Booked for...the "slum" tour.

My travel companion sent me an email today saying that she had booked us for a guided tour called the "slum tour". My brain is in overdrive. Why am I so excited to go on this tour? It seems so wrong and exploitive. Is this ethical? Is it ethical for me to want to go on this tour in the first place?

I am not sure what this says about me as a person, as a mother of 2 kids. I will willingly pay money to walk through a place where children are dying of hunger on the streets. Do we simply walk by and mumble "how sad" under our breaths? How can you keep walking and not stop?

In my mind right now I picture the irony of the wealthy tourist on this tour, with their Swiss Army back packs and their HD multi-lensed Canon camera hanging around their necks, staring at crowds of poor, hungry, and disparished people. Yet I can't wait.

Perhaps it's that I can't wait to finally see with my own eyes the plight of those that you simply read and hear about. I remember World Vision ads growing up. I had to change the channel.
Now I will be faced with it. I will put myself in the midst of it, safely, well-guided by my paid tour guide. Will that change me as a person? Of course it will. Maybe this justifies the whole thing. Something has to.

Note to myself. Hug my kids twice tonight.

Trip booked!

This is getting real now. No changing my mind - I am going to India in October.

My eight pages of travel itinerary tell me that I am going to have an interesting trip. At this point I am completely naive. I'll give you that.

I love those little heated hand towels during the flights.
Thank you Mr. cab driver for the fast, cheap drive to my hotel room.
Room service for moi? Why, thank you sir.

I realize that I am in for a whallop of an wake up call when I leave for India. But a girl can dream no? Can't blame a girl for hoping.
People are saying that India is a magical country. It changes people for the better. It is a spiritual journey. For this I am so excited and grateful for the experience.

Someone who had traveled to the same hotel that I booked in Mumbai sent me an email the other day. "Bring the RAID".
Right. Check.
Another friend, "don't eat meat, dairy, fresh fruits, salad, eggs, or drink any water unless it's in a bottle".
Lose weight. Check.

Next up-packing...how do I fit my medicine cabinet into my backpack again? How many tablets of immodium can I bring into the country legally?

Not looking forward to the day when reality hits and I realize that I am leaving my kids for 4 weeks. Gulp. Until then, I'll just keep stressing about bugs and diarrhea.