Delhi

I made it to India. And so far, it has met my expectations. Loud, dirty, crazy traffic, and people everywhere. I spent my first hour getting from the airport to my hotel listening to the nonstop horns. I thought elsewhere was bad, but this takes the cake. Goodness. You must learn to block it out. I think I did to some degree later in the day.

I checked into my hotel and got fed a delicious and filling 2nd breakfast (first was on the plane). I ate so much, that I wasn't hungry for hours. After getting rid of my sweaty travel smell, it was time to explore. I was staying near one of the train stations out of convenience, but not too far from the Main Bazaar. The first thing I attempted was to go to the International Tourist Bureau to book some train tickets, but the wait was taking too long, so I gave my spot away and planned to come back later in the day. So towards the bazaars I went. I pretty much wandered around, making my way in the general direction of the Red Fort. I'm really surprised there aren't more accidents with the number of rickshaws, tuk tuks, scooters, animals, and pedestrians all over the tiny streets (if that's what you want to call them). People everywhere. I mean everywhere. It's no joke that almost 17 million people live here. And it's no joke that you can almost buy anything on the streets. Besides the normal food and clothing, there were large appliances, car parts, towels, flowers, shoes, and anything else you can think of.

One of the many bazaars.

I didn't purchase any items, but did treat myself to a jaleblis, deep-fried dough with syrup. And it was pretty tasty. I've been warned about not eating any street food and certain items throughout India. This place was recommended, so I decided to trust it, like with most places I end up eating at. Since I arrived in Sri Lanka, every time my stomach is a little off, I get nervous that I ate or drank something bad. But then I dismiss it as I can't spend my time worrying about that. And I'd like to think my stomach is strong enough to deal with any minor issues. So far, so good. 

Jaleblis.

I spent some time walking around the Red Fort and exploring the various buildings it consists of. I took in the red sandstone columns of Diwan-i-Am, the white marble of Diwan-i-Khas, and the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), where the British removed and sold the copper off the domes.

The Red Fort.

There were a few people out and about enjoying the site and relaxing. I keep forgetting that I stand out here, not that it's hard with all the looks, smiles, and hellos. I've been asked a few times in my travels for photos and do oblige for the most part. In the Red Fort, I was asked 3 times. The first time I was a bit weary as it was a group of guys at first. I did agree, but then a few others joined, including women and children. So I figured it was ok. And of course I asked for a photo in return. A few minutes later, one of the group wanted a photo alone. I hope he doesn't run off and tell people I'm his girlfriend. But I'll never know. The last photo was with a young girl dressed up in a very pretty blue saree. So many photo albums I'm going to appear in.

Group shot.

After securing my train tickets, I went to look for dinner on the Main Bazaar. I ended up at Madan Cafe, another Lonely Planet recommendation, where I had some veggie biryana and people watched. The food was yummy and the people were nice. They actually had me worried the the Taj Mahal was closed the following day due to Diwali, but they checked into it for me and reassured me that I was ok. After chatting with a guy from Saudi Arabia, I headed back to eat the cookies my hotel left for me and get some sleep.

Dinner on the Main Bazaar.

I feel like I should be getting so much sleep on this trip, but there are periods where I definitely do not. The good thing is that I don't typically feel tired. Probably excitement of seeing such cool places. One of which was the Taj Mahal. I made my way to the train station before dawn to make my way to Agra. I chatted with a nice Indian women around my age on the ride. She was headed home to celebrate Diwali. We found some commonality as she works for a company that designs booths for exhibits, something that I am familiar with. After an autorickshaw ride to the south gate of the Taj, and some tea, a lassi, and food at a nearby rooftop hotel, I queued up for the spectacular Taj Mahal.

Lunch with a view.

I pretty much spent the afternoon wandering around the grounds of the Taj Mahal. And it was pretty cool. Very impressive and large. It was built in memorial for Shah Jahan's 3rd wife, Mumtaz Hahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child. And I thought I had a big family. I took in all the different views leading up to the Taj Mahal and all around it. 

Up close.

Just like at the Red Fort, I met lots of people who wanted photos with me. A range of people for sure, but this family was very charming. They lived in California for a while, and the girl has a pretty decent American accent. They are back in India, but the boy is apparently counting down the days he can go back to the US, and I think NYC specifically. I say apparently as he was very shy and actually didn't speak to me. But his family filled me in of course since they were all very chatty.

Fellow visitors to the Taj.

After taking it all in, I waited for the sun to come down. Due to the smog, it wasn't as spectacular as I was hoping. But the lighting was different and the Taj Mahal looked pretty cool against the white backdrop. 

As the sun went down. 

After I was done looking at the building, I then made my way to Sadar Bazaar area of Agra to take in the Diwali scene before my train ride. A lot of people were out and about participating in the festivities. Lights and candles were all around and there was even a carnival set up for the kids. The area definitely had a fair-like vibe to it. 

Agra Diwali celebration.

I made sure to get some dinner and Diwali sweets while I waited for my train. Eventually I made my way to the train station once I was done exploring. I do wish the train was a bit earlier. And of course it ended up being late. I just have to take advantage of the down time and read or get myself organized as much as I can without wifi. I finally made it back to my hotel in Delhi to pack up my stuff as I had another early train to Jaipur. After finishing off my sweets off course. 

Diwali sweets.