Sweaty armpits and open sewers at the Taj

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We are currently sitting in a dingy, sweaty little internet joint in Agra, just a few hundred metres away from the stunning Taj Mahal!! The monsoon season has apparently started, with a little bit of rain bringing down the temperature a few notches. The "low" today is 30. When we arrived in Delhi last wednesday, the temperature was 41. It is very hot. . . . . 😊

I thought I was mentally prepared for our trip to India, after our short little trip to Malaysia; the stench of poverty (and open sewers...), but it's still slightly horrifying to see disfigured people begging by the road, families living under hole-y tarps and sheets next to the road, cows eating from the piles of rubbish and women begging for the toilet paper that we just bought so that she can clean her baby, who is covered in dirt and sores. My friend was right when she said that India was a place that you don't necessarily enjoy, but somewhere that you have to go.

Poverty and squallor aside, we are having a pretty good time seeing the essential sights of India. We started with 2 nights in Delhi, in a pokey place on the Main Bazaar. To get to our hotel we had to dodge the touts and beggars, navigate around the piles of rubbish and debri and dodge falling bricks from the buildings. The whole Main Bazaar is apparently being widened for the Commonwealth games, so many of the shopfronts are being demolished. (by sweaty, barefoot men covered in dirt baring hammers and chisels.. no safety, no scaffolding...) We saw the sights of Delhi; Humayan's Tomb, the Red Fort etc and then headed to Jaipur for 2 days with a car and driver to see the Amber Fort (built in the 16th century), the water palace and the Palace of winds. Walking up the hill to the Amber fort in the baking sun, we shared the road with Camels and Donkeys, dodged Elephant poo and avoided people attempting to sell us their souveniers. 😊

Yesterday, we travelled again by car from Jaipur to Agra to see the Taj Mahal up close. It is every bit as beautiful as the pictures; preserved beautifully and sort of maintained.. Unfortunately it appears to be part of the Indian lifestyle to litter, be annoying, and openly stare at the "rich" white-ys like Paul and I.. I guess i still have to get used to the cultures shock. It just seems rude to throw your rubbish on the ground, hock and spit on the street and take pictures of us like we're animals escaped from the zoo!? Also, once inside the Taj, people were yelling, screaming and whooping; no respect for such a beautiful place, and the symbol of their country!!!

Anyway, we're off tonight on our first overnight train experience, to Varanasi to get our first glimpses of the holy Ganges. Hopefully we don't get eaten alive by bed bugs and I pray that the AC works in our cabin. 😊

xxx

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