Morning everyone,  (14/10/06)

      It's 04:45 and we've just got up- we're meeting Harry in about an hour and we are going to go see the Taj Mahal in time for the sun to rise- can't wait!

      Had a fantastic day today- we've seen loads of pictures of the Taj Mahal but it really is breath taking when you see it in the flesh. We met Harry and Arif, (our Taj Mahal guide) at 05:45 and drove a short distance to the entrance of the grounds of the Taj and then walked to the entrance, dodging the tauts, beggars and leppers on the way. Having gone through the tight security we went through the entrance gate and there it was in all its glory- the Taj Mahal really was spectacular!   

      "A white marble tomb built in 1631-48 in Agra, seat of the Mugal Empire, by Shah Jehan for his wife, Arjuman Banu Begum, the monument sums up many of the formal themes that have played through Islamic architecture. Its refined elegance is a conspicuous contrast both to the Hindu architecture of pre-Islamic India, with its thick walls, corbeled arches, and heavy lintels, and to the Indo-Islamic styles, in which Hindu elements are combined with an eclectic assortment of motifs from Persian and Turkish sources."

      "The Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal at Agra stands in a formally laid-out walled garden entered through a pavilion on the main axis. The tomb, raised on a terrace and first seen reflected in the central canal, is entirely sheathed in marble, but the mosque and counter-mosque on the transverse axis are built in red sandstone. The four minarets, set symmetrically about the tomb, are scaled down to heighten the effect of the dominant, slightly bulbous dome. The mosques, built only to balance the composition are set sufficiently far away to do no more than frame the mausoleum. In essence, the whole riverside platform is a mosque courtyard with a tomb at its centre. The great entrance gate with its domed central chamber, set at the end of the long watercourse, would in any other setting be monumental in its own right."

      "The interior of the building is dimly lit through pierced marble lattices and contains a virtuoso display of carved marble. Externally the building gains an ethereal quality from its marble facings, which respond with extraordinary subtlety to changing light and weather."

(Cited in google!)

      So we had a fab time and took many pictures which Mummy Hart will be most impressed by. Harry and Arif then took us to a workshop a short distance away where crafts men were busy at work making replica designs using marble and precious stones that would be used to replace damaged parts of the Taj-m. This is a skill that is handed down from generation to generation, it really is very intricate work and was facinating to watch. 

      We were then of course led into the shop section of the workshop and spent the next hour or so being tempted to buy various marble objects and we did both leave with very small trinkets.

      It was then back to our hotel to have breakfast and check out. We then set off for the long journey back to Delhi, on the way we stopped off at Akbars Temple and then the Jieguru Temple- blah, blah, blah- it's like we are like just soooo bored with all these temples and stuff- it's like enough already!!!

      A couple of hours and another cheese toastie later, (my god- how much are we looking forward to the noodles in Singapore!), we reach the Main Bazaar in Delhi and headed for the Smyle inn where we stayed the first night. By this stage Kirst and I are feeling much more relaxed and confident and are more able to cope with the craziness of the bazaar.

      We reached the Inn but apparently someone had fallen ill so there wasn't a room for us, (just what we needed)- the land lord made a few calls. He then led us through a couple of streets to our new Inn- not quite what we were expecting, this place made the Smyle Inn look like the Savoy. But we grin and bear it, (we both knew we were gonna be staying in a few dives along the way) and ignoring the stains and leaking toilet. We chain our Backpacks to the metal bars across the window and head out for our last meal in India- fortunately we've both escaped the Delhi beli so far.

      We arrive back at the Inn and settle down for the night reminising over the past few days. Tomorrow its onwards to Singapore- can't believe the first leg is over already!!

Love and miss you all,

Kirsty and Julie

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What we thought of India in a nutshell-

      Well what can we say, it's been one hell of an eye opener! We've both really enjoyed the experience and have seen some very interesting and beautiful things. We have had many laughs and have lived life in India (to a very small degree).  

      The parts of India we have seen have been incredibly hectic- and it takes a while for you to become used to the roads. I think we spent the first couple of days with white knuckles- but by day four we thought nothing of driving along in a rickshaw watching cows ambling along the motor way or skeletal oxen, donkeys, camels pulling along heavy carts or two small children riding along side their parents on a little moped! Everywhere you looked there were stray dogs. But, on the other hand (and I don't mean to get all deep on you), how can you really say you have loved a place when all around you there is complete deprivation? We've found just a few days tough and we've been chauffered around for most of the time! But there is no escaping the child beggars and lepars knocking on your air conditioned car window and the stench of stale urine ligering in the air.

      India is so heavily populated with such poor facilities its hard to imagine how things could ever improve for them or where they would start. I can't imagine what these people would think if they could see how we live.

      Like I said before, its been interesting and we are glad that we came here first, the people we have met along the way have been very friendly and hospitable. Being here certainly makes you appreciate the country you come from and what you have, lets hope we always remember that!