Hi, I’m Maricha MS, and I’m a confessed honey lover and a bee fan. Why? For 3 fundamental reasons:
· As a consumer: I really enjoy the soothing flavor of honey because it is like a hug from within! In some moments of my life, I have consumed a whole kilo of honey in a matter of 2-3 weeks to the point of some members of my family joking that I’m like a petite humanoid bear.
· As an educator: I’m pretty aware of the importance of bees and how smart they are. I even use them as an example when I am teaching emergent properties to my university students.
· As an activist: I have been trying to teach kids around me about the importance of bees. And whenever I spot one of these tiny warriors struggling with the heat or with a thirsty appearance, I serve a bit of water and sugar in an attempt to save their lives.
For those reasons, the idea of going to an apiary, getting close to those small heroes and holding a beehive with my own hands resulted in being an extremely attractive idea. Moreover, it doubled my interest after learning that these were the same bees that produce one of the brands of honey I buy the most: La Fronteriza. Here’s a bit of context:
In the northwest of the Dominican Republic, there’s a province called Dajabon, which has dry and notoriously warm weather and no coastline. It is known for its location on the border with Haiti. Due to its strategic geographical position, this land has historical relevance for both countries and was the battleground of many libertarian fights over time.
Dajabon is famous for its busy and crowded binational market. More recently, it is becoming a name in the honey industry due to the presence of many apiaries. While most of them are privately owned, they are a source of jobs for this impoverished region. They have been joining forces to achieve more together. They created an association, and they have been able to earn a space in some of the biggest food distribution chains and supermarkets in my country.
Guided by a team of experts and with the aid of international funds, they have turned this into an opportunity for agritourism. The attractive: you can go, pay a visit to the bees of Dajabon and buy directly from the source the raw honey, as well as some cosmetic products made with it.
In this experience, you are provided with a protection hat. Always by your side is a guide that understands bee behavior. On the way, they explain the region’s biodiversity, discuss the characteristic of pure honey, and debunk some popular myths around it. You need to walk just a few meters into the woods until you find the wooden boxes. There is where the magic happens.
Once ready, they ask you not to be afraid and proceed to hand over the beehive, and you get the chance to hold and observe it for a short time. Then, if you dare to, they ask you to open your hands and throw a bunch of bees on them so that you can feel the tickling of their movements.
Besides the protection hat mentioned above, to ensure that you are safe, they are constantly spraying smoke, numbing the bees without hurting them, and preventing them from becoming aggressive.
For me, this was magical. It was like an encounter of the third kind with these marvelous creatures that I admire and are so relevant for our natural balance. I would certainly encourage anyone to try it out. If you are visiting my beloved Dominican Republic, plan a stop by the “Ruta de la Miel” (Honey Route) of Dajabon. I’m absolutely sure you will not regret it!
Tell me, would you dear to live this fantastic experience? Have you done anything like this? Are there Honey or Bee Tours in your country? As usual, I’m all eyes! 
