India 2013

---

Our northern tour is almost at an end. We've managed to hit all the highlights, some were better experiences than others. We have been taken to too many carpet cooperatives and handicraft studios, where we were assured that their items were unique and not available anywhere else. One guide rushed us through the Taj Mahal, so he could take us to a marble inlay shop, where I had a minor meltdown and everyone in the shop kind of stepped back a few paces! It saved Jane from having to buy a wall hanging. We took the Shaheed Express from Delhi to Amritsar yesterday. Our driver miscalculated the time it would take to get to the Delhi Railway Station from Agra where we were on Wednesday and we had a Mr. Toad's wild ride on National Highway 11. We drove on the shoulder, zig-zagged around horse-drawn carts, camel-drawn carts, tuk-tuks, pedi-cabs, mack trucks, autos and pedestrians. Driving would be a lot more efficient by car if they didn't allow any form of ambulation on the national highways. We raced to make our train and it was so close that our driver and the baggage porter had to get off the train while it was moving out of the station. The scenery along the tracks changed little: farmland broken up by cities, villages and stations. Most people who live along the tracks are extremely poor with plastic shelters and mountains of trash. One of the bright spots was seeing boys in every village flying kites from rooftops, beside the tracks and in open fields. About 8 km from Amritsar the train stopped. Apparently, there was some kind of blockage on our track, so we all had to get out and wait for the next train. It was very cold, somewhere in the mid-40's. It also was somewhat of a joke to see Jane and I dismounting and mounting the trains with our giant duffle bags and stuffed backpacks. We arrived in Amritsar 2+ hours late and when we walked out of the station were met with a deluge of drivers offering to drive us to the Golden Temple (mind you this was 1:30 am). Jane went over to the station master's booth and asked for assistance. He invited us into the warm office and just as we were about to call our travel agent, our driver appeared at the window with a sign with my name on it. He had fallen asleep in his car and had been waiting since 10:30pm. We were delivered to our hotel and after laughing hysterically once again, got to sleep. This hotel has free wi-fi and the router for our floor is right outside our room, so Jane and I are in heaven. We visited the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh, a memorial to victims of a British massacre of peaceful protesters in 1919. We're resting in our hotel room, catching up on email, etc. and will go to the Pakistan border in a few minutes.

We are having the time of our lives. Thank you to all who support me in my crazy travels. Love you all.

---