Photo Shoot 24/7

Well, you can't be camera shy if you come to India. Who would have thought that being an American in India meant taking endless pictures all day with complete strangers!? In Delhi, we were stopped at every tourist site we visited and asked "will you take a photo with my friend, my brother, my sister, my mom, my grandma, my BABY, my wife, etc." Often times people just lingered around with the camera in their hand too afraid to ask, but I knew what they wanted. Sometimes they wouldn't even ask for a picture, and would pretend to take pictures of the monuments (where I happened to be standing), which were...behind them! The whole situation started out being flattering, to funny, to repetitive, to obnoxious. 

Luckily, I love taking pictures, so I didn't mind. However, walking around all day in 90 degree weather, dripping sweat, wanting to pass out in the air conditioned car, and being approached to take a photo with every member in a family every five minutes wasn't exactly ideal timing...nor did I leave them with a cute photo! Here are some of the times we decided to take some photos too. It was so cute because some of the kids who didn't have cameras would ask us to take THEIR picture. People ran up to us just to say hello and ask what our names were. One time some kids asked us for our autographs! We told them we weren't famous, but they didn't care. It was really cute :)

There was a little girl in Delhi that was trying to sell me post cards on the street while we were waiting for our driver who warned me about taking picture with some people. Moments before a crowd of guys asked me to take a photo with them and of course I said yes, but more and more started to crowd around right when our driver showed up to lead us to the car. The little girl followed and said "Madam, be careful with your purse. Men will ask to take pictures with you and take your money when you aren't looking!" She was probably right, but luckily I have my hand on my purse at all times and it is slung across my body. I had never even thought of this, but it made a lot of sense with the situation that happened two minutes before. You have to be careful at all times, especially in those crowded places in Delhi!

India's Gem

Agra was the best place we visited in India! We went to the Agra Fort, Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb, and finally, the TAJ MAHAL! With our new Indian outfits and Fodor's tour book (always a necessity) we were ready for our long day ahead.

 

Where is Agra? Here's a map that shows where we've been. MUMBAI (Bombay) to DELHI to AGRA. We had planned to go to Jaipur, but because of safety/liability reasons, our company decided it was best we didn't go there alone. If we weren't here during the off-season, six hours west of Jaipur is where you can do overnight camel excursions through the sand dunes! Next time I come back I also want to go to the far east section of the country on the map towards the Himalayas, where there are beautiful mountain ranges to go backpacking. South of Bombay along the west coast, popular beach and backwater destinations are Goa and Kerala, which would be beautiful to visit too.

After a long 4 hour drive to Agra in the morning (that I obviously slept through), we arrived at the Fatehpur Sikri. This stop was supposed to be on of the best, but it didn't go according to planned. In our tour book they warned us about relentless hawkers that won't leave you alone, but it was worse than I imagined! About a mile away on the road by a run down village there men stood in the middle of the road, refusing to move, and stopped us asking if we needed a tour guide. They actually expected to get in our car for the rest of the drive! Then when we arrived at the empty parking lot, men and boys (yes- no women) surrounded our car tapping on the windows and waiting for us to get out. Our driver was there to protect us (even though he doesn't speak ANY English), but in order to get to the site we had to park and take a bus to there. Fodor's did not mention this! I guess the rules had changed. Our driver told us we had to take our heavy backpacks we had in the car filled with computers, iPods, etc. with us so no one would break into the car. NO THANK YOU. A bunch of girls with thousands of dollars on them in electronics, walking through old ruins in the middle of no where, with a driver who would probably hand us over if life threatened, and a car with a stick (that none of us know how to drive) to escape- sounds like a perfect first scene of a horror movie right? In all seriousness, it was actually really sketchy, so we left, and apparently missed out on some beautiful ruins. Better to miss out on that than the rest of my life! 

  

Arriving at the Agra Fort was a relief! Since it is a huge tourist destination, everything was organized with signs reassurance we were safe! The fort (palace), was built by Akbar, his son Jahangir, and his grandson Shah Jahan. It contains royal apartments, mosques, assembly halls, and a dungeon. A massive 69 foot wall surrounds the fort for 1.5 miles in a triangular shape. When Shah Jahan took over the throne in 1628 when his father Jahangir died, he destroyed many of Akbar and Jahangir's buildings, and built his own inside the fort. We sat on Shah Jahan's black marble throne (which isn't the throne I had imagined- its just a square slab of marble), with the Yamuna River and Taj in the distance. Many years later, Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son, Aurangzeb, in a tower in the fort along the Yumuna River, with a view of the Taj Mahal (that Shah Jahan built). The views of the Yumuna River (dirty now, but hundreds of years ago must have been nice!) and Taj Mahal were beautiful from every window and balcony in the fort! In addition to the view, parts of the fort were lined on the inside with white marble. If I were a Shah Jahan, I'd be sitting on my marble balcony looking at the Taj every day.

