Return to Delhi and the Taj Mahal

It is nice to be back in Delhi after I have been travelling in India for a month. It is a whole new experience as I am not as overwhelmed with so many new things. I am able to explore the area more and feel very oriented in the city, especially where I am staying in the area called Paharganj. There are endless mazes of alleys with shops and people that you could easily never know existed unless you look for them. It is like a concrete jungle.

I had a free day before my Dad arrived, so I decided to take a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal (it may be my only opportunity). I hired a taxi since the trains were all booked and I didn't want to be apart of one of those hokey tour buses. I opted for a non-air conditioned taxi as it was much less expensive and I am a bit more used to the heat now. We left at 6am and arrived in Agra 4 hours later. The pollution is so bad in Agra that they have prohibited all industry and motorized traffic with in 3km of the Taj Mahal to attempt to preserve the structure (although the once brilliant white marble is now a yellowish color).

I entered through the west gate and walked the 3km to see the Taj. It really is a magnificent building, however it is so overrun with tourists, touts, and beggars. There is no feeling of peace there like you would think from the photographs. I only spent an hour (including the walk) and then headed back to Delhi.

An endless line of people walking into the Taj

By now it is mid-day and the heat is really intense. It was around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If you put your hand out of the car window it burned. Worse than the heat though was the dust, traffic, and pollution. Everyone here covers their nose and mouth with cloth because it is so bad. If anything I wished I had an air conditioned taxi just so I wouldn't have had to breath as much dust and fumes. I drank almost 5 liters of water, so I didn't dehydrate from sweating (by the end I think I actually was a little dehydrated). It was a brutal journey, but I am glad I did it.

When I arrived back at my hotel, I showered, hung out in the air-conditioning for awhile and then went to the corner and ordered a cold mango lassi- my favorite drink in India (it is basically a fruit and yogurt shake) I always go to the same street vendor- the man and his son are very nice, and I like to watch them make the curd right on the street. So refreshing!!!

Making my mango lassi

Heating up the milk

Tomorrow my Dad will be here- I can hardly wait to welcome him to India!!