Costa Rica is one of the Top 10 Eco-tourism Destinations!

          Sometimes, people ask what the point of Eco-traveling is; my opinion is that it has a double purpose; number one, people like to experience exciting challenges, educational trips to exotic places.  Seeing the wet tropical cloud forest, hike mountains, swim at the foot of a waterfall; admire the ocean coral reefs, and get to see the amazing wild life of the area. The second major goal of Eco-tourism is to apply the income received from the Eco-travelers to help expand the economy, as well as the preservation of nature.   

          Eco-tourism benefits the local people by preserving habitats and wildlife for continuing use of the increasing number of Eco-travelers, which is a better option than "harvesting" the habitats for short-term gain. 

          For an increasing number of travelers, there is something irreplaceable satisfying about journeying to an unknown place: the sense of being in completely new situations and surroundings, seeing things never before encountered, engaging in brand new and different activities.  Therefore, we could say that Eco-tourism or Eco-travel is traveling to exotic destinations, specifically to admire and enjoy wildlife and undeveloped, relatively undisturbed natural areas, as well as indigenous cultures.

          The development and increasing popularity of Eco-tourism represents the escalating concern for conservation of the world's natural resources and bio diversity (the different types of animals, plants, and other life forms found within a region).  If Eco-tourism contributes in a significant way to conservation, then it is a perfect fitting for the rain forests and other natural habitats, because it is the very characteristic of the habitats that conservationists want to save, wildness, which provides the incentive for travelers to visit and for local people to preserve.

          Tour guides are an obvious and direct medium to communicate awareness; since they are trained and have an intimate knowledge of the environment, they can actively discuss conservation issues with the Eco-travelers. 

 http://www.haciendabaru.com/

          In an age when an earth-friendly lifestyle is gaining momentum, it is not surprising that Eco-tourism is also on the rise.  The efforts that Costa Rica makes to promote the concept of back-to-nature, has helped to make the country virtually synonymous with the concept of Eco-tourism.  When Costa Rica made a commitment to Eco-tourism, it made headlines around the world and in many ways, helped to create the industry.  http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/5-eco-tourism-destinations.htm

          Other nations have since run with the ball and taken the lead but Costa Rica still has a reputation as a leader in the field of responsible preservationist Eco-tourism.  When a country has been blessed with magnificent geography, views, and hyper-exotic wildlife, it makes sense to undertake the efforts that Costa Rica has taken in order to divert tourism back-to-nature.

          Christopher Columbus was not cavalier when he gave this small parcel of land in Central America the name Costa Rica, or “Rich Coast.”  The country contains no less than four benign volcanic mountains, fertile rain forests often covered with fog and clouds, miles of pristine beaches devoid of development.  With so much in such a compact area, the choices are almost overwhelming.

          It is fair to say that Costa Rica is closely associated with sustainable tourism.  In fact, it is one of the pillars of their economy, and for a good reason.  This Central American country is a wonderland of volcanoes, beaches, rain forests, white-water rivers, and savannas.  In many areas, you cannot go more than 20 yards without seeing a toucan, monkey, or blue morpho butterfly - if you are lucky, you might spot a jaguar.  

          Costa Rica has been included in the lists of "The 10 Best Ethical Destinations for the Developing World "both in 2011 and 2012.  This is an annual ranking produced by the journal " Ethical Traveler,  "which is based on a study of developing countries around the world to identify the top destinations among this group of nations.  The measurement uses categories such as environmental protection, social welfare, and human rights.  http://www.ethicaltraveler.org/explore/the-worlds-best-ethical-destinations-2012/

          Plan your next trip to Costa Rica; you will love to see the number of ways this beautiful country supports Eco-tourism and sustainable living.

IGUANAS, "The Chicken of the Jungle"

Costa Rica is famous for the number of iguanas running freely from one side of the highway to the other and from a papaya treetop to a house roof.  Some of us consider iguanas as very interesting creatures, others consider them quite adorable; some even try to keep them as pets but more interestingly,  many local I have talked to, go from one extreme,  which is being annoyed by the iguanas, to the other extreme which is “delicious,”  it tastes like chicken.

Costa Rica has two kinds of large lizard-like reptiles: green iguanas and "black iguanas"(which are not technically an iguana).  These ground nesting reptiles can be found high in the treetops, feeding on leaves and basking in the sun.  Juvenile iguanas eat grubs and other invertebrates, while adults are mostly plant eaters but will occasionally eat small mammals and nesting birds.