 

 

Mughal Era Confusion? This list of generations should make things a little easier:

1) Babur: the founder of the Mughal Empire in India in 1526

2) Humayun: succeeded throne in 1530

3) Akbar: succeeded throne in 1556

4) Jahangir: succeeded throne in 1605

5) Shah Jahan: succeeded throne in 1627; led the golden age of Mughal architecture (Taj Mahal)6) Aurangzeb: succeeded throne in 1658-1707- when the Mughal Empire started to weaken (although it was in power until 1858 when the British took over)

Building our way up to see the Taj, we stopped at Imad-ud-Daulah's Tomb (The "Baby Taj") next. It was one of the smallest tombs we have seen, but the detailed marble was so intricate! I think it is my second favorite place we visited, after the Taj Mahal of course. It was built by Jahangir's favorite wife, Nur Jahan, for her father who became Jahangir's chief minister. It was built by workers from Persia with brown and yellow Perisan marble and marks the first use of Persian marble inlay. It is said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal, giving it the nickname "Baby Taj". This type of architecture has such a powerful presence. Even something small like this was breath taking. We didn't end up getting to see the inside of the Taj Mahal, so I can only imagine after seeing this what it would have looked like.

 
    

AND THEN...it was finally time to go to the Taj Mahal, India's most famous architectural wonder!

I've always believed in the saying: a picture captures a thousand words...but not this time! The Taj Mahal's true beauty is impossible to capture in a photograph. Every picture I've seen online and taken myself looks like it was edited in photo shop. It looks incredible in pictures, but in real life, you are able to take in the color, size, location, air, sounds, and life surrounding the Taj- which I think is the only way to grasp its grand presence.

The story behind the Taj Mahal is a tale of love and loss. While 14 year old Shah Jahan was walking through a bazaar, he fell in love at first sight with a beautiful Muslim Persian princess, Arjumand Banu, who was 15. Five years later, they got married and when Shah Jahan became Emperor, he named her Mumtaz Mahal, meaning "Jewel of the Palace". He had other wives, but she was his favorite. She died when she was giving birth to their 14th child, and on her deathbed, she begged him to build a monument so beautiful that the world would never forget their love. He built the most beautiful monument in the world over her grave. Begun in 1632, it took 20,000 laborers 17 years to complete the tomb. When Shah Jahan died in 1666, his tomb was placed nexts to Mumtaz Mahal, and the masoleum became known as the Taj Mahal and one of the 7 Wonders of the World. The Taj Mahal means "Crown Palace".  Directly under the dome Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are buried in a crypt below their tombs (so no one would ever walk over their graves).

  

We hired a tour guide, who claimed to also be a model, which was great because he retold the history and extra stories about the Taj. We thought we were really lucky because we happed to be visiting during the "Death Anniversary", so we got in for free! Our tour guide also got us to cut the entire entrance line, saving about two hours. However, we realized we weren't so lucky when we say a four hour line wrapping around the base of the Taj to go inside. Since it was already 4pm and they closed at 6, there was no chance of us walking on the top terrace or seeing the inside. o(our tour guide didn't have that much leverage). Instead we wandered around the base, looking up at all the intricate detail and beautiful marble! I've never seen anything like it! Our tour guide burst out laughing when I called the white marble dome on top of the Taj an onion dome (which is how it is described in my book!). They call it the crown. Words really can't describe its beauty. I was so impressed with the emotions that were expressed through its powerful presence as well after learning about the story. I could have sat on the lawn and stared at the Taj all day long. It is supposed to be a light pink at sunrise and a pumpkin orange during sunset. So pretty!

Delhi...When We Aren't Working or Traveling

We've been touring around Delhi (and working of course!) but in addition to that, we've been adding in some extra activities. I think we may be having too much fun here!

Fresh Coconut Water

We have been seeing so many coconut stands on the side of the road in Delhi! The man at the stand has a huge blade to slice open the coconut and carve out the "meat", or to cut off the top and serve coconut water! I usually love shredded coconut, so I was expecting the meat to taste like that, but instead it tasted just like a chewy almond.He gave us slices from one coconut, then got a different coconut (not ripe yet- so the juice hasn't turned into meat), scraped off the outside brown part, cut off the top, put a straw in it, and handed the overflowing coconut to me! Rianne and I didn't know that Roxana took some pictures when we were trying to figure it how this all worked haha we were so intrigued! 

