Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

One of the fascinating surprises of traveling is the ability to find beauty in the most simple exchanges between people and cultures. During an extended stay in Agra, my friends and I would spend hours strolling through the streets and alleys of the Taj Ganj -- a large system of markets, food carts, and make-shift homes outside the Taj Mahal. While a small group of white American students did not easily blend in among the forgotten alleys of Agra, the guidance of a Hindi-speaking professor proved to be a significant blessing; the hospitality and smiles from families in the Agra slums helped us to feel more confident in making our own simple exchanges. I knew I was making progress when I shared a cup of masala chai out a plastic bag on the street with a proud father and listened to his stories of the Ganj when he was young. As he stopped to help his son open a coca-cola bottle, I watched and snapped a photo of another exchange across the street.