The essence of the place we travel to…

We walk on the glacier in awe. Sheets of ice beneath our feet. We feel humble before the splendor of nature.

We hear a thunderous roar. Hmm... An unsettling sound when you’re standing on ice. A glacial avalanche in the adjoining mountains. Silvery ice rocks shine as they crumble down, sparkling in the sun, a sprinkling of diamonds – fiercer, far more beautiful than any diamond.

The pristine air, imposing mountains, aquamarine waters of the Canadian Rockies inspires awe… and hordes of tourists. Lines for the gondolas are winding, we ditch a canyon hike because we can’t find parking, we wait in a loooong line for ice-cream (but wait, don’t we do that in Portland too? Hmm…).

In all fairness, it is not as busy as say, Rome or Paris, and other than Banff, we are not caught in the touristy rush. But over and over, I remember my Spaniard friend, who fiercely avoided all touristy hubs.

I remember my wonder as he tells me how he explored France and Italy, without ever hanging around in Paris or Venice or Rome, how he explored Morocco, but without Marrakech or Casablanca.

“So you never want to see the Leaning tower of Pisa?” I ask in amazement. He tells me he wants to get a feel for the place, to know it, not if it comes with tourists or cheesy souvenir stores.

I am surprised, even if I understand.

More than a decade later, I wonder why I am reminded of his travel strategy over and over again on this trip.

I wonder if it because these mountains and glaciers remind me of Himalayan treks. None of these were very difficult treks, yet, they took us away from the bustle of towns into the wilderness of the mountains.

These mountains and glaciers make me feel close to nature too – but they come with souvenir stores, selfie sticks and far more tourists - nicely dressed tourists, not unshowered, unkempt youngsters trekking.

I wonder if a plethora of tourists keeps us in a certain bubble – not allowing us to truly experience the essence of the place. We experience the place, and its wonders, but do we really get the true feel for the place?

I am no longer an off-the-beaten-path traveler. I want direct fights, easy commutes, clean, comfortable accommodation, ahem… wifi (my family mostly – for we need to catch the Canadian Pokemon, of course).

Or maybe I'm just getting old.

In these mountains, I remember other mountain treks. The Rohtang Pass summit climb - where somehow, three of us had broken off from the group. I no longer would want to break off from the group.

I no longer would make fun of my then-hypochondriac friend each time she announced shortness of breath and even more dramatically that she was dying. Well… maybe… just a little?

I would no longer find it hilarious that she and I somehow tumbled over each other and went rolling down the snowy mountain, quite close to a precipice.   

So what is it that I am finding so hard to acknowledge? That this may be my permanent reality now? That I want places with beauty and wonder and the ease and convenience – a combination that brings tons of tourists. So does that mean I must make peace with experiencing a place without truly experiencing the essence of a place?

Hmm… Might as well get that selfie stick too... sigh…