Chalene and Shaun T

Since we don't have a gym membership in Delhi, Rianne brought her workout videos and our recently purchased speakers so we could work out. Turbo Jam and Turbo Fire with Chalene is the best kickboxing, dancing, cardio workout video and Insanity with Shaun T is basically boot camp where we die. Thanks to these videos Rianne and I worked out every day after rearranging my room into a big empty space.

Family Movie Night

Each night after work, we all gathered on Rianne and Roxana's bed to watch a movie. It was something exciting to look forward to during the work week, and from Rianne's great iTunes movie collection, we have been enjoying some popcorn and classics (and knowning me...I probably haven't seen them anyways). I have seen Slumdog Millionaire, but we watched it again here and it has competely changed the way I see India. When I originally watched the movie, I didn't pick up on so many details in each scene that portray India so well! It was filmed in Mumbai, so there were a lot of places (including our apartment complex) we recognized. I want to watch it again when I get home to show people how real and true some of it is! And we've been enjoying some chick flicks- 500 Days of Summer, He's Just Not That Into You; and the gorey ones (Roxana's choice)- The Departed and Gladiator.

Transformers 3

Even though we are across the country, we didn't miss the opening night of Transformers 3! It was actually my first time going to the movies even though the other girls have gone a few times already. It seems like the theater is the place to be in India! It is also only 250 rupees for 3-D ($5) so that made me want to come to the movies all the time. I've written this in an old post but when you buy your ticket you get an assigned seat in the theater. The movie starts immediately (no previews), the chairs recline back and slide forward to fully stretch out, there is an intermission (when they show the previews) and offer you tea- but Rianne and I preferred Gelato haha. They also serve their popcorn in the worst way. Instead of popping the popcorn in the machine and leaving it in there until they scoop it out for the customer, after it is popped they scoop out all the popcorn in bags and line it up. Then, when we got it it was cold and already stale from sitting out. The movie was great, minus Rosie Huntignton-Whiteley. Ok who casted her? Yes she is the most beautiful girl in the world, but she couldn't kick butt like Megan Fox while she was running around in her stilettos.Besides that, the special effects in 3D were awesome.

4th of July at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Embassy hosted a party for the 4th of July! I thought we may get to go inside the embassy, but it was held outsie. THere were food vendors, booths, arts and crafts tables, bounce houses, a live band, dance floor, bar, pie eating contests, tug-a-war, fireworks, and lots of red, white, and blue decorations. AMERICA!! There were probably around 500 people there from interns like us visiting to families who live in India. We also painted a flower pot for our care takers like the USA flag, which they loved.

Tandoori

Tandoori barbeque is the best food in India! It is usually a boneless chicken or mutton (goat or lamb) barbequed on a skewer and then served alone or in a roll wrapped like a skinny burrito. It comes with lots of onions and a creamy white sauce called chutney. We went to Karim's, voted one of the best restaurants in Asia in Times Magazine and had the best tandoori. We have learned to stay away from the "curries and gravies" because those are the dishes drenched in thick sauce. The waiter at Karim's was amazing at staking plates- I've never seen anything like it! He didn't have a tray or anything, just held one plate in his hand and stacked about 20 more on top.

Shopping

We have done some serious shopping in Delhi. We went to a Dilli Haat, which is a flea market featuring arts and crafts from local villages. Janpath, a long street in New Delhi filled with small touristy shops had all the souvenirs we've been looking for! We have gotten really good at haggling with the shop keepers to get a good bargain. We also went to the 23rd Mango Festival, another Dilli Haat, which had more crafts and 400 different species of mangos.

Kingfisher Flights

Domestic flights in India are slightly differnt than in the U.S. Instead of two security/ticket checks (before entering the terminal and before getting on the plane) there are 6: at the door into the airport, the usual metal detector and x-ray machine, frisked, a ticket check at the gate, a bag check (making sure we have flight tags on all our our carry on bags and purses), and FINALLY ripping the ticket at the door of the plane! Before the plane takes off, some scented spray like Febreeze automatically sprays out above the overhead storage. During the flight (even an hour long) they serve drinks, a full Indian meal, and tea.

WARNING- Avoid Sundays in India

In India, some people work 6 days, so the one day off is SUNDAY. When we planned places to see, we didn't notice we put the most crowded, and free, sites to visit on Sunday: Lal Qila (Red Fort, Delhi) and Akshardam. Whoops! Not to mention, it was raining in the morning...and then very humid. So we started off our day, wearing our rain jackets. They don't really wear rain jackets here unless they are wearing a full rain suit on their motorcycles, and even those are black, grey, or clear. We really stood out this time...in our bright lemon, lime, and watermelon colored jackets (which were sticking to us- thanks humidity).

