As of now, we are sitting in the hotel lobby of Hotel Ajay International in Agra having just survived our second day in India. It is truly another world here, full of extreme poverty contrasted with breathtaking beauty in the temples/ mosques/ forts/ palaces. Today, we took the 6:15express train and arrived in Agra at around 8:15. When we arrived, we met a tuk tuk driver, KK, who took us to our hotel. Along the way, he convinced us to let him be our driver for the day and from the minute we made that decision, there were no regrets.
The places he took us in 10 hours ranged from small farmhouses made out of cow dung to the Agra fort, fit for the most royal past Kings of India, to the riverside where we watched professional clothes washers slap fabrics in all the brightest colors you could possibly imagine on stones, laying them to dry in the sun on the banks. The highlight of the day was no doubt the Taj Mahal, which did not get its reputation of one of the wonders of the world for nothing. It was absolutely breathtaking, visible from all possible angles around the city. Inside, we saw the tombs of the king and the queen surrounded by hand carved marble. Since it was forbidden to use iconography, the artists instead carved flowers and wrote passages from the Musilm holy scriptures on the walls.
As we passed by, people looked at us in awe- our driver explained that many of them came from small towns and had never seen a Westerner in real life. We lost count of how many asked to take their pictures with us. As I sat down to get a breather in the Agra fort, people passed by casusally snapping photos on their camera phones. I thought that they were trying to capture the wall behind me, but later realized that they were they wanted a picture of a real live American!! Alf and I took advantage and asked if we could reciprocate, taking photos with entire Indian families. It was quite an experience, but from it you get a feeling of coming a step closer to such a different world.
Life is lived on a different plane than back home. Despite trips to Colombia, Brazil and Morocco, I have never before seen such extreme poverty. It´s a very difficult thing to see, and makes you feel both fortunate for the lifestyle that you live and a sense of wanting to help. Alf, always the engineer, has been contemplating the buildings, thinking of how they can be refurbished, repainted, made better because many are simply crumbling. On the other hand, its impossible not to notice the extrordinary spirit that the people have as you look around.
Tomorrow, off to Jaipur, also known as the pink city.
p.s. The heat....oh the heat. June is one of the hottest months in the country, and even the tuk tuk drivers have complained to us about the unbearable heat. Imagine going outside on the hottest day of the year at the hottest time.....and then draping yourself in three fleece blankets and having someone walk in front of you holding a space heater in front of your face. Luckily, it got better later in the day but the mornings are harsh.
The places he took us in 10 hours ranged from small farmhouses made out of cow dung to the Agra fort, fit for the most royal past Kings of India, to the riverside where we watched professional clothes washers slap fabrics in all the brightest colors you could possibly imagine on stones, laying them to dry in the sun on the banks. The highlight of the day was no doubt the Taj Mahal, which did not get its reputation of one of the wonders of the world for nothing. It was absolutely breathtaking, visible from all possible angles around the city. Inside, we saw the tombs of the king and the queen surrounded by hand carved marble. Since it was forbidden to use iconography, the artists instead carved flowers and wrote passages from the Musilm holy scriptures on the walls.
As we passed by, people looked at us in awe- our driver explained that many of them came from small towns and had never seen a Westerner in real life. We lost count of how many asked to take their pictures with us. As I sat down to get a breather in the Agra fort, people passed by casusally snapping photos on their camera phones. I thought that they were trying to capture the wall behind me, but later realized that they were they wanted a picture of a real live American!! Alf and I took advantage and asked if we could reciprocate, taking photos with entire Indian families. It was quite an experience, but from it you get a feeling of coming a step closer to such a different world.
Life is lived on a different plane than back home. Despite trips to Colombia, Brazil and Morocco, I have never before seen such extreme poverty. It´s a very difficult thing to see, and makes you feel both fortunate for the lifestyle that you live and a sense of wanting to help. Alf, always the engineer, has been contemplating the buildings, thinking of how they can be refurbished, repainted, made better because many are simply crumbling. On the other hand, its impossible not to notice the extrordinary spirit that the people have as you look around.
Tomorrow, off to Jaipur, also known as the pink city.
p.s. The heat....oh the heat. June is one of the hottest months in the country, and even the tuk tuk drivers have complained to us about the unbearable heat. Imagine going outside on the hottest day of the year at the hottest time.....and then draping yourself in three fleece blankets and having someone walk in front of you holding a space heater in front of your face. Luckily, it got better later in the day but the mornings are harsh.
Oh, Rachel and Alf! I am living vicariously through you right now! You have done a wonderful job of painting a picture for us. I can't wait to see your photos and hear your trip-of-a-lifetime stories. I am having an adventure of my own back here right now :) but someday I will make it to India, that's for sure!
ResponderEliminarSafe travels!
Love, Barbara