So I realized I haven't really posted much on here as far what we've actually been doing, besides being stupid Americans, so hopefully I'll be a little better at that starting now!
Now, it's really hard for me to upload pictures onto Facebook from this little iPad, so I decided I will leave the picture uploading on Facebook to Mary, and I will just post a bunch of pictures on here!
WARNING: THIS IS A VERY, VERY LONG POST. But it's mostly pictures.
So Monday morning we left Mumbai to fly to Jaipur to begin the real touring part of our trip! Jaipur is known as the pink city and it was lovely. I loved it there. Our hotel was really fancy and the hospitality was simply amazing. Everywhere everyone is so hospitable! They want you to be well fed, comfortable, and hydrated. Even at some of the shops, you walk in and they ask you if you want anything to drink, complimentary! Such service! I love it. When you first get to the hotel they welcome you with a red dot. We loved that.
So our first day in Jaipur our driver took us to see this beautiful Hindu temple! A monsoon had just passed through, so the sky was amazing. Here are some pictures!
When you go to the temples you take off your shoes. It's highly unsanitary, but kind of fun, especially after it rains!
The temple is made of marble and everything is hand carved. It's so amazing how intricate it all is. Blows. My. Mind.
Grandpa being pensive.
HAND CARVED.
THE SKY. It was so pretty.
I love my grandpa!
Our cute driver Kundun! We loved him.
Then Mary and I decided to be Lord Krishna...half way. Too many arms.
After we went to the temple we were done for the day. The next day (Tuesday) we went to Amer fort and "ascended the fort" via elephant back! It was crazy. Unfortunately we were being followed the whole time by a bunch of guys trying to sell us stuff. So that was kind of distracting, but it was still fun.
See the guy with the umbrella? HE WOULD NOT LEAVE US ALONE. His starting price was 1000 rupees, and by the time we got to the car, yes he followed us the whole way there, he was down to 200 rupees. Scam artist.
The view was amazing.
And so were the gardens inside.
Beautiful.
Oh I forgot! Before we entered the fort, we met a snake charmer. I don't remember what his name was, but the snake's name was Carlos! Yep. CARLOS.
Mary and Carlos.
Then the charmer decided to put his turban on me. Yummy. Luckily, I don't think I have lice. . . . .
After we left the fort, we saw some guys with the camels! Unfortunately, they didn't have the licenses to let people ride the camels legally, so we would be breaking the law....but they let us sit on the camels for a picture! And that was terrifying enough. So unsteady!
Then we drove around the city for a while and did some sight seeing and shopping! It was like 100 something degrees outside and we were dying, so that didn't last long. But I got myself a sari!! Actually two...and I love them both. So pretty.
Most of the buildings in the old city Jaipur (there is an old part, and a new up and coming part) are a pinkish shade. They call it the Pink City. Oooooo. Fancy. Jaipur was the first major city built in this area and the king's first palace was pink. So everyone else followed suit. It's really cool, actually.
The architecture here is seriously amazing. It's so intricate and detailed.
As we were leaving to go back to the hotel, we saw this sweet little boy waving at us.
LOOK AT THAT FACE.
Look at those faces. And the skinny, dirty little bodies. I just want them.
That concluded our day in Jaipur, and the next morning we were off to Agra! But not without taking a picture with the funny door greeter at our hotel in Jaipur first!
It's so humid here that the second you walk outside, your lens fogs up for a good five minutes. You wipe it, and it fogs again, wipe it, fogs again. So we just took the picture mid-fog, hence the weird borders.
Check out that beard!!!! Sweet.
So off we went to Agra! It was about a 4 hour drive in which we saw lots of interesting things. Like 181 cows and 16 peeing men. We also lots of beautiful people and colors.
HEY BOY HEYYYYYYY.
That morning we asked grandpa if we would be stopping along the way, or if we would just go straight to the hotel. He thought we would just go to the hotel. So Mary and I didn't care what we looked like. Thus, I wore genie Jasmine pants, and she wore her wolf shirt.
Wellllllll. . . . . We ended up stopping at a place called Fatehpur Sikri. We had a tour guide that thought he was a pro photographer and carried my camera with him the whole time snapping pictures of us, and the fort. He was a real treat. A stinky treat. He also gave me his card so I could email him the pictures he took. . . . .of us and the fort. Yeah, not going to happen.
So here are some pictures of Mary and I being and looking absolutely ridiculous. As I'd we don't get stared at enough already, our outfits just made it even worse that day. And grandpa is just cute as always.
Our favorite picture, because I look like a minion and she looks like a giant.
Reminder: the guide had my camera the whole time and was posing us. . . .
Behold the creepy guide.
Can you tell that we are sick of the pictures yet???? And it was approximately 562 degrees that day. Thankfully the genie pants are breezy. Wolf shirt? Not so much.
Inside the fort there is a beautiful white temple where you are supposed to make a wish. On the walk to the temple, this cute boy was trying his very hardest to sell us his postcards. I wanted to bring him home, too.
He and his flirtatious friend.
And their other friend. So sweet.
We gave them candy. . . . After we gave them a germ-x wipe of course.
When you make the wish, you lay down a cloth, throw some flower petals, and then tie a string through the holes of the window. For some reason, I always forget to make a wish when I do these things. Like blowing out the candles on my birthday, always forget.
And tying our strings...
We got to wear cute little hat things. Magical.
After a long hot while there, we left to finish the drive to Agra.
Once we got to Agra we just relaxed and prepared to go see the Taj Mahal for sunrise the next morning! Can I just say. . . . It was amazing.
The sun had already risen at 5:43, but you aren't allowed in until 6am. But it was still beautiful. Again, the architecture just blows my mind!! Here are some pictures from that. . . .
The main gate to the Taj.
Cute sweatiness.
Necessary tourist picture.
Reflection.
Is this real life?
Yep. This happened.
Little booties once you get up to the Taj.
It's hard to meditate with swarms of flies EVERYWHERE.
Mary and the Taj.
Love love love. Love my grandpa, love the Taj Mahal, love this experience.
It was amazing.
And so was the amount of sweat dripping down our faces. (It was already 90 degrees at 6am).
And so was the pool at our hotel. So refreshing.
Such a nice swim!
Yesterday we went to Agra fort and sweat half our body weight.
I spy with my little eye. . . . The Taj Mahal.
Curse you fog, but it was still pretty cool.
The history of this fort is really interesting, but I'm sick of writing and ready for bed.
Here is sweaty Mary and I as we left Agra fort. Yay cuteness.
We left this morning and drove to New Delhi and tomorrow we will be sight seeing! Sunday morning we fly to Chennai to work with Rising Star Outreach and we couldn't be more excited, since the work we will be doing there is the whole purpose of this trip.
Hope all is well in America or wherever you are reading this! Eat a PB&J and a big fat hamburger for me!
Namaste!
-Kir
P.S. You'll have to forgive my spelling, grammar, and any other things wrong with this post. I'm too tired to proofread.
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