Continued again. . . my last for the day. I apologize for this being so segmented, but I can only post a few pictures per entry.

Indian Traffic
It was amazing what you'd see on the street: cars, enormous goods carriers, camels, oxen, bicycles (sometimes loaded with bundles at least 10 feet high), motorcycles, three-wheeled auto-rickshaws, bicycle-rickshaws, cattle, pretty much whatever you can imagine. However, I never did see an elephant. That's my mom sitting in the bicycle rickshaw.

Delhi pics continued. . .

The India Gate
The India Gate is an archway in central New Delhi. I believe it was built by the British, but I'll look it up the guide book when I get home and update this entry when I have internet again. It was surrounded by a beautiful park with a small pond where people can rent paddleboats. There were tons of people picnicking and enjoying their afternoon as we wandered through.






Humayun's Tomb
Humayun's tomb was actually built in the 1600's before the Taj Mahal. It was built by Humayun's wife as a token of her love for him. (The Taj Mahal was built by the next emperor, Akbar, to demonstrate his love for his wife. . . it's all pretty romantic actually.) Humayun's tomb is found in Old Delhi while the Taj Mahal is in Agra, where Akbar moved the capital upon his ascension to the throne.

Life continues as usual. . . chaotically. I returned to Madison from home, and, of course, our cable isn't working which also means we have no internet. So, here I am at Panera, fulfilling all of my online obligations.

My brilliant plan to share my India pictures via blog has not gone smoothly, but I refuse to give up! (Julia and Hillary- These are dedicated to you!)

The Baha'i House of Worship
It is also called the Lotus Temple (for obvious reasons), and it reminds me more than anything else of the Sydney Opera House. The inside was incredibly serene, and any who believe in a higher power are invited to worship there.







Indian Dancing
Mom and I spent an evening watching some traditional Indian dances. I can't for the life of me remember what they are all called, but we had a great time! Everything was brightly colored, graceful, and beautiful. The dancers wore bells on their wrists and ankles (first picture) and created music along with a drummer and vocalist. The third picture is of a dance that reminded me of Uncle Tom's Cabin from The King and I.

2:11 am, 7 August 2006

Hooray! I am finally done traveling. And, of course, my body clock just doesn't know which way is up. So I'm wide awake at 2 am. Not necessarily a bad thing though. . . it's a good uninterrupted time to download my pictures and organize my thoughts from the trip.

I am thrilled to be back in Wisconsin. In the waiting area for our plane from Detroit to Appleton Mom and I sat next to a group of friendly women discussing the best recipe for rhubarb tarts. . . aaah home!

And as promised (finally) here are some pictures from my trip!
Starting with Delhi. . .
Qutb Minar


The Qutb Minar was built in the 1190's by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the Islamic successor of the Mughal empire. The main tower (minar) is 239 feet tall and 46 feet in diameter at the base. At first, Mom and I weren't sure we were going to go see the Qutb Minar, thinking it was "just a tower." However, we met two sisters from Seattle on our tour of Agra who highly recommended that we go, with the statement, "I just couldn't stop looking at it." She was right. It truly is an inspiring structure, and it is made even more so by the stately ruins around it. The pillars in the picture on the left formed the courtyard of the Quwwat-al-Islam mosque. The black metal pillar (shown in the archway with me in front) dates from the 4th century to honour the Hindu god Vishnu. The iron pillar is mysterious because no one knows how it came to rest in its current location, nor how it has remained rust-free for over 1,600 years. Visitors who stretch their arms backwards around in the pillar (in a sort of reverse hug) will supposedly have good fortune, but I couldn't try, since it is now fenced off.

Hmmmm, having trouble adding more pictures to this entry, so continue with the next post. . .

Mom and I are having a fantastic time in Delhi! We have seen almost everything there is to see in the city, and we will finish up the sight-seeing tomorrow. We've been to various monuments, temples, tombs, etc., but descriptions of those can accompany the pictures later on. Yesterday, Mom and I took a tour to Agra, the city with the Taj Majal. It was a fun day with two sisters from Seattle and an older couple from Barcelona. The bus ride was 4 1/2 hours there and then 4 1/2 hours back, but every second was worth it. The Taj Majal is indescribably breath-taking. I have never seen anything to match it. I can't wait to show you all my pictures, but there is no way that they can do it justice.

I hear that it is almost as hot at home as it is here. . . and at least I have air conditioning here (although I still miss 306 Chamberlain Ave!). I'll be rejoining you all in the heat of Wisconsin on Sunday, the 6th. Our plane (hopefully) will get in around noon!