Long Days, Full Days

Today was a long travel day from Agra to Delhi, with very heavy traffic. Now, well fed and ensconced in our beds, we have the TV tuned to Bollywood music. It is mesmerizing and hard to take one's eyes off the screen. We got to the Taj Mahal yesterday before it opened to take advantage of morning light, shorter queues and fewer people. We scored on all three counts and the Taj filled our hearts with it's beauty. Our guide in Agra whose name is Islam, is a very good photographer and knows his subject inside out. An advantage of our early start was being able to go back to the hotel for breakfast and a rest before heading out to Agra Fort. Never having been there myself, I was struck by the intricacy and delicacy of the carvings which were all around. Again and again, our guides have pointed out and emphasized the use of Hindu and Christian motifs as a tool the Moghuls used to stress their acceptance and respect of the culture that existed before their conquests. We squeezed in time to visit Kohinoor, the famous jewelers of Agra. They were gracious enough to show us the unbelieable embroideries which helped to make them famous. Layer upon layer of exquisitely dyed silk convey texture so vividly that the subjects, often wild animals, look alive. Our Agra hotel, the Grand Imperial, was previously a haveli (or home) of a wealthy, princely family. Our rooms were huge with sitting areas, big tubs and lots of hot water. Perfect for soaking in after a long day if you don't mind sitting in rusty water, and I don't. The mineral content of water in Agra is very high which accounts for the color of the water. It is hypothesized that the high mineral content was responsible for desertion of the beautiful sandstone city of Fateh Pur Sikri, as it can cause a multitude of ailments. That was the second stop on our way from Jaipur, the first being the Bharatpur bird sanctuary. We had arrived at Bharatpur in the middle of the day, not ideal for viewing wildlife. We enjoyed the many birds we did see and the bicycle rickshaw ride through the sanctuary. Lots of kids in lots of school groups, all seeming to chatter at the same time may have discouraged the wildlife as well, but we enjoyed seeing them in their various school uniforms. I have contracted a nasty cold from somewhere or other and spent a very uncomfortable couple of days. I am on the mend; left with yucky congestion and a cough. It is good to feel so much better. I realize I have not touched on our time in Jaipur, the pink city. Internet access is not readily available, but I have 24 hours of WiFi. With some discipline I may be able to continue the saga tomorrow morning before going off for a visit with folks from the Church of North India.