Inaw69

Today's the day! To start we ate at the hotel and I was feeling much better (thanks to a couple little pills to help stop things). The fog was really thick this morning so our guide decided that we would go to the Agra Fort first and then on the main attraction later. Good call!! The Agra Fort was spectacular. It was a very large red sandstone structure built back in the 1560s. There were many of the usual features similar to the forts built in Europe and North America. They had these holes in the tops of some of the walls that they used to pour hot tar or oil down onto the incoming ramps to help prevent invaders from making it too far into the complex. Then the main doors and many of the ... read more

Today was a day of travelling through this vast and seemingly endless country. We left our hotel around 8:30 or so and began our 8 hour bus journey to Agra. Again, out onto the highway system that needs some serious repair work or the vehicles need better shocks! Lol but the view and the scenery along the way was spectacular. Memories of our family road trips to Alberta. The highway itself was full of ruts and bumps and no lines on the road. It really makes you wonder how they find their way around and get from one point to the next. They just seem to go wherever the wheels lead. People walking on the sides of the roads and highways and Ther are cars coming at you...yes going the wrong way on your side of ... read more

So today we have a full day to explore around the city of Jaipur. It is billed as one of the best places in India to see and experience. Just from what I saw last night I am sure it is. We all met for breakfast around 8 and then had the bus ready for us at 9 to take us out and about town for some extraordinary site seeing. We started with a trip to see the Hawa Mahal. It is the second most photographed building in India (guess what the first is). It was built in 1799 to enable the women of the court to watch the processions. Very generous of the local rulers since women were usually not allowed near the celebrations at all. It has hundreds of windows where they used to ... read more

So I made it through the last day in Ahmedabad. It was great to relax for a day and just do not a lot....but I did do quite a bit looking back on it. After a morning of writing and organizing I decided I better see some of the city and area. I went down to the street and walked across the Nehru Bridge to get to one of the Auto stands. At one point a group of young guys in their teens came up to me and wanted each to have their picture taken with me. It seems that just being white here in parts of the city are like being a celebrity. They toom their pictures and then off to do whatever they were doing to start with. Then I was approached by a ... read more

Well, last night was quite an adventure. It sure was something to see once in your life but I would say that the after experience, it was worth it. It was a spectacular fireworks display and they sure do know how to impress!! December 31st started with a walk about the old part of town through the Gold Souk and the Spice Souk. I had been to them before but it's always a site to see and wander through. It's amazing how these areas of town still survive after what I saw later in the day. The Spice Souk has an amazing aray of spices from all over the world with a lot that you can't either get at home or they are waaaaaaay too expensive. One store had a very large fish bowl filled with ... read more