Wonders of the World

Saturday and Sunday we went on a tourist excursion to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri, one of the Capitals of the 3rd Mughal - Akbar The Great, built during 1569-72AD. The Taj is simply amazing. It's huge and truly awesome. It was crowded to say the least when Saturday because it was the anniversary of the death of Shahjahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj for his 'love' wife, so there was a large religious procession going on. The tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal (I think her name is actually longer than that...)are in the basement, but there are replicas on the main floor which are equally intricate and beautiful. I think standing at the foot of it and just looking up is the most amazing view, but taking a closer look at all the intricate carvings literally all over the building almost makes it surprising they could finish it in 22 years. I guess the going joke is to ask your husband if he loves you enough do something as amazing as building the taj for you (which of course he says, "yes, as soon as you die...hurry up!") Mumtaz died giving birth to their 14th child in 18 years of marriage...Anyway, we did venture down to the basement to see the real tombs, but it honestly was not worth it that day. It was a small room with the tombs, but Saturday it was packed with people praying and moving and the walls were all wet (which could have been from holy water or perspiration), there was barely room to move. The Fatehpur Sikri palaces were also beautiful and fun to walk around and hear the history. It's amazing to walk through history.
Upon our return to Delhi I realized that I was strangely happy to be back. I say strangely because I would have to say I like Delhi, but I don't think of Delhi like I think of Chicago, meaning, as a city that I just absolutely love. I think I'm starting to like Delhi because I'm starting to get familiar with it. This is probably a bad analogy, but for almost 3 hours on the bus we were talking about arranged marriages vs. love marriages, and I feel like I'm in an arranged marriage with Delhi and as I get more familiar with this stranger that has just come into my life my affection for it grows. I feel like I've been asked a lot lately if I like India and I just find it to be a funny question to ask...some things just can't be yes or no. Some days I feel like everything is backwards and not worth dealing with, but then there times when I'm completely happy to be here discovering new tings (new to me at least). My favorite thing about India is the people, but I'd have to think for me that's universally true. Anyway, I'm about to start rambling on and on, so it's time I sign off.