Au Revoir Dominica

So I finished up in Dominica and what can I say? It is the most beautiful place I have been to in the world so far! The island is called the Nature Island because it is one of the few mountainous islands where the jungles weren’t destroyed because of the British and sugar cane plantations. The island is completely covered in lush green jungles where bamboo and banana trees grow in abundance! I have never been to the jungle so this first stop on our voyage was a pleasant surprise. The first day I went to a place called the Emerald Pool where a small waterfall feeds into a shallow crystal clear pool with waters in the 70s! After we had a short stop there, we continued into the jungle and went river tubing! This was also one of the coolest activities that I have ever done. We went about 3 miles through the jungle in warm river waters and guides that were really helpful explaining the culture of the Dominican’s. At the end of the trip we got some local rum punch and coconut which was really good. That afternoon we went into the capital Roseau where we walked around and got some local Creole food which was absolutely delicious. I then returned to the ship with a group of friends and got some dinner. That night we went to one of the bars where the locals go, JR’s and it was a blast. I got to dance with a bunch of people and try some of the local beers, Kubuli which taste like a Rolling Rock. We then went to Krazy Koconutz where there was a bigger dance floor and felt more like a club than a bar. It was interesting to party with the locals, but it is very important to keep an eye out because you are in a foreign country. Today we went to a gorge where Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was filmed. You would swim through this tight cave until you reached a couple waterfalls, and it was extremely beautiful. I couldn’t take pictures because of the water, so it is Dominica’s little secret that not everyone goes to. After that I traveled with friends to the botanical gardens where we had a nice picnic with some of the flora and fauna local to Dominica. I am now back on the ship and beginning my homework. It is pretty cool to think that while all of my friends were sitting in class or in the cold, I was swimming in the hot jungle! I also got to meet a lot of the locals and learn a lot about the culture of the locals and how tourism impacts their economy. The island is very sustainable with 40% hydro-electric energy. Also, because it is a volcanic island they are beginning to develop geothermal energy so they are not heavily reliant on diesel power. The island unfortunately relies on tourism as their main “import” and source of economic income. However, before it gained its independence, the British were able to support the island. When the British left, they also forced the Dominican’s to have a large export in order to sustain the island in a growing and globalizing world. The main export of the island, because it was a perfect climate for it, was bananas, importing over 300 tons to the UK every week. However, because of competition with larger plantations such as Chiquita in other parts of the world, the Dominicans were forced to bring in an import because they could not produce enough at a low price to transport to the world. Now the banana exportation is down to about 15 tons a month to the UK. We in America have never seen Dominican bananas because they have never been able to export it and match the competition and demand. Now Dominicans rely on tourism as a source of money, but it does not truly support their economy. For one, not many people in the world have heard of Dominica, and those who have probably came over on a cruise. The island is not easily accessible because they do not have a night landing airstrip, there are no direct flights, and there are very few cruises that come to Dominica now. Apparently Carnival Cruise Lines discontinued stops in Dominica and it hit their economy hard. The island is also quite susceptible to hurricanes during the season which also destroys tourism. It was a great learning experience for me to know about the history of the island because this can further my research and knowledge to go into eco-tourism and service-tourism. I am slowly trying to develop a way where tourism can actually benefit the locals on islands such as this or the Bahamas, or any Caribbean island for that matter. The way I see it, tourism in these islands only benefits the tourists! There is this illusion of a cycle where tourists spend money in a “poor” country, the money goes to the locals, and in turn, the tourists get white sandy beaches and delicious food and souvenirs. What many tourists do not realize is that the cycle skips the locals getting the money. For instance, when tourists visits the Bahamas, they will most likely go to a resort, Atlantis perhaps, where they will find many Bahamians working in the resort. One thinks, this is where the money is going, I pay the resort and the resort pays the employees. What is unknown is how very little the employees actually make when they are working for about ten hours to serve you, the tourist. What is also unknown is that the resort is owned by a rich American who, because they do not have to pay the employees a high salary/wage, more than profits from the money that comes into the resort. The Bahamians do not see that money, but they have to be so dependent on you, the tourist, because however little money is brought in is what supports their families and puts food on the table. This is the unfortunate cycle: the tourists spend money, the money goes to a resort or tour company even, and that money is put into the pocket of the rich American, or back into building more for the tourists. Just this short time out at sea and traveling this small part of the world has changed me. I have already become less dependent on money, and I also feel as though I need to give more than what anyone asks because I know they are not getting a profit from tourists. I have also realized just how rich Americans are, and it is disgusting. You can argue with me as much as you want, but until you travel the world as a “traveler” and not a “tourist” it can be extremely hard to realize. I have also become more sustainable than I ever was. Living on a ship teaches you to conserve energy more, conserve water, conserve food, and compost/recycle. Living in Fort Collins, I already recycled, but I did not conserve energy nor did I conserve water or food the way I do now. I am excited to bring these skills that I am learning back home to teach to all of you! Or at least Nich and Justin at the apartment . For now I am happy to be leaving Dominica on a great note, the people there were the nicest people I have met in the world, and very entertaining. I will be returning at some point in my life, hopefully with a new development on how to promote service- and eco-tourism in these “poor” countries. I also say poor in quotations because these countries may be economically poor compared to our standards, but they are actually rich in culture and heritage, something that is diminishing in America. It seems that’s American’s today do not spend time with the family, are strictly focused on work, and are losing a rich taste in food, religion, language, practices, traditions, music, and behaviors. I love experiencing these new cultures, and it is a new perspective to see just how different the American culture is from the rest of the world. I will try and post pictures of beautiful Dominica when I can, but for now I hope everything back home is going great and you all are having as much fun as me! I will post again once I enter the Amazon and go into Brazil. Love you all!
Mike