This weekend, I met up with an intern from another field office for some sightseeing in Delhi and Agra. In a series of electronic mishaps, in between packing and arriving in Delhi, my a) ipod, b) phone charger, and c) camera battery ALL stopped working! I almost cried when I looked at the Taj Mahal, got out my camera, and it wouldn't turn on! Luckily, Walker (my travel buddy) was very generous in taking approximately 5 million photos this weekend - which he's promised to send to me, and I promise I'll send to you!
Fortunately, my little Flip Video camera held strong - here is a clip of the most magnificent thing I have ever seen.
Seriously though, it was WILD to see the Taj Mahal - the entire complex was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his third (and favorite) wife, Mumtaz Mahal. I felt like I was peeking into an extraordinary love story - Ms. Mahal must have been a very special lady!
After the Taj Mahal, we toured a rug-making facility. Apparently, in Agra, the government has subsidized handcraft industries and outlawed factories and other pollution-causing industry. This is in order to protect the gleaming white marble of the Taj Mahal (only battery-operated cars can drive within 2 km of the Taj!). So the rug-making facility I visited has been in this certain family for centuries, and they still sheer the lambs, dye the wool, draw patterns, string looms, and tie each knot by hand! Check out this artist at his loom:
The rugs were absolutely gorgeous - come visit me in Cambridge in the fall, and you can see one!
I spent the 4th of July sightseeing in Delhi: the Red Fort, Humayan's Tomb, Purana Quila...so much history and culture! And...I ate street food and didn't get sick! Chapati and dal never tasted SO good!
Since I have a rare internet connection, I'll share:
The view from my roof at the new flat!
I'm working from home today...there is a country-wide transportation strike today because of a hike in gas prices...not a taxi or auto rickshaw in sight!
XOXOXOXOXOX
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