In the jungle of Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean coast, where monkeys howl from coconut palms, sloths lazily cross the street, and reggae wafts in the air… is a café you might expect to find in a neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, Steve Mueller didn’t have much exposure to Asian culture. Only after he moved to the Hawaiian island of Oahu to work in telecommunications was Steve exposed to the culture that came to fascinate him. “Moving to Hawaii was a shock, but in an intriguing way. I lived smack in the middle of Chinatown and loved trying all the food on offer.
Brothers Khalil and Abasi Chapman—and friend Rocky Leming—first landed in Costa Rica in 2005. At the time they worked in the restaurant and bar industry in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and heard rumors of the impressive surf down in Costa Rica. They headed south for a vacation somewhere on the Caribbean Coast...but ended up finding a new home.
The first time John Morgan set foot on Little Corn Island, he was under its spell. “The moment my feet sunk into the soft, coral sand where the captain beached the water taxi, I had an overwhelming feeling of being home.” “I had never traveled to Central or South America and had certainly never heard of these remote undeveloped Caribbean islands off the coast of Nicaragua.
Seven years ago Kristin Gilbert Ramirez was living the American Dream. She had a full-time teaching career, health benefits, a home, a car, and fancy electronics. And she was pursuing her master's degree in the beautiful countryside of Maine. Only it wasn't her dream.