The Taj Mahal

I know it's been a while since we've posted. Hopefully soon we will be able to fill you in on the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, and show you pictures of our new friends, John and Rachel, and Amanda teaching children's church in NGO Colony, Hyderabad. For now, however we'll just talk about Agra, home of Taj Mahal--arguably the most beautiful building in the world.

We saw it today, the Taj. We went this morning after a liesurely breakfast.

It really is magnificent. It's very large and very white (all the marble). The inlaid disigns and coligraphy from the Koran add a nice touch. To walk in the monument you either must take off your shoes or cover them. Amanda went with her sandles covered. I went barefoot.

We wondered around the complex for about an hour and a half, then retreated out to the front where we found a place that sold really cold 7up (but not as cold as that place in Ellora).

Agra is reportedly the most corrupt city in India. I'm somewhat glad i've been hardened against banes of India. I now know how to deal with the rickshaw drivers, pedlers and begars. Here they they seem worse than the other cities and I'm glad I've had practice.

Today we had three snakes pulled on us. The first was a cobra. An older man wearing the typical orange and white of a Hindu holy man removed the cloth of his basket to reveal a cobra raised in attention. "Picture," he says not 3 feet in front of us. "Let's go," Amanda says. The man wanted us to give him a few rupies to take a picture of or with the snake.

Later as we were heading out to the coffee shop this afternoon... A small boy comes up to us with a basket with a top. He pulls the top off and what's inside? A snake. "Cobra" he says while he's 4 feet away walking toward us. As he get's close, i clearly see that it's not a cobra and not poisonous. I still don't apreciated having a snake thrust at me. "Go away," I tell him (my new favorite phrase for men who are pestering me). He comes closer.

I'm not deathly afraid of snakes, but I surely don't like them thrust in my face. Amanda and I try to escape. He follows us for 30 meters, over a busy intersection. "Baksheesh" he says meaning he wants money for him to leave us alone. I'll give a few coins to the occational beggar. I'll also give some to the sweeper boys on the train who, otherwise, won't leave your compartment. I was not, however, about to be bribed into giving and not by some punk... kid. I think a combination of my turning to face hime and saying very firmly and slowly "go away now" plus the hindi words of some bystanders finally sent him away.

The third time was as we were coming to a restaurant for dinner. A younger man than the first but dressed the same way was at the entrance holding a basket. I was thinking that he was going to bring out flowers and red stuff with which to bless people, but instead it was another snake. This time our host shooed him off probably with the help of some rupees.

Everywhere we go we have shop owners, peddlers, cycle rickshaw drivers, auto rickshaw drivers, and beggars trying to get our attention, trying to get our money. Amanda and I are honestly rather fed up with it. Amanda has it worse considering the hundreds of catcalls and the constant illicate stares men give her.

Yesterday as we were aproaching the fort in the city we passed an overturned bus. The area was covered in shattered glass. There was also a rather large pool of blood. We learned later 5 people had died.

Lastnight right as we got in our auto-rickshaw from supper, we saw a speeding moterbike directly hit an unsuspecting pedestrian. As our auto sped off we could here the man who was hit moan in pain.

I know these sorts of things must happen in every city. It just may seem worse here.

Yesterday we were able to change our tickets. Now we have an AC chair car back to Delhi at 6am Thursday morning. We'll then have a leisurely few days before coming back to the US. Both of us will be very glad to do that.