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Intro: A few thoughts on Ecotourism, on the early days:

Back in the day, when your GreenPolicy360 Siterunner had left NYC publishing for Hollywood producing, one of the films that our company put together was with LaVar Burton. He had just come from the 1977 "Roots" Miniseries, the out-of-Africa story of Kunte Kinte, as played by LaVar.

Later LaVar became involved in a back-to-Africa as he joined up with friends of mine, a recently formed eco-adventuring company that took the name of SOBEK. LaVar tells a great story about almost getting eaten by a croc in Africa, on the Zambezi, as the SOBEK attempted a first-ever river run of the river below Victoria Falls.

LaVar's story is true, I think, though that was many years and since then much water has flowed down one of the world's greatest rivers. And then there's the whole eco and tourism thing that has gone from an idea to a generational phenomenon.

Take SOBEK and its OARS. Richard may have 700 stamps in his passport by now...

Richard was a friend from back then, who I helped with the publishing launch of his ecotourism whitewater adventure company. He had invited LaVar along to the first whitewater descent of the Zambezi River, bad, never before oared rapids below the Victoria Falls and, until he almost got eaten, LaVar was along for the ride.

"Until" is the key word. It seems that not far from "putting in" and beginning the adventure with the team of explorers and assistants, who were along for safety, that the kayak of LaVar experienced an encounter. As told, a very large snout with very large teeth, came out of the water suddenly and puts it teeth through a kayak next to LaVar. He rapidly paddled to shore, he proceeded to call in a helicopter from shore, and soon was swept into the sky.

The whitewater team wished him a good-bye, then proceeded to complete their journey down the Zambezi, without losing anyone or having anyone eaten.

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