These reptiles are restricted to living on land, since all throughout their lives; they are air-breathing creatures.

There is an amazing variety of lizards of many different kinds in Costa Rica.  They live everywhere, mostly in leaf piles and dry underbrush.  One of the best places to find lizards is on the beach, where they hang out around driftwood logs and eat insects. 

Black Ctenosaur (Ctenosaura similis) Spanish Name: Iguana Negra, Gallina de Palo

Here are some of the places where you can find this charming dinosaur looking creatures:

Corcovado National Park, Santa Rosa National Park, Manuel Antonio National Park, Carara National Park, Palo Verde National Park, Guanacaste National Park, Rincón de la Vieja National Park, Cano Negro National Wildlife Refuge, Ballena National Park, Barra Honda National Park.

This animal requires sunny areas with perches, which may be rocks, boulders, fallen trees, dead snags, or fence posts.  Beyond this requirement, its habitat is flexible.  Iguanas can live in beach side scrub, dry deciduous and moist forests, and disturbed adjacent zones such as pastures.  They have been found living in gardens and other settings within urban areas. 

The Black iguana is actually a yellowish gray or tan color with vaguely outlined dark bands on the back end of its body.  Juveniles are a bright green who darkens with age.  Adult color varies considerably and may be nearly black; color also changes throughout the day with activity and body temperature.  

The long, heavy tail of this lizard is covered in whorls of intimidating spines, and its feet are equipped with sharp claws.  Males have wider heads and even more muscular jaws than females.

These enormous Pacific slope lizards are unmistakable from any other in Costa Rica—with the single exception of its Atlantic side relative; the Green Iguana can be distinguished from the iguana because the iguana has a distinct, single large scale on either side of its face below the tympanum.  The iguana also has a brighter green color, longer tail, and is restricted to very moist riparian areas in deciduous forest. 

Green Iguanas come in a variety of shades ranging from gray/green to bronze or even brown / orange.  Tails of both males and females are banded with light and dark thick rings.

Their diet is entirely vegetarian; however, it is possible that very small juveniles eat insects, if that is the case; they do become entirely vegetarian very early on and for the remaining part of their lives.  They tend to prefer, in this order: mature leaves, flowers, and fruits.  The diets of Green Iguanas may vary depending on their habitat.  Their preference is perhaps dictated by the nutritional value and taste of certain plants and is related to the abundance of such plants in any given area.

How can we tell the difference between a baby green iguana and a baby black iguana?

It is possible, even though it is not quite easy, especially because these reptiles are good at camouflage.  They tend to choose trees in which they blend in and more often than not, will pick a branch over water, so they may jump in and swim to safety should they be threatened.  When they are very young, green iguanas and black spiny iguanas look almost identical.  They have a lime-green body and tail.  As they gradually take on the color of mature adults.  To tell the difference between a baby green iguana and a baby black spiny iguana, one has to look at the tail.  The black spiny iguana will have a spiny ridge along the tail while the Green iguana’s is smooth.

The common large gray lizards seen in the drier parts of Costa Rica are not strictly iguanas, and usually are called “garrobos” They are mostly found on the ground though perfectly capable of climbing, and the biggest adults spend as much time in trees as iguanas.

Large adult garrobos look much like adult iguanas, but iguanas have a large scale behind the jaw.  Garrobos adapt readily to human-altered habitats, so are much more abundant.

Those who have sampled iguana as a dish, say that the lizards taste, unsurprisingly, like chicken.  Catching and cooking iguana is a good way to experiment with a new exotic food.

Read more:  How to Catch and Cook an Iguana

http://www.ehow.com/how_2246845_catch-cook-iguana.html#ixzz1kzSXP0Kn

Most people will look at an Iguana/Garrobo and say: do you eat that thing?  The answer from a Costa Rican would be oh yes; you can my friend.  Many Costa Ricans seem to recognize that iguana consumption is common; however, it is not a staple of the normal daily diet, some say that the majority of the consumption occurs during Semana Santa (Holy Week), a tradition that seems to have no support by younger generations.  Some Costa Ricans also acknowledge that mothers have fed iguana meat to their sick children, as one would eat chicken noodle soup, and some other say that it is a cure for hangovers and is good to keep the elderly strong.

Whether iguana is on your list of thing that you would like to try, or not; when you come to this tropical Costa Rica, if you get to meet a hospitable rural family, there is a chance that you might be invited for a meal, and, also an iguana/garrobo might be invited too, as the main course.  
After all, they say, “It tastes like chicken”