Days 2 & 3 Delhi & Agra

• Greetings, everyone, from the really grand Marriott hotel in New Delhi.  Tomorrow morning we fly to Chennai.  Anne is starting a blog with photos; jinkski.blogspot.com. Here's today's news.  Just like the old ladies we are growing to be, our BMs or a lack thereof are a topic of discussion.  I mistakenly had a couple bites of lettuce yesterday.  Wore a diaper when we went out, just in case.  Uneventful thankfully.  But now we're both without movement.  TMI!  Anne is much more adventurous than me; she tries bites of curries and spices with abandon.  We've had little potato breads, rice idli, many foods.  Last night we had Ravi Shankar playing his sitar and incense burning in the hotel lobby.  I haven't mentioned the days have been foggy.  It has been perfect sightseeing weather.  Today in Agra we had lunch with the brave, skilled driver Mr. Lal and our latest guide, Mr. Anu, at the best restaurant in Agra called Pinch of Spice.  Following lunch, a quartet of digestifs were placed on the table including candy coated anise seeds.  We were also given a very small glass of betel leaf juice.  I didn't mention that I took a minor fall our first day.  Every day we have climbed steps that are at least 12" high and walked on uneven slabs.  On the 2nd day we saw Humayun's tomb and Old Delhi.  We left Mr Lukinder and headed to Agra with Mr Lal.  Just like at home, speed traps!  Mr Lal had to pay about $30 on the spot or lose his license for 3 months!   On the Yamuna xway, we saw signs OVER SPEEDING WILL INVITE PROSECUTION.  Too late a warning for Mr Lal's wallet.  The speed limit on the xway is 100km/hr.  Most common are Toyota, Suzuki, Hyundai and Tata vehicles.  Our 2nd guide Mr Anu told us that tourism is either 40 or 60% down since the trouble in '08.  And their season is only 6 months long.  We have seen more Indian tourists than foreign so far.   $1 is = 66R today.  We have seen oxen with blue-painted horns pulling carts; today I saw 2 camels each pulling carts down the main drag in Agra.  Mr Lal told us the farmers first plant potatoes and then plant onions following the harvest.  They rotate their fields.  We see much mustard growing.  Reminds us of the rapeseed we see throughout Europe.  We've seen many transmission towers.  Yesterday we visited the cremation site of Mahatma Ghandi.  A school group of all ages was there, all wearing pants and jackets of a gorgeous Cardinal red.  As we approached their queue, I saw the young bashful faces looking at us.  We waved and they burst out in greeting!!  Namaste!  So unbelievably sweet, makes you want to burst open.  Felt like pop stars.  Anu told us that if an Indian has taken our picture, he can assure us that the picture will have a prominent place in their home!  Come say hello to India when you have a chance.  We learned that sandstone and marble veneers were used on both Red Forts and the incredibly beautiful Taj Mahal.  The inlaid precious stones used as inlay in the marble of the Taj are gorgeous.  Such fine work.  Given a chance, look at a piece of marble holding a light behind it.  Transparent.  Shine a light on red carnelian and it glows!  There are verses of the Koran on the Taj which are written in inlaid black onyx.  Artisans!  The finial of the Taj was previously gold but now is brass.   Mr Anu says the gold is in the basement of the Queen Elizabeth's castle in London.  The Taj sits on the Yumana river which is fed from the Ganges.  There were five great Mughals in India.  They had lots of money and spent it freely to improve the community.  And most accepted the worship of all religions.  3000 women in their harem, but they could be rotated out.  Loved rose water.  Forgot to tell you we were in India's largest mosque.  Lots of different monkeys in Agra.  People oppose birth control measures for the monkeys because of the monkey God.  Some act as monkey bouncers, frightening others away.  Mr Anu is quite modern, he wants his daughter to eventually leave India for a life in the west.  Anne wants me to wrap this up already.  

                     A stop at another tomb - smaller version of the Taj Majal - beautifully carved work

Beautiful work throughout the tomb

The incredible Taj Mahal!

Two Babcias visiting the Taj

More views of the Taj

Some of the beautiful in laid gems in the walls of the Taj

Monkeys all around the Taj

Red Fort in Agra

Humayuns Tomb