(This thread will continue to be edited and updated as we go - please enjoy and leave any relevant comments below)
Greetings fellow browser,
We hope this message finds you well and enjoying 'The Fusion Home Website'. If you would like to comment, like a post, ask a question or access some of the restricted areas then you will need to join the website as a member - we would love to have you.
If you are just browsing then by all means, browse away, we hope you find something useful or at least put a smile on your face 😁.
If you do sign up then there is a lot of additional content you can access including the ability to chat directly with owners of other homes here at Finca Bellavista, past and current volunteers, previous guests of the community, as well as discovering other places to visit in the area with the ability to chat directly.
If you are interested in living within the community, purchasing or renting then you will find a wealth of information inside including construction tips and contacts pertaining to modern off grid living.
Signing up is free and easy, you can use your google or facebook account or an old school email and password setup works too!
How to sign up / login:
Signing up or login is easy. You can either do so from the footer of any of the pages where it says 'log in' or where it says 'Login / Sign up' on the top right of 'The Fusion Forum'.
Once selecting either option, you will be presented with a pop page (shown below) asking how you would like to sign up.
If you have already signed up as a member and have an active account, then just click 'log in' (we recommend having your browser save your username and password for ease of access).
Signing up with either facebook or google is the easiest as it will be a one click login experience from there.
If signing up with email, please be sure to remember your password or have your browser save the login details as we do not see or store your password - neither to we have the ability to reset your account so you will have to click 'forgot password' when logging in to have WIX reset it for you via email.
Member access:
As a member, you can now interact with other members (homeowners at Finca Bellavista / volunteers / guests etc). You can ask questions, comment or if feeling generous - like a forum post or blog!
Very Important: While Finca Bellavista does accept guests, it is still a private community. All the homes are privately owned and not every owner is in the rental pool, some like us, live here full time or rent privately. We kindly ask that all members of this website to not publicly post their contact information. If you have conversed on this forum/blog and would like to speak directly to the owner/volunteer/guest etc (or vice versa) then please send us a private message so we can confirm with the other party involved, whether or not they would like to share their details - if yes, we will send you them privately. All comments with personal info will be deleted. Thank you for your understanding.
Even though you are now a member, this doesn't mean you can now access all areas, it also doesn't mean we love you any less! In order to access the restricted areas, you will need to have your profile completed, we are after all an online community and other members would like to know who they are talking with. In order to unlock these categories, you will need to acquire your badges.
Badges:
The lovely @GabbyGaz is a great example of a user friendly profile.
Please be sure to upload a profile pic to get your 'mugshot' badge
Complete a small bio introducing yourself (If you are a former volunteer / guest then please include the dates you volunteered / visited as additional badges can be given for discounts)
And finally, just 'like' or comment on your favorite blog/forum post
These basic requirements will give you the appropriate badges needed to access to restricted content and the ability to interact within the category 'Finca Bellavista'.
Additional badges can be earned. Members can collect badges in order to get deals / discounts for 'The Fusion Home'. More information on badges and how to acquire them, can be found here.
*some categories can only be accessed via members who reside within the community.
Categories:
The goal of this forum is to hopefully create an online community based around 'off-grid living'. While most of the information will pertain to Finca Bellavista and the surrounding area, we hope to generate valuable content for anyone wanting to know more about the unique and amazing lifestyle it provides.
If you are thinking about making Finca Bellavista your home, then we (collectively as a community) hope to help you as much as possible with the transition by providing our own experiences, sources and contacts. In 'The Fusion Forum', you will find the following topics:
Any important information or changes to the forum can be found here. Discover how and which badges to earn.
Any issues or requests to the forum can be filed into this category. We have the lovely @Greta from 'Wix Forum' as a member and I know she would love to hear from any of you regarding your experiences (especially if using a mobile phone).
This category is more specifically related to guests of 'The Fusion Home'.
Upcoming guests can ask questions and gain insight from previous guests. Lots of information to prepare for your trip can be found here.
Comments, suggestions or just saying 'Hi' and sharing your experience here is appreciated.
Finca Bellavista (badges required for some areas)
Discover more about the community or more specifically, the house you are staying in - meet the owner.
Find out what homes are available to rent, available to purchase, make deals and get insightful information from others who made the change from the concrete jungle to the real jungle.
Share your own experiences!
We're no experts but that's a good thing! We will share with you what went wrong and what went right.
Ask us questions pertaining to our build and we will help best we can. If we don't know the answers then hopefully someone on 'The Fusion Forum' will.
We researched a ton before purchasing materials that complemented the jungle.
Volunteering at FBV (badges required for some areas)
Do it! Most of us that live here full time started out as volunteers. It's a great way to see if this lifestyle is suited for you.
Discover what it entails to be a Finca Bellavista Volunteer and meet people from all around the world.
Converse with former volunteers, ask questions, find out where they are now.
The FBV community (badges required)
A private category for residents and owners of the community where we discuss important topics such as which house will be gathering in and how much rum do we bring?
If you are an owner here at 'Finca Bellavista' and a member of the website but do not have access, please email us and we will make you a badge!
Planning on staying a while and want to know what you can do in the area or did you discover something you want to share?
We live in a very biodiverse part of the world with lots of adventures to be had a short way from our doorstep.
Discover our favorite spots and where to go for the day whether it's chasing more waterfalls, exploring the beach or just looking for a good place to eat and relax!
A big reason why most of us live here is because we enjoy living in nature. The wildlife here is some of the best in the world.
Another cool reason to live here is most of your neighbors are experts in their fields.
Share your own discoveries - not sure what it is? We can help you identify it.
Who would've ever thought that the most basic art of living would become one of our biggest passions.
Admittedly, this is @Amy's area and man o man is she thriving in the gardens. I don't think my younger self would believe what I eat now - so goooood.
We're on a journey of food discovery - come join us!
Trade for stays (badges required)
It all started with a trade back in 2012. I exchanged 5 years of hard work for the lot 'The Fusion Home' was. built on - money is not the only currency of life!
If you have a skillset or something of value that you want to barter with (an old phone, some painting skills, some professional photos or you are an influencer etc) then make your case in this category to see if any owners would be willing to trade for stays.
If you are a previous guest of the community, then we would love to hear from you. You can share your comments in a category specific to your house in the 'Finca Bellavista' category.
I guess the rules will come as the forum grows, for now please just use common sense and resist the urge to be a dick to anyone!
Thanks for stopping by!