What Tourism means to me!

This piece of text below is an entry to the essay competition organised by IncredibleIndia on the theme "What Tourism means to me". I initially wanted to submit a photograph by sadly the organisers did not accept digital images. So here goes my work:

For to admire and for to see,
For to behold this world so wide.

This little quote sums up my interpretation of tourism. Rhythmic and crisp, the following verses enunciate the abstractions that I associate with tourism. I hope my two cents would go far in promoting tourism in India.

Discovery

To discover the secrets that lie buried in the soil, to look beyond what is obvious,
To see the unfamiliar and astonish at the marvels,
To feel the breeze and to withstand the gust,
I travel to unravel and travel I must….

Adventure

To conquer the mountains that stood so bold
To survive the thunders and bear the cold,
To tread the beastly trails and embrace the earthy gales
To brave the sea on sombre nights, to listen to the monstrous veils.
I travel for the thrill, and buoyancy prevails…

Relaxation

To sit and watch the tranquil river, to listen to the birds chirp away at twilight,
To rise with the sun on the misty dawn, to relish the chants of the holy bells
I travel to tranquilize, and the impact, it surely tells…

Nostalgia

To sight the grandeur of the kings and the courtesans
To revere at the touches of the craftsmen and the artisans
To revisit the ages of valour and of love that transcended borders,
To pay homage to the saints and praise the heroes of the battles
I travel to reconnect, to the jewels and metals…

Rejuvenation

To quench my thirst with the pristine dews,
To sooth my vision with the greens and the blues,
To get intoxicated with all the hues, to inhale the sweet fragrance of flowers,
I travel to rejuvenate, and so my fatigue lowers…

Knowledge

To extend my boundaries of wisdom, to observe and to be able to narrate,

To draw a picture that for years to come, guides the progeny to the lands that beckon,
To annihilate the fears and to eradicate the misgivings,
I travel to know the truth and the truth is worth zillions of shillings…

Brotherhood

To meet my fellow countrymen, who are different but yet so alike
To listen to their stories and bow to their deities,
To see their children, ever so blissful,
To dance with them and to don the attires ever so colourful
I travel to mingle and make myself gleeful...

Spirituality

To commune with the invisible in heavenly realms
To delve inside my conscience and interpret my dreams,
To relate the scriptures with the existence of the world,
I travel to introspect, and see the mysteries unfold...

Environment

To capture the trees, in essence and not reality,
To see the breath taking beauty in nature’s trivialities
To cherish the fauna in their free kingdom, and not in forced isolation
To learn not to be indifferent to their indiscriminate extermination,
To be aware of our duties, as responsible "earth"izens,
I travel to preserve, for the coming generations.