To Agra!

look familiar? Yes, Princess Diana sat here.

We left Kolkata to fly back to Delhi, after a quick lunch we boarded a bus for Agra. It's about 5 hours drive, maybe more since the roads are gnarly in India. And the brakes are squeekey and the whole bus is bumpy, and I now (never used to) get really car sick! I'm writing this with a smile on my face, because it's actually pretty funny, makes for a good story. Checked into a very nice hotel near the Taj Mahal.


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Woke up early to see the Taj Mahal at dawn. This was another day where pictures serve best to tell the story.

After breakfast we went to the Red Fort - there's some historical story about the guy who built it, he was the same one who built the Taj, and then his son held a coup, or killed him or something. It was cool.
we then had lunch and hit the road to Delhi. Another long, nausiating ride on a sweaky brake bus, but we managed to giggle a little bit. At one point int he day I over heard Dorothy say, I'd pay a thousand roupees for a tooth pick. Then while we're at dinner in Delhi, finishing up and the waiter puts a little cup of toothpicks in front of her! But she doesnt exactly realize what they are, and thinks maybe the cup is made of chocolate. I say, "that will be 1000 rpee please." She and I are in stitches, the whole table is punch drunk, and I cry a bit I'm laughing so hard. All over toothpicks.
Our guide later tells about about the road from Delhi to Agra, and that it's scheduled to be re paved, so it should only take 2 hours instead of 5-6. Dr. Wik, who's about 75, and dry as can be, says, "That'll be nice. For someone else." The poetry was in his delivery.

Sarah and the foggy Taj Mahal

Maybe the humour was amplified by the fact that we were all so tired from getting up early to see the Taj. Fun day.