Agra, Diwali, the Taj Mahal, traffic, and people of India

The last three days have been a whirlwind and an experience neither Flo or I ever dreamed we would have.      First of all,  Flo's luggage has not arrived yet.   This makes  US Air look really fantastic in that category!     Flo has been on the phone at length talking to various people trying to find out where her luggage is and when it can be delivered.    The current plan is for it to be delivered to the hotel we will check into tomorrow in Jaipur.    It should be there when we arrive!   More to come on this!

We had a three and a half hour drive from Delhi to Agra yesterday.   We passed through Noida, which is a new town that is being built with businesses, factories, high rise housing units.    This is a large scale planned community about 45 minutes from Delhi.    This town will be very different for the Indian citizens who move there from other parts of the country.   It should be nice.  Driving in India is an amazing experience.    Our driver (Arujn) is in the picure by the Taj Mahal.   He is very skilled and he knows when to be aggressive and when to be patient.   On the roads there are cars, vans, trucks, buses, tractors, donkeys, camels, bicycles, scooters, cows, goats and a little of everything else.   We have only seen two accidents, which we think is pretty amazing!

We passed through agricultural and brick making country and saw lots of farm workers who live and work in the fields.    The houses were extremely poor.   We also saw lots of poor housing both in Delhi, Agra, and other towns we passed through.   The contrasts are wide!    The country is beautiful in parts, and old, run down, and dirty at the same time.    There are magnificent structures like the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort in Agra literally next to slum housing and piles of trash all through the streets.   

The air pollution is ever present.   Most days the sky is grey.  There is no industry in Agra, so the air seems a little cleaner there.   

The Taj Mahal is amazing.     The first view through the arch was unbelievable.    We saw it in the morning and the afternoon.    

We have enjoyed the people here.    This was a big holiday weekend here in India, so lots of families were out enjoying their country.   Everywhere we went there were big crowds and we enjoyed being among them.   I have lots of great pictures!