Dear Friends,
We
spent one evening in Delhi. We washed up after our train trip and
headed out early the next day for Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
Having
seen it in a thousand photos I wasn't prepared to be blown away by its
splendor, but every inch is beautifully carved and we always see it from
a distance. It helped that it was a beautiful afternoon and the
building really changes with the light. Everyone was really friendly.
Indians are justifiably proud of their masterpiece. We left after the
sun set. Tomorrow we would visit Fatehpur-Sikri, the fantastic capital
built over fifteen years from 1573 by the Emperor Akbar, only to be
abandoned after its completion leaving the world's most perfectly
preserved ghost town. It is incredible, built with local salmon red
sandstone with perfect proportions; it is in some ways even more
impressive than the Taj just 20 miles away. We found a local guide who
had hair that matched the sandstone.
We
left early despite its beauty. We had a long road ahead of us. Tonight
we would reach Pushkar where the annual Camel festival had just begun.
Vincent
