Skip the zip lines and river rafting.  I­f you want to experience the authentic indigenous side of Costa Rica, you need to go off the grid in a canoe to get to Yorkin, and don’t forget your rubber boots!

I boarded a small 5-person canoe and began my adventure up the Sixoala River.  As the canoe maneuvered up the river through jungle canyons, I was instantly struck by the beauty.  I felt as though time was standing still and not much had changed in these canyons over the decades.  Jungle turned into banana plantations, with birds, horses and cows lazily lying by the river.  I could have sat on that boat and enjoyed the scenery all day, but a little over an hour later, we arrived in Yorkin, which could only be identified by two boats along the shore and a small path running up the hill.

I was met by our English-speaking guide, Rolando, who instructed me to put on the rubber boots I had brought along. Then we began up a muddy trail.  The muddy trail turned to thick sludge and I learned that boots are an essential part of the wardrobe here, as we passed others from the village or passing through from Panama, all wearing rubber boots!  Once settled, I went to cool down with a swim in the river.

The young boys from Yorkin followed us to the river and began throwing soccer balls against the rocks, perfectly ricocheting them off the canyon walls and diving in the water to catch.  Laughing and diving into the water, the boys’ laughter and happiness was infectious, and soon I got into the act, throwing the balls to the boys so they could jump and catch the balls in flight. They laughed, giggled and thought of ways they could advance the game.  Catching the ball turned to heading, chesting, kneeing and then kicking.  Of course, each time they flung themselves off the slippery rock sideways to get the proper angle to kick the ball while in flight, I cringed with motherly worry. anticipating a head injury, which fortunately didn’t happen.

The afternoon was spent learning about traditions of the Yorkin passed down through generations, including how to use a bow and arrow, making roof thatching out of palm leaves, and their beloved chocolate.  We picked cocoa plantains from the meadow, roasted and churned the beans and then indulged in our freshly-made hot chocolate and bananas dipped in chocolate.  It was delicious.

Bananas and chocolate are an integral part of the life of every member of the Yorkin tribe.  Most families make a living in the agriculture of bananas and chocolate in some fashion and certainly every family eats both as a staple in their diet.

The next morning I rose to spend the day visiting some of the Yorkin tribe to learn more about their culture and see how they live.  I put on my rubber boots and slogged through the muddy trail to Grandma’s house, or “Wilke’ in Bribri.  The majority of Yorkin tribe members speak only Bribri.  While Wilke is neither my, or Rolando’s Grandmother, as an elder she is considered a grandma to all.  She greeted me with a warm smile, a tree stool to sit on and a mid-morning snack of what else?  Bananas and chocolate.

Since there’s no electricity, the bananas are cooked in their peel directly on a wood fire and served in a banana leaf.  Rolando translated as Wilke told stories of how her father was a shaman of a different tribe and they used the plants and trees from their hills as a medicinal cure for ailments.  I listened to sounds from chickens and dogs or “chi chi” scurrying around her house and looked out the window at her view of the Panama hills on the other side of the Sixoala River.  As I rose to leave, Wilke gave me a long warm grandma-like hug and said “ye> miatche” or goodbye.

After a few other stops, Rolando took me to his own family’s home, which seemed to be the hub for those passing through to buy a snack from his father’s small snack shop or for friends stopping by to visit.  As I stepped in, I was greeted with a warm welcome and huge smile from his mother Agusta and could sense the house was filled with happiness and love.  His father Roberto joined us, asking questions about how old I am and about my family, having a genuine curiosity concerning my life.  With a little prompting, Roberto got out his guitar.  Soon the kitchen filled with the sound of traditional Costa Rican and Panamanian-style music.  After each song, I broke out in applause, with Roberto reacting with a huge smile, given the motivation to play another.  After I had tired him out, I graciously thanked Agusta and Roberto for their hospitality and we were on our way again.

Tired and hot from slogging through the mud trails, there was just enough time for another swim in the river with the kids, then having some lunch, and we were on our way in the canoe, floating down the Sixoala River on our way home.  As I took in the stunning scenery of the surrounding plantations and jungles along the river, I was struck with the thought that there is amazing beauty in preserving nature, family and traditions passed on through generations, ­­­­­­and I hope that the Sixoala River and Yorkin tribe keep these traditions for centuries to come.

How to Get There

I used the Off the Grid Traveler app to navigate from San Jose to Puerto Viejo, which is about a 4-½ hour bus ride.  From Puerto Viejo, we took the bus into Bribri, which arrived at 8am, got breakfast and took a taxi from Bribri to Bamboo or Bratsi.  All the bus routes are in the Off The Grid Traveler app as well as the lodging, and you should plan to be in Bamboo by the river by 9am.

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This post was written by OffTheGridTravel