Ecotrackers

A new travelling phenomenon is emerging--"ecotourism"--and is hailed as representing responsible travel to natural areas. Kiran Somani describes his experiences travelling around Ecuador as an ecotourist

Last summer, a friend and I agreed to try to spend as much time as we could abroad during our holiday. Our plan was simple: to go somewhere cheap and hot, where we could have a few drinks, meet lots of people, and briefly escape the impending final years of our studies. With only this much in mind we set off for Quito, Ecuador, to meet up with some friends before doing some travelling. Less than two weeks later, not only had I finished a week of intensive Spanish lessons but I also found myself teaching a group of villagers how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the local language.

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Even now I'm not entirely sure how this came to be the case. In Quito we met our friends, who, having already been away for six months, had decided to volunteer teaching English at a local school. Although we'd just arrived and the idea of sacrificing our own holiday was not appealing, we were suitably impressed by what our friends were involved in.

The next day, while walking through Quito, we happened upon a building with a far from subtle big green message painted on its side. The place was called Ecotrackers, and the message was advertising an alternative way of travel. This so called ecotourism offered the chance to travel in Ecuador while meeting local people, contributing to their communities, helping to preserve their culture and environments, and learning to speak Spanish at the same time.

A unique opportunity

Intrigued by the possibilities and inspired by our friends, we soon found ourselves inside the building, discussing our options with the director of the Ecotrackers Foundation. It was agreed that the next day we would move to a cheap flat for one week, where would live with other volunteers. During this time the director and his wife would spend six hours a day with us teaching us the Spanish we needed, and at fairly cheap rates. We were allowed unlimited free internet access and wore volunteers' identification badges that were recognised at several sites throughout the country where we could claim discounts. At the end of the week we were to travel to our agreed destinations to do some voluntary work while living with a local family whom we would pay a small amount for food and accommodation. All in all we were getting a fairly cheap deal and a unique experience.

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The placement we found most rewarding was in a small village called Bunche in the north west of Ecuador. Bunche has developed alongside a river just inland from the Pacific coast. The village's health centre has been virtually abandoned, and the nearest hospital was 20 minutes back down the river, the only access to the village. There was no immediate access to medicines nor the medical knowledge needed to use them. Local resources are limited so there are very few opportunities to make money. This situation has been made worse in the area by the expansion of commercial shrimp farming at the cost of the locals and the environment.

The villagers welcomed us with a big meeting, and we were introduced to many of them. Not only did we help with basic things such as cleaning the village square, but also we taught basic information regarding common illnesses such as diarrhoea and malaria that we had been taught in Quito. Standing at the front of a classroom full of villagers is something I will never forget. We were providing such important information to a group of individuals. Often I was left frustrated because my Spanish couldn't convey information I wanted to, or panicking because I couldn't help someone; a typical situation was when I was confronted by a woman who wanted me to give her medicine to stop her ovaries hurting.

The director of the foundation also asked us to do some other work for the Ecotrackers. We were asked to make a special effort to identify health related problems in the area and write a report for the foundation. This was to be used in the future during
the development of Bunche and the increasing use of volunteers in the area as Ecotrackers, and support for sustainable tourism, develops.¹

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Renewed motivation

In recent years ecotourism has arguably become one of the most important areas of the international tourism industry. At its best, ecotourism is hailed as representing responsible travel to natural areas that safeguards ecosystems and produces economic benefits for local communities that can encourage conservation. In fact the United Nations, recognising ecotourism's potential role in sustainable development, has declared 2002 the "International Year of Ecotourism."^{2 3}

From the impromptu beginnings of the voluntary work in Ecuador I gained experience and insight I am grateful for. It was humbling to witness the respect medical knowledge can command and made me think about the value of what I learn at medical school. Now, back at medical school, I have an added motivation to be a competent doctor rather than someone who can just pass exams.

1. www.worldsurface.com (accessed 6 Jun 2002).
2. United Nations Environment Programme. International Year of Ecotourism. www.uneptie.org/pc/
   tourism/ecotourism/iye.htm (accessed 6 Jun 2002).
3. International Ecotourism Society. www.ecotourism.
   org (accessed 6 Jun 2002).