Many years ago I had the opportunity to spend some time in India, and one of the most interesting aspects of the entire trip was local perception of tourists. Now I must admit that I was there prior to the tech boom and outsourcing, but I imagine much of it to still be the same in many areas. The level of poverty cannot be imagined, which of course reduces the traveler to becoming a possible source of financial gain to much of the less fortunate, and fending off hordes of begging children becomes the norm.

Let me take you back a bit first of all to let you know that I was not exactly traveling in style. I was much younger then and saw the opportunity to travel by truck and camp in tents as an adventure not to be missed. In fact, it almost gave me the sense of being a female Indiana Jones. It was wild and adventurous, and I would never do it again. At least not at this age and not in India, but looking back I’m glad I experienced it. I still advise everyone to go and see this amazing region, but I will tell you now that you must stay in a top notch hotel to at least have a bit of a respite in the evening to absorb what you have experienced during the day’s events.

Back to the perception aspect; it is difficult, in the best of circumstances, to comprehend and experience the enormity of poverty in the country and yet after a while it becomes the norm in one’s mind. You are a representative of the rich west and it cannot be ignored, but there is more to the country than this overwhelming attack on the senses.

One of the best ways to describe this is what happens when you pass through the gates of the Taj Mahal. The poverty of the India of the masses is slowly left behind as you enter a world of grandeur, history and romance. The opulence is apparent at first glance; the history intensely obvious. But the romance in the story of its creation is spellbinding; the love of one human being for another leaves you breathless. In an instant I was mesmerized and had left behind the tragedy of abject poverty less than one hundred feet behind me. I sat for hours taking photographs of the great monolith from every angle and every shade of light, all the while sensing the devotion with which it was created.

All this being said, one does have to reenter reality beyond the gates of fantasy, and no where else in the world places blunt realism before you so starkly as does India. My one piece of advice is to go with open eyes. Understand that you can find beauty in anything; the grandeur of a palace or the pleading in the eyes of a child trapped in an environment of utter destitution. Whatever you take away from this experience, understand that you will likely not change their perception of you as a rich western visitor, but they just might change your perception of the world as you know it.

-Morissa Pawl, vice president western region