We woke up yesterday morning and piled into our Tempo Traveler for the four hour road trip to Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Along the way we saw many villages and Indian countryside. It was quite sobering to see how some people live after seeing life in larger cities like Mumbai and Jaipur. Along the way we stopped to see the abandoned city of Fattehpur Sikri (sp?) where Akbar ruled India during the 16th century. It was an amazing site, built completely of red sandstone. There are some photos available in my India Preview photoset on Flickr. Following our tour of this city we drove into Agra and toured the Taj Mahal. One of the most photographed buildings in the world, it is true that you can't really appreciate its beauty until you are standing before it. The sheer scale of the monument is breathtaking as are the rarely seen details that adorn its walls.
Today we will visit the Agra Fort where Shah Jahan (the king that built the Taj Mahal) was imprisoned by his son. Tonight we are catching an express train to Delhi for more sightseeing and exploration.
We are having a fantastic time, all the hotels and english-speaking guides have been top-notch and the food is second to none. One disappointment: the two hotels we have stayed at in Jaipur and Agra have actually been playing Christmas Music in their lobbies and restaurants. Christmas Music, in India. I guess you can't escape the season. Even halfway around the world.
-J
1 comment:
Hey! Loved reading the new entries! The series of pictures of the Taj Mahal were fun to view. Sounds like your hotels, meals and guides have been a big success which brings great relief to your mom and I. My goodness what an adventure you are having! I bet you have taken a ton of pictures. It will be fun to re-live your trip with you and through your pictures when you return home. Tell Kavati she is a great writer and her postings have been most enjoyable as well. Oh,also tell Steve and Cali that we have enjoyed their web/blog too. All is well back here. It has been raining the past few days and if it doesn't stop soon your mom and I fear it will be time to build the ark! Still waiting to hear when your bro will come home. Hey, he got a bonus too at his Christmas party on Thurs. night, $700.00. Pretty nice eh?! On another note, I sent a very nice center piece flower arrangement to Amy and Grady wishing them a Merry Christmas in their new home and signed all of our names to it. It should arrive today (Friday or on Sat) UB and Gina arrive in Ann Arbor on Tues. 12/26 then leave for the lake on 12/27. We will go up on the 27th as well. And lastly, the Red Wings just won their second game in two nights! Last night 5-0 tonight 3-2 - Love my Wings! (thought I'd keep you up on the Detroit Sports Scene) Looking forward to reading your next entries. dad
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