Nnnaaaahhhh........ 
