Take Care in Your Travels

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On my recent trip to Manuel Antonio Park, Costa Rica, I began to reflect as I often do about life, and the impact humans have on the planet as a whole.

Sitting on this pristine white sand beach, I breathe deep the fresh salty air.

I casually watch the Capuchin Monkey to my left drinking from a Juice Box. I nod to him and proceed to look straight ahead.

I contemplate the fact that humans may be to blame for this odd behavior being displayed from my hairy friend.

I look to my right in time to see 3 more Capuchin Monkeys unzipping a backpack some poor beach goers had hung in a tree. I then watch said monkeys rob the tourists blind.

Again I nod to my fellow primates, and look forward, lost in thought.

This place, in all its natural beauty, has been corrupted, brought on by the very things that make the area special and perpetrated by man.

Out of the corner of my eye I see one of the Capuchin Bandits run by with an ipod.

Well, that’s not right I’m thinking, where the hell’s he gonna download music?…

The balance between responsible tourism and making a place just an amusement park is tricky and it is sad to witness in some places the distorted nature that remains.

I still love my park, love my fellow primates, but can’t help but feel sad in the end.

Next weekend I am going to Montezuma, less distortion.

Peace

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