Delhi Belly

Namaste everyone!

Sorry we haven't posted since...Varanasi!? Could it be so!? Yes, well India will do that to you. We are just putting up a quick post to update everyone on our whereabouts the last few weeks.

Since our last post, we have visited the city of Agra - home to the more than magnificent Taj Mahal, Akbar the Great's mausoleum - and let it be known now that, no matter what anyone says, the Taj Mahal is arguably one of the most beautiful structures you may ever lay your eyes on. When we first arrived, we ventured to our hotel rooftop resto which had a superb view of the Taj...and we could hardly believe our eyes! But really, it doesn't even seem real until you are touching the thing because up until you get there the translucence of the Marbel makes it glow in such a way you could only think it to be a photograph.

Speaking of photographs, Jay took some of his best at the Taj and we will be sharing those with you when we get home (in SIX DAYS?) Words cannot describe the Taj nor India, for that matter, so we will hope pictures can fill in a small part of the void there.

After Agra, we took our last overnight train ride to Amritsar, in the northern state of Punjab. Admittedly, we forgot a few times we were in India and no longer in Bramladesh because with the huge Sikh community, it seemed oddly familiar...

Amritsar is home to the holiest shrine for Sikhs, the Golden Temple. It. Is. Unbelievable. The temple itself is said to be covered with 750 kg of gold and in the morning, afternoon or night it is a magnificent vision rising from the Guru Lake which surrounds it. We were lucky enough to meet a fellow there who kindly took us all around the temple and explained the tennants of Sikhism to us, in great detail. We spent two golden days in Amristar (pun intended!) and unfortunately it was all the time we had to spare to make it to the nation's Capital - Delhi.

Delhi is wonderful! It is, as they say, an Aladin's cave of wonders! But, we haven't only been straining our pennies on shopping. Yesterday, we visited the former residence of Mrs. Gandhi - the infamous Indira Gandhi, of course - which stirred a great deal of excitment within at least one of our two person travel party. Afterwards, we visited the spot where Mahatma Gandhi himself spent the last 144 days of his life and where, at the hand of a Hindu zealot, he was shot down in 1948. It was very moving and humbling to stand along the footpath that Gandhiji last walked upon...and to see his few earthly posessions which are on display - including his rounded glasses, his tiny chappals (sandals) and his walking sticks.

Today we are exploring the winding bizarre bazaars of Old Delhi as well as the Jama Masjid, the largest Mosque in India. Tomorrow, we will soak up as much as possible of this wonderful and beautiful country...and then, at midnight we fly to Paris.

Je vois la vie en rose!

Love to you all and...see you soon!

Maeve/Jay