Arrival to India, the Taj, Driving Down the Wrong Side of the Road, and Nan… lots and lots of Nan: Ladies and Gentlemen, India.

Hello all! Our time since departure has been great! India promised to be an experience far different than Portland, Oregon, and it has not disappointed.

The flight was long and without any complications. In Amsterdam, we discovered that a tall Starbucks coasts $8… Ouch. Other than that, all went smoothly and Tal learned a few Dutch words from our flight attendant. We got into Delhi at about 1 AM.  On our way to the hotel, we were stopped by an elephant kicking it in the middle of the road.

Welcome to India.

After a brief rest, we started the next morning with our first dose of excellent Indian food and a tour of Delhi. We toured at the Red Fort, Jama Masji–India’s largest mosque–the Qutub Minar, the India Gate, the President’s House, and the Raj Ghat–a monument that marks the place where Gandhi was cremated. I almost made the record for the first one to get sick, but ended up second when I lost my lunch. I continued the tour with a garbage bag and rode a rickshaw through shops of everything possible. We think it was a reaction to the malaria medication. I feel much better now.

The next day we headed to Agra, the home of India’s most famous sight: the Taj Mahal, a shining white mausoleum. The weather was perfect, not too hot and not too hazy. It was absolutely incredible. We also visited the Agra Fort. Made mostly of red sandstone, the ruling place of the Mogul dynasty was brilliantly filled with carvings. As we walked through it, we could almost picture it in all its glory. We got our first tastes of haggling, which I wasn’t so great at, but I’m learning.

Today we arose before the sun rose and watched it rise next to the Taj. Pollution makes for some very pretty sunrises. Picture can not to the Taj justice. Then we saw the Baby Taj, which is another mausoleum. The art and carving were highly influenced by a Chinese style of art. We then packed up and hit the road to the Fatehpur Sikri, a beautiful red sandstone that was the capital of the Mughal Empire for about 14 years. It was abandoned and the capital returned to Agra when water ran out. Again, the carvings were incredible.

As I write this we are currently on a bumpy tour bus on our way to Jaipur from Agra. When I look out the window as we drive down the left side, I see camel carts, donkeys, cows, horses, tractors, cars, trucks, bikes, and motorcycles–with 2-5 people riding on them­– all sharing the road. The horn is used as a tool for letting others know you’re around; traffic lanes and laws are more suggestions than rules. It’s been fun.

And Nan is delicious.

~Maddy H.