On the road

Last weekend, one of the interesting parts of our trip was, well, the trip itself. It took us 7 hours to go the 200 kilometers between Delhi and Agra; while that does seem like a bit too much to really enjoy, it was actually quite interesting. Staring out the window I felt like I was getting to go by a bit of what India really is. No longer restricted to the expensive neighborhoods I got a glimpse of what India is to everyday people. Overstuffed tuktuks holding more people then even a Guinean bush taxi, flatbed trucks full of others, markets along the street corners, plenty of full motorcycles (and when I say full, I mean anywhere from 4-6 people on them), a few small carnival like rides due to the holiday, but mostly people and animals everywhere. I saw carts drawn by horses, elephants, camels and mules. Water buffalo in a cart being pulled by a tractor. Trucks made out of the engine of a water pump which somehow manages to hall a load of people down the road. Plenty of stares and giggles as it became clear that those outside my window were just as interested in me as I was in them. Now, I'm not going to say that a long ride here is exactly comfortable, but it can be interesting and informative if you are open to it.

I found out that the Saturday we were driving was a brother-sister holiday here. August 13th was Raksha Bandhan, called Rakhi for short, during which it is common for sisters to travel to their brothers and give them a bracelet. From what I could gather from our driver it is a holiday which recognizes the role brothers play in protecting and caring for their sisters and a collection of bracelets show the strength of a man. Of course once I found out about this I couldn't help but start looking for bracelets. And let me tell you, boy do they range in style. There were subdued red string (silk is traditional) with perhaps one or two beads as well as much more flamboyant glittery flower puffs (for lack of a better description, much like party decorations on New Years Eve). I must admit it became my mission over the course of about an hour to get a few shots of the men's bracelets but it really wasn't that easy when both they and I were moving. Amusing though, and it made me catch a few other shots I probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise, like one of the boys with their kohl lined eyes or this girl selling balloons. If you'd like a short glimpse of what the ride was like you can check out this short video clip. It is a bit nauseating but make sure to notice the dizzying hand cranked Ferris Wheel type ride at the end.

The Taj Mahal

Shortly after sunrise Sunday morning I found myself standing in awe in front of the Taj Mahal. I wanted to pinch myself; it just didn't seem real. Was I really there, looking at a place that always before has been more a picture in my mind than a real building? How could it possibly be true that a mausoleum built in the 1600s could be so geometrically precise? That the building itself, glowing in white marble, could look the same no matter which side you view it from, with nine arches? That when you walk to the back of the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal you get a clear straight line view all the way to the entrance gate? (Although that is that false tomb, as the real tomb is underneath the main chamber floor and was reserved for access by the royal family only.) That the symmetry only seems to double when you see the reflection in the ponds of the garden? It really is an amazing feat of architecture, a true wonder of the world. and a fitting testament to a deathbed promise by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to his third wife. The only mar to the perfect symmetry (so thought out that the minarets are actually at an angle so that all four can be viewed no matter which side you are looking from) is the addition of Shah Jahan's tomb beside his wife's. The second massive mausoleum he had planned for himself never being finished beyond a wall. I must say I now understand why this is sometimes considered one of the seven wonders of the world. It truly is an amazing sight.