The Lal Qila (Red Fort in Delhi) must not be a popular tourist attraction because the people looked at us like we were aliens. The fort (which means palace in India) was not well maintained, so it was hard to capture the true beauty and imagine how grand it must have been. It was built by Shah Jahan in the 17th Century and is known to be the Moghul's greatest palace-city in Delhi. There was a beautiful garden (although the grass was brown) and fountains (which weren't filled) surrounded by the large red stone walls and dirty white marble terraces. A lot of stray dogs were running around and one followed me the whole way back...which is pretty rare so people we laughing at us.

Next stop: AKSHARDAM. I can deal with the hours and hours of lines at Disneyland, but what we encountered at the Swaminarayan Akshardam was a nightmare, literally. We jumped of the car to get in line, realized we couldn't take our cameras, and ran back to the car. Then we got in line for Akshardam, and were informed we couldn't have a purse either! So we made another trip to the parking lot. Then we finally got in one of the 10 lines (the ques) where over 1000 people attempted to file into, sandwiching each other, dripping in sweat for the next hour in line, (luckily we were taller than most people around us and could breathe) anxious to reach the beauty of the Akshardam temple. Akshardam is a brand new, Swaminarayan temple finished in 2005. The temple serves as a religious emporium for devotees of the Swaminarayan faith and has beautiful, ornate, golden statues, marble walls, and multiple gardens and fountains. I compared it to Disneyland because it had boat rides, shows, movies, and a musical fountain show. Rianne loved the lotus garden filled with inspiration quotes about spirituality from notable American, European, and Indian figures.

Fun Fact: Rianne's hair, out and blowing wildly in the wind, caused a lot of attention...they looked so confused! I don't think we walked by a single person who didn't do a double take. In line for Akshardam, there was a fan that blew her hair around and she laughed because we all noticed the people staring...did another head shake on purpose, and the entire crowd burst out laughing! It was so silly because their reactions were hilarious.

Conquering New Delhi

Our first stop was ISKCON Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, built by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness. They built the temple not only as a place of worship, but as a representation of intellectual development to increase the consciousness about Krishna. Inside, paintings covered the walls and ceilings explaining the story of Krishna. It is very different than other religious things I am used to seeing so it was hard to grasp, but it was interesting to see people praying and women making flower bracelets, etc. The outside architecture was very simple (picture on right). There was a fountain at the entrance with Krisha, which reminded my of one of my favorite movies when I was little, "My Little Princess". I had never understood the scene about a dream with Krishna, but now I get it!

After ISCKON Temple we went to the Qutub Minar! I loved this place! The Qutub Minar was built in 1193 and is the tallest stone tower in India (234 feet high with 376 steps!) Below the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam, the first Muslim mosque in India. The Muslims built this mosque after defeating the Hindu Chauhan dynasty, so there is a mixture of Muslim architecture with remains from the demolished 27 Hindu and Jain temples and shrines. The details on the arches were so beautiful! The mosque was in ruins, but you could still imagine how grand it must have been.

  
Khan Chacha is one of the best places we have eaten. It felt like a small In-N-Out, but with kabobs instead of hamburgers. The menu only had chicken or mutton (either lamb or goat) that they grill in the window next to you, with the option to get it in a roll (like a wrap), or kabob style. Having grilled food was amazing! We don’t have a grill in our house, they don’t barbeque much. We ended up going back to Khan Chacha the next day for lunch too. Here’s a picture of us enjoying our rolls a little too much!

 

Humayun’s Tomb was amazing! It was built in the middle of the 16^th Century by Humayun, the Moghul emperor. It was made of sandstone and white marble, surrounded by gardens divided into four parts with water channels (the Moghul’s typical design). The marble dome was also the first dome within a dome. It was so beautiful and nicely preserved on the outside.

  

Next we went to the National Gandhi Museum was small and simple, but very meaningful. Gandhi’s quotes covered the walls with pictures from the beginning to end of his life. A few of his belongings such as shoes, clothes, glasses, books, walking stick during the Salt March, and more were on display, emphasizing his simple life. There were descriptions of key events in his life and an entire exhibit on his death with his blood stained clothes. Next we went to the Raj Ghat, Gandhi’s cremation site, which is now a national shrine. His last words, “Hai Ram” (Oh, God) are inscribed on a large slab of black marble decorated with flowers and with an eternal flame burning. We also went to the Gandhi Smriti, the place Gandhi was staying when he was assassinated. There is a trail of footsteps in the back garden leading up to the place he was assassinated on his way to a prayer meeting. His room is just as he left it, with only 11 items.

We walked through the Crafts Museum with handmade crafts and people drawing and painting outside. There were some really pretty blankets that Rianne bought that were being made right in front of us! Lastly, we went to Lodi Garden for a walk in the park to top off our day. We got some ice cream and saw the mausoleum of Muhammad Shah.