My interest in travel is primarily based on the people in the places I visit, and how they go about their daily lives.
The contrast to the routines of where I live sparks the interest for me to learn about other ways we all find to do similar activities. The most mundane and ‘regular’ chore can have true interest for me, in that the differences make us all special.
My photographs this year were made on a recent trip to southern Mexico where I spent time wandering working towns and markets soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of what goes on every day for the locals.
The Mexican people are very gregarious and inviting, the further you get from the tourist centers. Not too different from our own attitudes around our own tourist centers. I was received with smiles and invitations and gestures of co-operation with the recognition that my interest in them created a connection. Their interest that was returned was also greatly appreciated.
While I am a fan of ancient temples and archaeological sites, it’s the people that really make a new location special for me, moreso than those grand buildings and dramatic sights. I’m often drawn to thinking of how the activities I witness in a market might be a repetition of an action in a market from one of those ancient locations many years past.
Travel is education. We can all be teachers and students.
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gregg@elighphoto.com
