Has it really been a week?

Well, almost. We spent two full days traveling, so this is really only our fifth day; it feels like so much longer. We just found a place to upload pictures, but the connection isn't lightning fast, so I'm just posting a few on Flickr.

Edited: the internet place we're at doesn't have any way to downsize the photos, so the upload was only partially successful. I'll look for a place with Photoshop and try again later.

In Delhi we stayed in the area of the city call Pahar Ganj, popular with backpackers, but considered a slum. It has narrow streets with dark alleys, cows wandering the streets and an enormous number of people. The market stalls are packed with colorful textiles and goods and can be very overwhelming for anyone remotely claustrophobic. Smoke from dung fires choke the streets of the entire city and there is constant traffic noise. The hotel rooftops are a haven from the crush of the streets and are a good place for watching the activity below.

On Friday we wandered down to Connaught Place and picked up a "guide" along the way. He was more persistent than most and insisted he didn't want any money, so we gave up and he ended up showing us around part of the city. Being our first day, we were a little suspicious, but it turned out all right. One of the places he took us was Lakshmi Narayan Temple, a quiet oasis in the heart of New Delhi. He also directed us to the government office where we were able to book a taxi tour of the city.

The next morning we met our driver and went on a whirlwind tour of Delhi. Our driver was a cheerful older man who would say, "Sir! right side...India Gate." and gesture grandly out the window. "Sir! left side...National Stadium." We spent about six hours driving to all the highlights in the city, jumping out to take pictures of some and wandering for an hour in others.

Our favorite of all the sites was the Qutb Minar Complex. It's a sprawling park-like area of stone buildings, intricate carvings and an enormous ornate stone pillar. It's a quiet place to wander and relax, away from the crowds and noise.

Than night we met Mridula and one of her nephews for dinner in Gurgaon. She took us to a beautiful Indian restaurant and introduced us to some new dishes. The food was wonderful, but we have been surprised at how quickly we fill up and felt badly that we couldn't eat as much as we would have liked. Mridula's nephew was a little shy but quickly discovered that we had many favorite bands in common. Tom has promised to make him some CDs when we get home. We had a great time talking to them and would have liked to have spent more time with them.

Saturday, we decided to arrange a driver for two weeks, leaving Sunday. Our first destination was Agra. Along the way, we stopped at Akbar's Tomb, a large sandstone complex populated by antelope and monkeys and another park-like oasis.

In the countryside, there are large fields of mustard in bloom. The vivid yellow of the flowers is a beautiful backdrop for the bright colors of the saris worn by the women working in the fields. We also saw our first elephant and carts pulled by camels, two funeral processions taking bodies to be cremated and trucks heaping over with sugarcane.

In Agra we stayed at a hotel that had a view of the Taj Mahal from the rooftop. Monday morning we woke up at 5:30 a.m. to get to the Taj for sunrise. Early morning is definitely the time to go. It is nearly empty and it was nice to watch the sun come up and slowly light the domes. While standing in line we met a man who was originally from Sri Lanka but had gone to school in the Northeast US and is currently living in Arizona. He had been there the afternoon before and walked around with us, telling us what he had learned from his guide.

The Taj Mahal is an amazing monument and you could easily sit all day and look at it. There's an amazing amount of detail in the building that can't be appreciated in a photo. The vine and flower patterns are individual pieces of stone, cut and fitted tightly together into the marble. Unfortunately pictures aren't allowed in the tomb area where the most intricate work is done.

After seeing the Taj we had breakfast and checked out of our hotel. Our next stop was Fatehpur Sikri, an abandoned palace city made entirely of red sandstone. The intricate carvings had me wishing for paper and charcoal to take rubbings with. After Fatehpur Sikri we headed for Bharatpur, a bird sanctuary.

It's getting dark, so we're going to head back to the hotel. More later!