Dream Trip 2008: March

Great Travel Moment

This photo was taken at the City Market in Bangalore when I was a student there in 2006. In the evenings, the market was chaos�??loud bartering, powerful aromas of every sort, constant pushing and shoving in the crowd, and blowing dust�??yet it was favorite time to wander, observe the interactions, and to just let myself be part of the daily routine. The market revolved around a large dark building seemed such a contrast to the vibrant outdoor market. In the basement of this building, however, was the flower market. It was a dizzying array of marigold and jasmine garlands, enormous piles of rosebuds, and stall after stall of incense and religious items. One day, this vendor caught my eye. Sitting there perfectly serene, she epitomized the beauty of the moment, the spirituality underlying every mundane moment. I still look back at this moment as the most inspiring of my study abroad experience and I have been searching for something similar ever since.