First the review. Delhi and Agra were awesome. The two cities are incredibly rich in culture, history and architecture. Where else in the world can you comfortably see six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in two days. My basic itinerary was; Bain party on Friday, Old Delhi historical tour on Saturday, and New Delhi on Monday.
I got a warm reception from my future colleagues in Bain’s Delhi office, despite not yet having fully joined the family. I am happy to report that Bainies in India seem to share the same cultural values as in the U.S. They are work hard, play hard types with a solid appreciation for a few drinks and an entertaining India cover band. I am looking forward to the Bain experience (and a paycheck).
Delhi was more than I expected (complete post to come). My tour of old Delhi included the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar. Qutab Minar was by far my favorite. It is kind of an Indian version of the Roman forum with countless crumbling archways and palaces and one massive column (minaret) rising 70 meters from the ground, still standing after all this time. I would highly recommend it. I also visited Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque, which was highly overrated in comparison to all the other sites and quite appropriately does not make the world heritage list.
My trip to Agra included Akbar’s Tomb, which I quite liked, the Agra Fort, which is too similar to the Red Fort to be exciting, and the Taj which was simply spectacular.
The weekend of exploring gave me some time to think about travel and why one rarely meets Americans on the road between the dusty places of the world. MBA’s are a rare breed, I think no other group appreciates travel to the extent that we do. On the cusp of achieving salaries that can support some extra spending and aware of the importance of globalization we are keen to explore the world. But what about the rest of America and what about, us later in life?
It seems to me that the US is conspicuously lacking in Wanderlust, the desire to travel and see the world that infects Canadians, Australians and Germans and must have at some point infected out ancestors who came to the U.S. from somewhere else. So what happened to the US and why don’t we have the intellectual curiosity or drive to explore other countries? I think a large part of it is a feeling of cultural or economic superiority and a second piece is complacency and desire to have a sense of place.
Let’s be honest, when we all grow up and achieve fabulous success and wealth (as we are all destined to do) we end up buying second homes in Tahoe or Nantucket or Jackson Hole and spend our vacations there out of a desire for convenience, routine and a sense of belonging. While this impulse is understandable it is also a shame. By staying only in one place we miss out on the learning and cultural exposure that comes from travel.
As Mark Twain wrote, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” Twain at his populist best is talking to the average American, who definitely needs to get out and see the world. And while I think most of us, my close friends and relatives, are already quite broad, wholesome and charitable, it couldn’t hurt to top up the tank. So next year make it Agra instead of Aspen, the skiing will be worse but the sites are better.
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