No stop in India would be complete without a stop at the Taj Mahal. Arriving to Agra at 7:30am, after an 12 hour overnight train, we definitely felt like we had become Indians. Our sleeper car was regular class and at a minimum was shared with 74 other sleeping individuals. It actually ended up better than we thought as initially we were only given 1 sleeping berth to share for the duration of the ride (now imagine if that is how they booked our ticket they must have done it to others as well, that is why previously I stated a minimum of 74 people since that only indicated the number of berths/seats on our train car).

Not wanting to waste time we decided to take a side trip to the vacated city of Fatehpur Sikri. Built to be the capitol of the Mughal empire in the late 1500s, a shortage of water made it impractical and it was shortly evacuated after the death of Emperor Akbar, the city's builder. With most of the hype focused on the nearby Taj Mahal, we were pleasantly surprised by the restoration and architecture of this grand, ghostly, capitol. For us the highlight was Jama Masjid, a spectacular mosque, and the marble tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti which is located in the courtyard.

Of course in India the journey is just as exciting as the destination and we decided to have a bit of fun by taking an autorickshaw for the 80km round trip. Traffic head straight at you, sights, smells, and the auditory crescendos are unimpeded without the barrier of glass and metal that is provided by during bus or car transport, making it quite an adventure. Of course this exposure means more staring, more harassment from street beggars, and direct inhalation of exhaust, but also more smiles and quick conversations.

Waking up at 5:30 am on Christmas Eve, we arrived at the Taj Mahal just as the gates were opening. Being with relatively few other tourists, our first glimpses of this Indian icon loomed over us in the pre-twilight darkness. Not regretting getting up for this sunrise, we were able to perch our selves on a bench directly in front of the Taj Mahal, as the first rays of daylight illuminated its bone, white marble surface. No amount of hype can exaggerate the magnificence.

The love story behind the Taj Mahal further enhances its beauty - you should definitely read more about it here.

After calling home, eating breakfast, and grabbing the first train towards New Delhi, we found ourselves engaged in great conversation for the whole 3.5 hour duration of the trip, with a group of mid 20 something guys headed north of Delhi for their first experiences of snow. Thanks to them we were able to capture on video a true Indian head waggle. They reinforced our love of traveling and joy of being in India.

Once in Delhi we decided to treat ourselves to a midrange hotel, which for the first time in months we got a regular bed with sheets!!!!!!! Other highlights of the hotel included free Indian buffet breakfast, as we are still trying to get our fill of Indian food.

December 1st - 2nd
Mumbai

December 10th - 11th
Udaipur / The White City

December 12th
A Side trip to Kumbalgarh fort and Ranakpur Jain Temple

December 13th
Jodhpur / The Blue City

December 14th - 15th
Jaisalmer / The Golden City

December 16th
Random Stop : Bikaner and the close by Karni Mata Temple

December 17th - 20th
Pushkar / Important Hindu Pilgrimage Center

December 20th - 22nd
Bundi

December 23rdth - 24th
Agra

December 25th - 28th
New Delhi

Nuances of India

Volunteering in Mizoram