India Day Two: "Delhi Belly" and the Taj Mahal

Hello! I hope that you guys are enjoying the latest blog posts. Today's post is about our trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. As you can probably guess from the title of the post, I was not feeling too well on Monday for the four to five hours car journey (both ways!). It did not help that I sat in the way back of the car for the first hour of the trip through Delhi. We ended up having to stop so I could sit in the passenger seat in the front. Other than that, I had a great day and the Taj Mahal is awe-inspiring.

The drive from Delhi to Agra was on the whole fine even though I was feeling quite nauseous the entire time. It shocked all of us the state of the city of Agra. Agra used to have a metal industry, but that was taken away in order to preserve the Taj Mahal. We couldn't imagine having to live there and the conditions in which those people live.

Going into the Taj Mahal complex (and through another gender separated security check) was amazing. I had not realized that there was more to it than the marble building itself. 

Through the arch in the above photo, you can see the doors to the Taj. We were able to get a better look at this symmetry inside the building.

Stepping through that arch, we were met by a magnificent view of the grounds. It was crowded but absolutely amazing.

From @thekschiap

The crowds did not bother me so much as the heat (which did not help me in feeling better). Instead of walking through the throng of people, we walked along the outskirts and under the trees.

We then walked to the balcony surrounding the Taj Mahal for some great views before going into the building itself.

The inside of the marble building holds the tombs of Emperor Shah Jahan and his third wife Empress Mumtaz Mahal (for whom the Taj is built). It is beautiful sight to behold. The only problem was that there were many people inside and it got really hot and stifling. We exited the building through the back doors to discuss the architecture of the building.

From @thekschiap

The land across the river in one of the above photos was where Emperor Shah Jahan would have built his own tomb in a black stone. One of his sons, however, imprisoned his father for spending so much money on the Taj Mahal, so the second one was never built. Also our guide debunked one myth about whether or not the architects of the Taj Mahal had their hands cut off, broken, or killed. He said that if Emperor Shah Jahan wanted to build a second Taj Mahal, why would he injure the architects?

After seeing the Taj Mahal, we were driven to the Trident Hotel in Agra to use the bathrooms and eat lunch. The buffet looked delicious, but I only ate some rice, naan, bread and chicken because I was not feeling well. I wish that I could have tasted all of the dishes!

Before heading back, we went to an artisan shop where they do the same type of marble work as what is on the Taj Mahal. It was truly amazing to see the time and effort that goes into making these magnificent masterpieces. The drive back to Delhi wasn't so bad because everyone (except the driver) slept for the first two hours of the journey! We passed rice paddies and little villages as we zoomed by on the highway.

We unfortunately hit Delhi rush hour as soon as we hit the outskirts of the city. It took us five and a half hours to get back from Agra, when it only should have taken three or four hours.

We are dinner at the hotel and then went to bed in preparation for the first business day of the trip. Thankfully the next day I felt much better and I could eat what I wanted!

See you in the next post!

Kara

India Day One: Sightseeing and Culture Shock

Hello everyone! Sunday was out first day of sightseeing in Delhi and it was a great yet shocking day. I just want to premise this post by saying I really had an amazing day on Sunday, even with the problems that we had.

So Mom and I went to bed at 3 am Sunday and woke up five hours later. We got ready and met Mom's colleague (Ian) downstairs for some breakfast before heading out into Delhi.

Cows roaming the streets. We saw a lot of cows, monkeys and dogs wandering around! 

Our first stop was the Qutab Minar (I've seen different spellings of this, but this is the spelling from the tourism website). The Qutab Minar is a huge tower built in the 12th century and it was the tallest building in Delhi until 1971.

Photo from Instagram @thekschiap

Next we went to Akshardham, a temple that opened in 2005. Before going into the temple complex, there was a security check. Mom and I were surprised to discover that the security line was split between men and women. We would see this at other tourist sites and even at the airport! The women's line was usually led into a covered area. I don't understand it, but what could I do?

Photos or cameras are not allowed in Akshardham, but here is a link to some photos!

For lunch we went to The Great Kebab Factory in Delhi. It was yummy and the food kept coming out. The kebabs were the appetizer (but we thought that they were the main meal), so we were surprised when the waiter said "Are you ready for the main course?" It was a lot!!

Our last stop of the day was the Red Fort. It is the second Red Fort that was built in India, the first one was built in Agra because Agra was the capital of India for a while. The fort itself was beautiful, yet overwhelmingly crowded.

This part of the day was very stressful for me. I knew before coming to India that there was the possibility of people coming up to Mom and I and saying hi or asking for photos. What I did not expect, however, were the groups of young men (18-24 years old) coming very close to me and staring. Even though we had a guide, people would still come way too close for comfort. It was hot and crowded, I was tired and I just could not take the constant staring. I got very close to tears at the fort, but held it together so we could see the fort. I wish that I could have paid more attention to the tour guide, but it was close to impossible. We got out and back into the cab.

On the way back to the hotel, we passed the embassies and stopped at the President's house. It was not that busy so we got out and took some photos.

We went back to our hotel to relax, calm down and eat some dinner. The three of us decided to eat at the Italian restaurant at our hotel, Prego. It reminded us of home, which is just what we wanted after a long day. Unfortunately, we think that I ate some bad shrimp because I felt pretty sick the next day for the Taj Mahal.

All in all it was an amazing day and we saw some beautiful structures. While it got overwhelming at the end of the day, I would not have traded it for the world. It made me appreciate the United States and my privilege so much more.

Check back soon for the next blog post about Agra and the magnificence that is the Taj Mahal.

Kara