Throughout our two weeks, we spent a lot of time with the locals of Gandoca. One goal of our trip was to share our sports knowledge with the local kids. We held three sessions of volleyball, soccer, and running. What surprised me most wasn’t the kids’ willingness to play, but the adults’. The whole of Gandoca turned up for soccer tournaments. Whether it was to play or to support, everyone brought their A-game. Through questionable slide tackles and even more questionable Spanish, they really didn’t hold back on us. It was clear to us that this was no show for the tourists, this was a proper game. Rather than feeling the need to entertain us, we were simply having fun.
At the end of our trip, Andrey shared with us how Casa Tucán came to be. A few years ago, it started with an idea from Andrey and his brother – as he described it, just a “what-if”. The idea was twofold: to bring cacao back to Gandoca and to share Gandoca with the rest of the world. Using his knowledge of construction, Andrey built Casa Tucán from the ground up, literally. He spoke of GVI coming to visit and explaining their dream of bringing people to Gandoca. Fast forward to now, Casa Tucán has hosted people from all over the world and remains focused on sharing Gandoca.
With so much criticism facing volunteer-tourism or civic engagement programs abroad, I was surprised when I heard this story. Casa Tucán was born of a Gandocan idea and remains very much under control of those who made it. Not only were locals unbothered to have us there, but seemed to even appreciate us being there, something I hadn’t expected. I know the entire ACE in Costa Rica 2025 group is with me when I say we’re grateful to have been shown such a genuine side of Costa Rica from people with such passion for sharing Gandoca.