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October 21st 2006
Published: October 21st 2006
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Hi Everybody!
We got here in the very early morning hours. Luckily, we were able to sleep some on the plane. Leaving the plane, we had to go down an escalator. Many people were carrying rolling bags and duffle bags. The Indians did not move away from the escalator. People started backing up, bumping each other, falling over, etc. I was very uncomfortable! We helped a young Muslim girl from Canada who had a small child in a stroller. I watched the child so she could complete her immigration papers. We had sent our passports to the Embassy of India in D.C. last summer so things went smoothly for us. The natives in the airport and on the plane never smile or greet you. We saw men lying on the sidewalk asleep around the airport. You had to pay to go to the toliet. You had to pay to go into the waiting room. Everything has a dirty look about it. Trash is piled in the streets. Lots of dirt is exposed on the ground. Everything is dusty and smells. I hope my first impression improves over the next few days.
We met a neat girl on our flight. Her name is Amy Jones and she is from England. She sold her car and many possessions so she could take a 6 months trip around the world solo. We had been to Machi Pichi and a few of the other places that she really liked. She has a blog that you might enjoy reading. India is her last country. She has reached several conclusions about life while being on this trip. If you get a chance, go to www.statraveljournals.com/choosetoImagine and check out her blog.
On a good note, we like our hotel, The Diplomat. It is on ambassador row. We walked out this morning and checked out the homes of several ambassadors. They all have guards with sandbags piled about 3 ft. high around the guard's station. Our hotel has a guard and many of the other nice residences in the area do too. There are some flowering shrubs and trees. Many tropical plants grow here. Only a few fountains are running and the rest are dry. The employees at our hotel are very cordial and helpful. The menu is in English. We just had a delicious lunch! The Indian food on the plane was a little to spicy and strong in flavor.
I should have more pictures on by this afternoon. Click on gallery, choose a country, click on a photo to see more. I am not great getting the pictures on but I have found that I can send them to my daughter for her to do it.
Tomorrow, we are going by train to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The following day, we are flying to Kathmandu, Nepal for an exciting adventure. I will write more about it later.
Note: We got to the hotel around 5:30 this morning. The manager said that if we checked in, we would have to pay the rate of $190 US for the extra day. We said that we would just sit in the lobby until check-in time. Walt gave the guy $20 US for his trouble and we quickly got to go to our room.
Of all the places we have been, this is the only one that I would not choose to come back to again. I may change my mind in the next few days????
Take care,
Everette

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22nd October 2006

WOW-the Taj Mahal
What a great experience to be able to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World! It was the highlight of our India trip. However, after 10 days in the country, we came to the same conclusion you did almost immediately. Although we would never go back, we had some of our most memorable experiences in India. Be safe!

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