BACKSTORY

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Along the mangrove-lined Sierpe River in the lush and balmy Costa Rican Rainforest, there is a hidden break in the thick stand of vegetation that only locals can find. Navigating the hidden passage to Isla Violin in a small native fishing boat, our guide cuts the engine as the vessel glides silently into a canal. Thick roots rise above the water level creating a visual chaos that hides lurking danger in this wildlife-rich land. Coasting the shallows until the hull touches the riverbed, we wear knee-high rubber boots for wading to land and protection from snake bites. Our guide wields a machete for protection and path clearing. The verdant canal narrows into a footpath on the shore and within a short hike we arrive at a beautiful Garden of Eden, a fruit farm solely maintained by a jovial, wiry man named Jose Angel. He is 90 years old with the energy of a much younger man, and he lives on this island alone with no electricity and no cell service. As Jose fills our boat with abundance, we sample many species of fruits and walk on zen-like manicured paths among the pineapples, avocados, flowers, spices, and fruit trees Jose tends. The aroma of oregano catches our attention and after capturing an image, we wonder out loud if we will we be able to identify it when we are back home from our travels. It would be helpful to add a narrative to the photo that will help us remember what we are experiencing and for sharing with family and friends. And in that moment the idea for Comment It! was born.