We finally made it to India! Our arrival and first few days in Delhi were everything everyone told us India would be like- chaotic, crowded, tons of pollution, dirty, poverty-stricken, with animals everywhere (roads especially), but somehow amazing and mystical - nothing we could really fathom until we saw it for ourselves.
We were greeted by a friend's family and gratefully spent a comfortable first few days in India. This would not last (oh how that did not last), and so for those first few days we enjoyed delicious home cooked food and a friendly home base as we learned to navigate our way through the crowded metro, visited beautiful forts and temples, got lost in Chandi Chowk, the city's oldest bazaar, and calmly (Errol), hazily (Jen) settled into the chaos of India - home to over a billion people.
Next we were on way to Jaipur, Rajasthan for more spectacular forts and ruins. Though we generally joke about going to the movies while in a foreign city or country, we found ourselves heading to see a Hindi movie at one of Asia's largest movie theaters. This turned into a wonderful and unique experience - with the entire theatre charged with the atmosphere of a special event! Despite not understanding a word and without the privilege of subtitles, we got the idea and had a wonderful time.
In need of some time away from the city already we made our way to Rathambore National Park, a place where you have a (realtively) good chance of seeing tigers on safari. It was fantastic to be somwhere calmer and quieter (by India standards), and while we didn't see tigers (to the huge relief of my mother), we did see plenty of deer, monkeys, wild boar, and species of birds that I won't even pretend to be able to identify.
Next we traveld to Agra and the stunning Taj Mahal, where we stayed for hours and took in the view as the sun set romantically in the distance. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, and despite the hype, it completely lived up to and surpassed our expectations. In addition to the Taj, we saw other sites including the Baby Taj, Agra Fort, and gradually prepared our bellies for the delicious and spicy street food that every corner has to offer. So far, so good!
Pictured: Ruins around Delhi, movie theater, palace, and fort in Jaipur, tiger searching, and the Taj.
