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For many years I have been hearing that Costa Rica is a great place to go on vacation. I also heard that the country was the leader in eco-tourism. All of that sounded great, but I have to admit that in my urban mind, I expected Costa Rica to be a typical tropical destination. I decided to sign up for an eco-vacation to discover what sustainable tourism is all about.
Upon arriving in the capital San Jose, my guide pulled over to a roadside souvenir shop where our group of tourists could get a view of the beautiful river and surrounding mountains. I saw a lady walking down a pathway leading to the river, so I began to follow her - until I heard our guide yell ‘No, no, no! It’s much better if you come up here on the bridge and look down’. We took his advice, doubled back and went onto the bridge, where I pulled out my video camera to capture the extremely lush vistas. As I was soaking up the fresh air and scenery, I just happened to look down at the river bank, which just happened to be full of fat belly crocodiles catching some sun. After I managed to close my mouth, I watched more than a few crocodiles fight for food and lounge around next to the river. All of a sudden it dawned on me that the path I was previously walking down, lead directly to the crocodile lounge!
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