Travelogues

  It was drizzling, and the Kyoto skies were overcast. I stood in awe, observing a humble young woman selling postcards of the infamous Kiyomizudera Temple. She didn’t have a shop; her only shelter was a large umbrella, big enough for three people, under which she sold her postcards. Back in 2003, during my visits to New Delhi and Agra, I remember vendors selling postcards featuring attractions like the Qutub Minar and the Taj Mahal. The idea was to share the beauty of the places you visited with your loved ones. But now, in 2024, people prefer capturing images on their phones or even making video calls to share their experiences. It seems so simple. So, what left me in awe? Despite the rain, and the apparent disinterest from passersby, this young woman’s energy never faded. She continued to smile and enthusiastically invited people to buy her postcards. Ideally, this shouldn't have surprised me, as it was my fourth day in Japan, and I had already encountered many amazing individua...