I have a good friend who went to university for a year to work with touristas.  She runs a similar Dia del Muerte program for gringos, which I attended a few years ago at her request.  She knows that she is helping (primarily) Americans and Canadians understand her culture, that she is a representative of her culture and her country.  I have never heard her speak disrespectfully of her clients, she works very hard to build programs that will help others understand, and yes, there are accidents–one year someone set part of a Christmas display on fire with a candle.  She laughed about it later; she did not blame  the tourist,  but redesigned her program to keep tourists with candles away from the flammable parts, properly taking responsibility upon herself to make sure such accident never recurred.  She is a licensed professional who the Mexican government relies on to put Mexico’s best foot forward, and works with thousands of tourists on a yearly basis.  She respects her clients, her country, and her responsibility.

Believe me, you are not nearly the “cool kid” you believe you are.

I have a good friend who went to university for a year to work with touristas.  She runs a similar Dia del Muerte program for gringos, which I attended a few years ago at her request.  She knows that she is helping (primarily) Americans and Canadians understand her culture, that she is a representative of her culture and her country.  I have never heard her speak disrespectfully of her clients, she works very hard to build programs that will help others understand, and yes, there are accidents–one year someone set part of a Christmas display on fire with a candle.  She laughed about it later; she did not blame  the tourist,  but redesigned her program to keep tourists with candles away from the flammable parts, properly taking responsibility upon herself to make sure such accident never recurred.  She is a licensed professional who the Mexican government relies on to put Mexico’s best foot forward, and works with thousands of tourists on a yearly basis.  She respects her clients, her country, and her responsibility.

Believe me, you are not nearly the “cool kid” you believe you are.

I have a good friend who went to university for a year to work with touristas.  She runs a similar Dia del Muerte program for gringos, which I attended a few years ago at her request.  She knows that she is helping (primarily) Americans and Canadians understand her culture, that she is a representative of her culture and her country.  I have never heard her speak disrespectfully of her clients, she works very hard to build programs that will help others understand, and yes, there are accidents–one year someone set part of a Christmas display on fire with a candle.  She laughed about it later; she did not blame  the tourist,  but redesigned her program to keep tourists with candles away from the flammable parts, properly taking responsibility upon herself to make sure such accident never recurred.  She is a licensed professional who the Mexican government relies on to put Mexico’s best foot forward, and works with thousands of tourists on a yearly basis.  She respects her clients, her country, and her responsibility.

Believe me, you are not nearly the “cool kid” you believe you are.

Does that make the place less authentic? Or just less true to an already manufactured vision; a product of Western imagination?

My sense is that if you go into the world with anything less than a totally open mind, or upset about a perceived “loss of authenticity”, you’re bound for disappointment.

Shangri La is a real place now. That fact, in and of itself, is fascinating.