On my walk to La Playa Grande, on my first morning of a two week yoga and surf retreat in Montezuma, Costa Rica, I was unpleasantly surprised by the overwhelming amount of trash on the beach. I thought Costa Rica was supposed to be an eco-tourism haven of volcanoes, expansive beaches, and tropical wildlife. I never expected to find a filthy paradise with some of the most beautiful beaches I’d ever seen strewn with plastic bottles and partnerless shoes.