please miss, enjoyment of camel?

i arrived in delhi accompanied by a newly acquired short term traveling partner - Annouk. we sat next to each other on the flight from heathrow, and we were both overjoyed at having someone with which to share the entry experience. we managed to get a taxi and make it to her hostel - hare rama guest house in a sketchy part of delhi. the pre-pay taxi men gave us a discount of 10 rupees because of where we were going. that was one harrowing ride in the cold dark to an interesting guest house. at least shiva was there to greet us at the door. i had only one hour before i had to leave to catch my train to agra, so we had our very first indian chai up on the rooftop, surrounded by blue tarps and scrawny cats.

the train to agra was nice - cold and uncomfortable. but for only 72 rupees, one can not complain. i sat next to two dorky middle aged indian men, who listened to hit indian songs on their phones and sang along. the whole way. but really, a lovely soundtrack to accompany my first train ride in india.

i was very excited to see that my hotel - the tourists rest house - was there waiting for me at the station. Jairam, this sweet old indian man explained to me that he would take me around agra, show me the sights and the culture of agra. i couldn't argue, as it was exactly what i wanted, especially once i saw what the city was like. a guide seemed like a perfect idea. it wasn't until halfway through the second day that i realized that i didn't know how much he was going to charge me. i think that the 1500 i paid was worth the peace of mind i had though (even though im sure that if i did the sight seeing on my own that it would have been much cheaper). now that i have had the experience of being ripped off, i can and will be more wary.

in any case, jairam took me to see the baby taj, built 35 years before the taj mahal. it was beautiful, but certainly not as impressive as the taj itself. after viewing the baby taj, he took me to a spot where you can get a rear view of the taj, on the river jamuna. i walked down this path which he pointed out, and at the end was a security area, where soilders were standing guard over the taj. the main man in charge (he showed me his security badge) tried to convince me to ride the camel, take a picture, walk down to the water, etc. unrelenting. i decided to simply leave instead of giving him or his son who was trying to sell me postcards, any opportunity to ask for money. next i went on the typical tourist run - to the hand knotted carpet factory, jewelry store, and inlay marble shop. it was very fascinating talking to the salesmen - who are very good at what they do - and learning more about agra's culture and heritage. apparently the government is trying to decrease the ammount of pollution in agra, so that the taj mahal stays white. to this end, they have eliminated heavy industry in agra, so that all the crafts sold in the city are handicrafts (or at least that is what i was told). i saw the process for the carpet making as well as the marble inlay - which would only be possible because of the cheap cost of labor. it is really quite crazy - the carpet knotters, for example, get paid around 150 rupees a day for their labor, which is finger cramping and eye straining.

i saw the taj mahal by sunrise this morning, and it was VERY cold. once the sun rose it did warm up. i am amazed by the work done on the taj - it is really quite something! and to feel so intensely about another person, and have the means to construct such a monument... i sat in silence while i watched the delicate shift of color and the crowds of tourists snapping photo after photo, bemused. agra fort i saw next. three generations of mughal rulers built and improved upon this mighty display of power, beginning with Akbar. walking around the grounds really transported me to another time, i was awed and amazed by the massive construction and delicate detail. seeing the taj across the river, shrouded in haze, lent an additional mysterious air to the entire experience.

i do not think that i have expressed the crazyness of india - the barely contained chaos, the multitude of people and animals, the cacophany of noise and smell - having the right perspective and approach is crucial. there is a true element of surrender required for traveling on the roads, (unless you're in one of those huge tourist busses) and for travel in general (especially in india). tut tuts are efficient but when it comes down to accidents, mass matters. thankfully, mantra smoothed out my frazzled nerves (or really, it prevented them from getting frazzled).

tomorrow morning early, i am on the intercity express to delhi. i plan on visiting the national museum and perhaps gandhi smriti before catching a taxi to the airport for my evening flight to mumbai. from there, the next morning i will make my way to ganeshpuri. yay!