It's India... is the phrase I have begun regularly using to explain any experiences we find odd. There are about ten light switches in our hotel room yet only one of them seems to do anything... It's India.
Alex has been keeping a travel journal which has become extremely useful when I publish my blog. I must say it is witty and informative, much like her.
Day 3
Sunrise at Taj Mahal. The glimmering white empress of a monument is stunning in the morning light. One enters the grounds of the Taj Mahal through a magnificent gate which will forever be overshadowed by the Mahal. Streaming through the gate with all the tourists who are about to see the Taj Mahal for the first time is an experience all in its own. Although this technically was our second time seeing the Taj Mahal, the experience changes with the shade of day, as the sun moves the color of the Taj Mahal changes subtly but constantly. As hard as I may try here, I simply will never find the words to describe the infinite beauty of the Taj Mahal.
Back to Hotel Raj Mahal, which means great palace in Hindi, for Indian buffet breakfast. The food to this point has been delicious. Masala is a spice used in both tea and savory items that we enjoy on a daily basis. Indian cuisine uses meat sparingly. This place is vegetarian heaven. The food is flavorful and filling. Cardamon, fennel and of course curry are used liberally. Rice is available for every meal, but we have been enjoying the Naan, Indian flat bread, much more.
After breakfast we began our journey from Agra to Jaipur. The road between the two cities is drastically different from the road we took from Delhi to Agra. Most of the route was a four lane road but there were sections that were two lane. The beginning of the drive was utter chaos. We dodged in and out of traffic using both lanes and the center of the road at any given time. It was like playing an Indian driving video game on crack. We were one small misstep from doom, and yet at the same time it was a beautiful choreographed opera of cars, trucks, buses bicycles, rickshaws, pedestrians, camels and others.
We stopped for a break at Fatehpur Sikri the city founded my Mughal emperor Akbar. The highlights were as follows. There was an area in the front garden where elephants would stomp convicted criminals to death. A beautiful room which, at one time, was adorned in jewels and mirrors was set up in such a way that if you lit one candle it would light the entire room. The sheer beauty of this room, in it's time, must have been breath taking. The emperors bed floated fifteen feet in the air and offered enough room for him and several concubines. The complex houses the largest gate in Asia, or so they say. The grounds of the palace were splendid, but when we stepped into the town square or religious section of the site it was intolerable. The temperature was getting hot. Foot soldier street vendors would follow us around begging/taunting us to buy their product. On top of this, we were required to be barefoot for this section of the tour. We were all too ready to leave. On our exit, I had a ten year old follow me for a quarter of a mile begging me to by some shit he was selling. We were ready to continue our journey.
The drive to Jaipur was long. From Fatehpur Sikri it took another four and a half hours. We stopped for a delicious lunch in the middle of somewhere. All in all it was a six hour journey. I noticed that the entire drive we were always in sight of at least one human. This country has a lot of people, and those people are everywhere!
We really had no idea what our hotel would be like in Jaipur. When we arrived we were nothing if not awe struck. This is probably the coolest hotel I have ever stayed in. It is as quintessential authentic India as we could have dreamed of. Jaipur is the city that the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was filmed in. Marigold has nothing on this place. I could stay here for months.
This India is a real mess of a country. I have never seen run down on this scale. In the true fashion of India juxtaposition it is absurdly beautiful and peaceful. It is overwhelming and calming. I feel so relaxed here I could float away. The pace of our trip is sonic like. I wish I had a day or a week or a month to just digest India. This is a place I think I will gravitate back to when I can. Mother India, you do not fail to impress!
Alex has been keeping a travel journal which has become extremely useful when I publish my blog. I must say it is witty and informative, much like her.
Day 3
Sunrise at Taj Mahal. The glimmering white empress of a monument is stunning in the morning light. One enters the grounds of the Taj Mahal through a magnificent gate which will forever be overshadowed by the Mahal. Streaming through the gate with all the tourists who are about to see the Taj Mahal for the first time is an experience all in its own. Although this technically was our second time seeing the Taj Mahal, the experience changes with the shade of day, as the sun moves the color of the Taj Mahal changes subtly but constantly. As hard as I may try here, I simply will never find the words to describe the infinite beauty of the Taj Mahal.
Back to Hotel Raj Mahal, which means great palace in Hindi, for Indian buffet breakfast. The food to this point has been delicious. Masala is a spice used in both tea and savory items that we enjoy on a daily basis. Indian cuisine uses meat sparingly. This place is vegetarian heaven. The food is flavorful and filling. Cardamon, fennel and of course curry are used liberally. Rice is available for every meal, but we have been enjoying the Naan, Indian flat bread, much more.
After breakfast we began our journey from Agra to Jaipur. The road between the two cities is drastically different from the road we took from Delhi to Agra. Most of the route was a four lane road but there were sections that were two lane. The beginning of the drive was utter chaos. We dodged in and out of traffic using both lanes and the center of the road at any given time. It was like playing an Indian driving video game on crack. We were one small misstep from doom, and yet at the same time it was a beautiful choreographed opera of cars, trucks, buses bicycles, rickshaws, pedestrians, camels and others.
We stopped for a break at Fatehpur Sikri the city founded my Mughal emperor Akbar. The highlights were as follows. There was an area in the front garden where elephants would stomp convicted criminals to death. A beautiful room which, at one time, was adorned in jewels and mirrors was set up in such a way that if you lit one candle it would light the entire room. The sheer beauty of this room, in it's time, must have been breath taking. The emperors bed floated fifteen feet in the air and offered enough room for him and several concubines. The complex houses the largest gate in Asia, or so they say. The grounds of the palace were splendid, but when we stepped into the town square or religious section of the site it was intolerable. The temperature was getting hot. Foot soldier street vendors would follow us around begging/taunting us to buy their product. On top of this, we were required to be barefoot for this section of the tour. We were all too ready to leave. On our exit, I had a ten year old follow me for a quarter of a mile begging me to by some shit he was selling. We were ready to continue our journey.
The drive to Jaipur was long. From Fatehpur Sikri it took another four and a half hours. We stopped for a delicious lunch in the middle of somewhere. All in all it was a six hour journey. I noticed that the entire drive we were always in sight of at least one human. This country has a lot of people, and those people are everywhere!
We really had no idea what our hotel would be like in Jaipur. When we arrived we were nothing if not awe struck. This is probably the coolest hotel I have ever stayed in. It is as quintessential authentic India as we could have dreamed of. Jaipur is the city that the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was filmed in. Marigold has nothing on this place. I could stay here for months.
This India is a real mess of a country. I have never seen run down on this scale. In the true fashion of India juxtaposition it is absurdly beautiful and peaceful. It is overwhelming and calming. I feel so relaxed here I could float away. The pace of our trip is sonic like. I wish I had a day or a week or a month to just digest India. This is a place I think I will gravitate back to when I can. Mother India, you do not fail to impress!
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