Agra, Jaipur and back to Delhi

Hi from Delhi! Here are some photos from the last few days!! I'm feeling a little better. no more sore throat. but now i have a very stuffy nose. I'm taking it easy today hoping i will finally get rid of it! Headed to Dharmasala tonight!

On the train to Agra

from the train

colorful trash taken from the train

In Agra we were greeted by our friendly autorickshaw-wallah, Ali.

entrance to the Agra Fort

Again everyone wanted a photograph with us. so we exchanged. This was the daughter of a couple who took a picture with Honora and I.

i <3>

A group of ladies came and spoke with us for a little bit. The women are so curious and SOO nice!

Photo exchange! We gave these guys ample chance to take our photo and then we walked away. Thinking they had gotten a good shot. but no. they followed us around for a while. From here in we decided no photos for men. Only women and families.

Agra Fort

Honora being my model! Agra Fort

The highlight of my day was sitting in the grass next to a family. There were two little boys in the family and they kept running up to us and smiling and laughing hysterically! and talking to us. A man nearby translated a little. One boy was fascinated with Honora and exclaimed, "Your face is TOO white!!" and "You're too long!!!" He then cracked up and ran off only later to repeat the process.

Dru. They wanted us to take photos of them and for some reason thought they had to get real low. Sometimes they would put their heads so low for the photo that they fell over.

Their father.

They taught me some words in Hindi. Like Gotah which means dog!

Rahit.

Dru's mother and sister.

Ali was our official autorickshaw-wallah for the whole day! And was extremely kind.

From the rickshaw.

From the autorickshaw.

Streets of Agra

The next few shots were taken on a bridge built by the British in 1904. It was just wide enough for a couple of regular sized cars. The concrete had disintegrated along the edges and you could see about 70 feet down to sand below. The bridge was so crowded that there was hardly a square foot that wasn't being used. Horns honked and people yelled and everyone's trying to get across at the same time: autorickshaws, bicycles, bicycle rickshaws, motorcycles, cars, ox carts, cars. It takes about 5 minutes to get across and it is indeed an adrenaline rush!

One of my favorite photos. passing a market.

market.

on the streets of Agra

The mini Taj Mahal as Ali called it. A mauseoleum.

Honora at the mauseoleum

boy at the mauseoleum

These guys were sawing and selling pieces of marble.

Agra street

behind the Taj Mahal

There used to be the huge beautiful Yamuna River. Now it looks like a stream. Scary. You can walk across.

Behind the Taj Mahal.

Lizzie and the back of the Taj.

Kids behind the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal and sunset

We saw the sunset at the Oberoi Amar Vilas. A very fancy pants hotel. It was absolutely beautiful, however but very strange. The staff was following us around when we went to the bathroom. Also the staff is required to wear 19th century Indian attire.

The next day we went to the Taj Mahal. Saw this dog on the way.

Cecilia, our new Australian friend, got there at 5:30 and was going to watch it all day long. We got there around 6:15 but i had to take a book and a pen to the locker areas that were about half a kilometer away because they weren't allowed in. so we ended up getting in well after sunrise. around 6:45. But still enjoyed it immensely!

Lizzie from the direction of the Taj.

Honora and Lizzie

Looking out at the river (where we were the day before) from the Taj.

Honora!

Honora!

Lizzie

Honora! with the Taj Mahal in her sunglasses.

A shady lane on the grounds of the Taj.

Agra street.

the only photo of Jaipur, Rajasthan.
I started getting a sore throat on the bus to Jaipur. I missed most of the city because i wanted to nip whatever sickness i was developing in the bud. So i spent most of my time sleeping and reading at the hotel.

On the train to Delhi.

From the train. a rural scene.

On the train to Delhi.