hallo!

From New Delhi. Hmmm, international flights arrive at atrocious hours in New Delhi, so even though it meant a long a queue at immigrations, my flight was not the only one that arrived at 1:40 AM. The first day we shopped and went to various markets and I picked out all my outfits for the wedding and bought some presents. The second day was a beauty day. After the relaxing beautiful morning/early afternoon of getting a trim, hot oil treatment, massage, pedicure, manicure, and eyebrow threading, we visited Humayun's tomb, precursor to the Taj Mahal.

After that, I left a plastic bag filled with what seemed like a gallon of vomit on the side of the Indian highway. Welcome to India, gastranomically anyway. I seem to be the only person afflicted with stomach woes. And don't worry mom, I'm still taking Immodium AD, Pepto Bismol, vitamins, and drinking plenty of fluids. I've just progressed today to the extremely gassy phase.

For those of you worried about the dance that a bunch of non-Indians who had no experience dancing to bhangra who then would perform in a foreign country in front of one hundred fifty people, don't worry, we got to do it twice! And no, not because the first time people laughed so hysterically that they didn't pay attention the first time, but as an encore :)

Well, phew thank goodness that's over. Amazing how quickly my appetite returned. Although I still have the bhangra/hindi version of "Pretty Woman" stuck in my head and every now and then I find myself shrugging my shoulders to the beat.

Yesterday we went to Agra, home of the India's national monument, the Taj Mahal. Leaving early enough we managed to avoid a lot of traffic and saw camels traveling on the highway. I used to think driving DC streets was pretty bad with Virginia and Maryland plates running around, especially Maryland plates :) but India's a whole 'nother experience, three wheel rickshaws, bicycles, holiday processions during rush hour, people deliberately going up the wrong lane, cows, women carrying baskets on their head ... I mean utter chaos, usually the people move out of the way when you honk, but the cows take their time. The Taj Mahal was well the Taj Mahal, you've seen the pictures. It's still a sight to see. I was rather amazed that the whole thing is inlaid with semi-precious stones like carnelian, onyx, lapis lazuli, and the like. For a man who had a thousand or five hundred wives, he certainly had his favorite.

I've got two more full days left of Delhi really, and then I'm off to Udaipur for a few more days. Hopefully with less pollution. The guides claim that Delhi gets covered in fog, perhaps, but given the black snot we have been blowing, I think the more appropriate term is smog.

Right now I'm definitely taking it a half day at a time. I haven't quite come to grasp that I have already been on vacation for four days and still have three more weeks left. Work couldn't be farther from my mind :)