Taj Mahal
Main Bazar, Delhi
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Agra and Back
Delhi, India
With a sigh of relief we met our guide to Agra at 6am on Wednesday morning. a 27 year old accounting student with a very pleasant personality. We decided that we liked Vicky very much (it didn't hurt that we all found it hysterical that our names rhymed). The trip to Agra was approximately 4 hours by car. We had initially intended to take the train, but it was completely sold out. The roads here are crazy! In Delhi, we assumed the roads were crazy because we were in a major city of 15 million people. But no, Delhi roads are actually just slow motion versions of the rest of the country. With so many different speeds: cows, walkers, bicycles, rickshaws, tractors, trucks, motorcycles, and cars vying for the same two lanes on the road, you can only imagine the chaos that ensues.
On arrival at Agra we immediately went to the Taj Mahal. It was very impressive, huge, white, intricate, and in amazing condition. We were surprised to see so few westerners, and so many Indian tourists. They came in droves, with their entire families and posed for pictures. It was really nice to see such big families traveling together. We started trying to estimate how many people were there, but we couldn't there were a lot. Photographing a white building with foggy smog in the background was a challenge, but hopefully we got some good ones.
After the Taj Mahal we went to the Red Fort which was impressive in a completely different way. Rather than a lone curiosity, it was an entire environment to explore. It felt especially different because for the first time in two days we found ourselves alone after a turn into some intricately carved chambers. Even if it was only for a moment, we felt like we were really exploring something on our own.
We then had our first real Indian meal which was just what we had hoped for and immediately crashed upon our arrival at the hotel. The 5pm bedtime was typical for our stay so far, but this time we were able to sleep until 4am. This morning we saw two other tombs before we hit the road back to Dehli. They were all amazing in their own unique way. One so large that there were herds of deer inside the gates. The other an artistic predecessor of the Taj Mahal which provided some context for the architecture of the period.
We are now back in Delhi hoping to try to stay up late enough to celebrate New Years. It seems to be a long shot, and we will probably end up celebrating it tomorrow on NY time. Happy New Year to everyone! We appreciate all the comments and emails! Keep 'em coming.
P.S. sorry for the lack of pictures, we left our card reader back at the hostel.
With a sigh of relief we met our guide to Agra at 6am on Wednesday morning. a 27 year old accounting student with a very pleasant personality. We decided that we liked Vicky very much (it didn't hurt that we all found it hysterical that our names rhymed). The trip to Agra was approximately 4 hours by car. We had initially intended to take the train, but it was completely sold out. The roads here are crazy! In Delhi, we assumed the roads were crazy because we were in a major city of 15 million people. But no, Delhi roads are actually just slow motion versions of the rest of the country. With so many different speeds: cows, walkers, bicycles, rickshaws, tractors, trucks, motorcycles, and cars vying for the same two lanes on the road, you can only imagine the chaos that ensues.
On arrival at Agra we immediately went to the Taj Mahal. It was very impressive, huge, white, intricate, and in amazing condition. We were surprised to see so few westerners, and so many Indian tourists. They came in droves, with their entire families and posed for pictures. It was really nice to see such big families traveling together. We started trying to estimate how many people were there, but we couldn't there were a lot. Photographing a white building with foggy smog in the background was a challenge, but hopefully we got some good ones.
After the Taj Mahal we went to the Red Fort which was impressive in a completely different way. Rather than a lone curiosity, it was an entire environment to explore. It felt especially different because for the first time in two days we found ourselves alone after a turn into some intricately carved chambers. Even if it was only for a moment, we felt like we were really exploring something on our own.
We then had our first real Indian meal which was just what we had hoped for and immediately crashed upon our arrival at the hotel. The 5pm bedtime was typical for our stay so far, but this time we were able to sleep until 4am. This morning we saw two other tombs before we hit the road back to Dehli. They were all amazing in their own unique way. One so large that there were herds of deer inside the gates. The other an artistic predecessor of the Taj Mahal which provided some context for the architecture of the period.
We are now back in Delhi hoping to try to stay up late enough to celebrate New Years. It seems to be a long shot, and we will probably end up celebrating it tomorrow on NY time. Happy New Year to everyone! We appreciate all the comments and emails! Keep 'em coming.
P.S. sorry for the lack of pictures, we left our card reader back at the hostel.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
We are sooo Jet Lagged...
New Delhi, India (EST+10.5h)
After one typically disappointing on an american carrier we were delighted to discover that India's Jet airlines is awesome. With over 30 movies to chose from, we spend the flight fully entertained and well fed including ice cream for dessert. After 20 hours of travelling, we made it safely to Delhi. Our hotel is conveniently located at Connaught Place, which is right in the center of New Delhi. With only an hour's sleep last night, our ambitions for today were minimal. We were able to book a trip to Agra and accommodations for the rest of our week here. We did undertake a little walking tour, during which we decided were the most popular people in Delhi, as we were constantly accosted by local residents. Some wanted to sell us things, but many just wanted to chat with a westerner and practice their english. Now to dodge the cows and rickshaws back to our hotel, where hopefully we can finally catch some z's.
After one typically disappointing on an american carrier we were delighted to discover that India's Jet airlines is awesome. With over 30 movies to chose from, we spend the flight fully entertained and well fed including ice cream for dessert. After 20 hours of travelling, we made it safely to Delhi. Our hotel is conveniently located at Connaught Place, which is right in the center of New Delhi. With only an hour's sleep last night, our ambitions for today were minimal. We were able to book a trip to Agra and accommodations for the rest of our week here. We did undertake a little walking tour, during which we decided were the most popular people in Delhi, as we were constantly accosted by local residents. Some wanted to sell us things, but many just wanted to chat with a westerner and practice their english. Now to dodge the cows and rickshaws back to our hotel, where hopefully we can finally catch some z's.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
All our bags are packed we're ready to go...
Wow! The big day is here. Even after so much planning and thinking about the trip, I guess you never feel quite ready to walk out the door. We'd love to write down some amusing anecdotes, but right now, there is quite a rush of adrenaline (and some stress) so we'll leave that to the next post. Next time you hear from us, we'll be on the other side of the world!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Getting Ready
Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA
With less than a week until our departure, we are frantically trying to get everything in order before we go. We spent most of the morning yesterday in line at the travisa center in Manhattan. This is the outfit to which the India consulate has outsourced its visa application process (ironic isn't it?). Despite a longish wait in line, we managed to get visas, and made some friends in the process. One of them was a Princeton student writing his thesis on the son of the king who built the Taj Mahal. This guy was an outstanding source of information on Indian history. Who knew the architects and builders of the giant white tomb were subsequently maimed so they could never repeat the feat. We also met an Indian gentleman who told us all about the traumatic India/Pakistan partition. We will certainly have a lot to learn in a few short days when we get there.
With less than a week until our departure, we are frantically trying to get everything in order before we go. We spent most of the morning yesterday in line at the travisa center in Manhattan. This is the outfit to which the India consulate has outsourced its visa application process (ironic isn't it?). Despite a longish wait in line, we managed to get visas, and made some friends in the process. One of them was a Princeton student writing his thesis on the son of the king who built the Taj Mahal. This guy was an outstanding source of information on Indian history. Who knew the architects and builders of the giant white tomb were subsequently maimed so they could never repeat the feat. We also met an Indian gentleman who told us all about the traumatic India/Pakistan partition. We will certainly have a lot to learn in a few short days when we get there.
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