Program Overview
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to perform research abroad. The study was on the economics of ecotourism in a remote region of Guatemala called the Petén. I was there with 3 other undergraduates, 1 grad student, and our professor. Our main task there was to survey tourists about their trips. As a result, we have demographic, economic, and psychological data on the tourism in that region.
Pre-Departure Reflection
We prepared for this trip over the course of the academic year of Fall 17-Spring 18. We looked at existing data of tourism, performed a literature review, and designed our surveys and project. I had the additional benefit of studying abroad in Belize, which shares a border and inland indigenous Mayan culture with the Petén, so I got some cultural exposure similar to what I would later experience in Guatemala. In addition, I did a lot of research on the environmental histories of these places. Belize, has done a better job of conserving its forest, coastal, and marine ecosystems. Their sea turtle populations are on the rise and they have the second largest barrier reef in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef. Guatemala, on the other hand, is recovering from degradation and performing an experiment with community concessions to see if community property is effective in reducing deforestation.
While Abroad Reflection
Once the team and I got to Guatemala, we got to work right away testing out our surveys and adjusting to the extreme heat and humidity of the June wet season in a cloud forest. Once thing I noticed right away was flooding of the northern end of the island on which we stayed. This flooding occurs every wet season, however I think climate change is also at work here, because they would not have built an area where streets would be completely submerged for months at a time. I loved going out into nature and seeing all of the plants winding up tree trunks and cutter ant lines like the interstate highway system.
In addition to the amazing biodiversity, thanks to the nature of the research project, I also got to meet a diversity of people from all six inhabited continents. Watching the 2018 world cup in hostels full of people from all over the world is an unforgettable experience, as soccer is a universal and unifying sport. The Guatemalans were very hard-working yet very relaxed, always doing something but just at a leisurely and friendly pace. They are also a generous people; after the volcano erupted near Antigua, so many organizations formed to collect monetary and material donations for the city.
One thing that made me sad was the rural poverty I saw here. Driving by on the bumpy main roads, the nice houses were made of just cinder blocks and tin rooves with just dirt floors. The other structures consisted of wood, tin, or any other materials available with which to construct a shelter. Most of the people looked bored and it seemed like most were unemployed or seasonally employed. Another thing I didn’t particularly enjoy, but see as an opportunity, are the Tuk Tuks that drive around the city. They are high emitting, but cheap and convenient so that people don’t have to own cars to get where they want to go. Replacing the Tuk Tuk fleet with newer models that run on cleaner fuels could do a lot for air quality in Guatemalan cities and other cities worldwide.
After Return Reflection
One day after my return from a remote region in Guatemala, I find myself amidst the hustle and bustle of Grand Central Station in the Big Apple (New York City). Here is the first time I truly experienced the phenomenon of reverse culture shock, when I go from a tiny island in the middle of the jungle, to the heart of civilization in a span of 24 hours. I felt an epiphany of how cities feed off of rural areas like leeches. Food and resources go into cities, and then the waste is transported somewhere else. However, the other intangible outputs are innovation, economic activity, and an exchange of ideas. There things would not be possible without our forests, agriculture, and freshwater resources.
Another thing that became very real to me is the United States’ immigration problems. I saw direct impacts in Guatemala and am currently taking a US immigration history class right now. I met a family fleeing from Nicaragua and a Honduran couple trying to scrape up enough money to get to the US border to find their kid. These stories are real and I see both sides for our immigration policy, but something has to give in the broader system.
The research project yielded great data so we are now in the data analysis stages; and if the results are statistically significant, I hope to be published before my senior year! I hope to return to Central America once again and continue my journey other corners of the world in the future.