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Postcard#2     Postcard#3

THURSDAY | January 11, 2007
Agra, India

Louisa and Stan McCleary and Whit and Fran Smith ride rickshaws through old Delhi

Hello!

As we look out of the window of our elegant hotel, just beyond the low hills, the Taj Mahal, emerges from the morning's mist with a pinkish glow. Difficult to photograph; difficult, as well, to ever forget. But we're jumping ahead of ourselves...

A few days ago, we arrived in Delhi. A few of us flew via London; several of us traveled in the opposite direction with a stop in Seoul, Korea and the Whitmores flew some 14 hours non-stop from Chicago. No amount of preparation prepared us for the maelstrom of traffic confronting us as we drove in from the airport: all sorts of cars and trucks, 3-wheeled 'tuk-tuks', rickshaws, cows, bicycles, pedestrians and even elephants, all converging, seemingly without rules, in the busy streets.

Our handsome Delhi hotel, the Oberoi, provided a wonderful base of tranquility and thoughtful service while we explored Delhi the next couple of days. For much of the golden period of the Moghul emperors, Delhi served as their capital. One of the sights we visited, Humayan's Tomb, an architectural masterpiece from the era of the Moghuls, reminds us of their grandeur and is said to have provided inspiration for the later creation of the Taj Mahal.

Delhi also introduced us to India's extraordinary cuisine including wonderful breads, curries (of course), yogurts and vegetarian dishes. One of the highlights of our stay in the capitol was a visit to an Indian home for drinks and conversation. The father of the family headed a prominent Indian think tank until recently while his wife worked for the Ford Foundation. To enhance the evening they invited a charming couple, a noted Indian film producer with his wife, one of India's leading fashion designers. (She recently sold some of her saris to the international fashion model, Naomi Campbell.) Though this was no ordinary Indian family; we were all enlightened by the conversation and wished we could have stayed longer.

Lunch on its way	Girls from Assam

Before we left Delhi, we stopped by the US Embassy for a briefing by the economic, political and public affairs staff. That, too, gave new perspectives on this old, complex and fascinating culture. After leaving the Embassy we began our 120-mile drive to Agra (surprisingly there are no commercial flights to Agra). One would think this would be a matter of 2-3 hours but with the traffic, the journey took nearly 5-1/2 hours.

How can we describe the scene outside our bus window? Once again the cacophony of traffic surrounded us. With horns honking constantly, caravans of camels pulled huge carts filled with cattle fodder; tractors pulled trailers filled with people; women in brightly colored saris worked in the fields or walked by with firewood piled high on their heads; men and children waived to us with big, genuine smiles, others squatted alongside the road cooking their meals over small fires, little stores sold foodstuffs; and vendors piled carts high with brightly colored vegetables, condoms, mobile phones, statues of Indian gods and freshly-cooked foods. While we took one picture we were distracted by two or four or six other attractions that demanded our photographic attention. There is so much to see that India either makes your head spin until it gradually overwhelms you.

Late in the afternoon we walked into our amazing hotel, Oberoi's Amervilas. Each of our luxurious accommodations offered marvelous views of the Taj Mahal. During breakfast hours a musician hammered a dulcimer while a flautist played Indian music in the courtyard. It was no wonder that Amervilas is often rated among the 100 best in the world.

We visited Agra's three magnificent highlights; each of them designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The first of the three, the Agra fort, is better described as the Mughal emperors' palace within massive red-rock sandstone walls. The castles and palaces built in Europe at roughly the same time (15th Century) suffer by comparison.

Girls at the Taj

Next we visited the tomb of one the greatest Mughal empererors, Akbar. Saving the best for last, towards sundown we entered the gates of the Taj Mahal. Occasionally when we have heard about something for most of our lives, when we actually see the attraction, we're a little disappointed. No picture can display the strong emotional feeling you receive when you see the Taj Mahal in person. Many commented that the structure is larger than they imagined. Others were surprised that much of the base of the Taj is covered with inlays of semi-precious stones and that scriptures from the Koran frame the entrance.

We're just starting our journey. Tomorrow we head for Ranthambore National Park to look for tigers and then head into the great cities of Rajasthan. We'll tell you all about it in our next postcard. Most of us seem to have coughs and sniffles but, otherwise, we're doing fine.

Wish you were here!

Paul and Christine Niskanen