The Taj.

One of the most recognizable features of India is The Taj Mahal. I had the opportunity to visit this fabulous place the other day and absolutely loved it, even though getting there was not so fabulous. We decided to go to Agra by car, so we had to leave around 6 am to arrive by 10:30. That doesn't sound like a terrible car ride, but in order to pass from Delhi to Agra you have to go through Faridabad. Not only Faridabad, but Faridabad during winter.  Though it may be the home to Aston Martin, BMW, and Rolls Royce dealers, the rest of it is basically dirty slums and smoke. (What ever you do, don't open your window! Ever!) Beyond Faridabad you basically drive through more slums, haze, and the occasional rice farm.

When I finally arrived into Agra, I realized that basically The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort are the only things in Agra. Besides that, there are some really nice hotels; though, all of them were dedicated to pushing tourists see those two sites. We didn't even go see Agra Fort, since apparently it is just like Red Fort in Delhi (fabulous, but not worth seeing twice) and nothing compares to The Taj afterward.

After picking up our tour guide (which I strongly suggest anyone does), since even though I took a semester of Indian Studies, you just need someone to explain the complexity of it to you, we dropped off our car. In order to avoid pollution near The Taj, which stains the marble, the government has mandated that no gas or diesel vehicles can enter a certain vicinity to the complex. So, after leaving our car with our driver we took a battery powered auto rickshaw. Even the battery powered auto rickshaw wasn't allowed to take us all the way and we had to walk the last stretch of land.

Then there's the security that everyone has to go through before entering the complex, and as our tour guide said "rules in India are meant to be broken", so everyone went through the "high profile visitor" line even though we were clearly not "high profile visitors". However, even that was unable to dampen my spirits since once you walk through the security line you finally feel relaxed. There is greenery everywhere, a welcome change from Agra, and massive gates surround the beautiful palace that barely peaks out above the fences.

Once your through the gates, everything becomes ethereal. The Taj is so beautifully sculpted and in pristine white marble that it seems impossible to be a real structure. Of course everyone is crowded around to take that post card picture, and few actually seem interested in the history. Upon finishing those photos, you slip on those shoe covers and voila you don't have to take off your shoes! It's absolutely nothing like Slumdog Millionaire with children stealing the tourists footwear.

With the booties your allowed to traverse the palace and see the fake tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, since the real ones are underground. Inside it's pretty small, but outside its amazing and you get a great view of the Yamuna river from that high up. The whole no cars thing actually does help the smog quite a bit and my breathing wasn't impaired that much.

Overall I enjoyed my trip to The Taj Mahal, even though Agra isn't the greatest city in the world.

I enjoyed going there, especially since I know I will probably never have the chance again to go see The Taj again. I  strongly encourage anyone to go visit The Taj Mahal since it is truly a breathtaking structure - just go by train.

The Taj - in all its greatness

Side view!

The relaxing banks of the Yamuna

Christmas in Delhi

The holidays are usually a difficult time of the year - family and exorbitant amounts of food combined  rarely ends well. I have celebrated the Christmas season in such different countries, with such different cultures that I have learned to adapt rather quickly to the differences and recognize the similarities. One similarity I have found remains true no matter where I go - hope. Perhaps, this is only common in my family, but something tells me this is the spirit of the holiday season. Somehow, the holiday season has brought everyone important to you together, so you can celebrate all you have done that year.

Whether it's a move to India or just managing to get through the past year despite all that the trials you encountered, the holiday season is a time when people share their recollections and hope for a better new year. This holiday season was especially different for me since it was the first time in my entire life that I didn't spend in a country where the majority of the population actually celebrates Christmas, or what they believe to be Christmas (Cuba is a special place...). I mean, sure the mall has tinsel everywhere and our house is decorated, but there is that indescribable element that makes your heart feel warm and content, and you recognize that it is actually Christmas.

I hadn't even realized I was missing that element until Christmas Eve, until I walk into mass and smell the incense burning and hear people crowded on the pews singing "Silent Night", when I realize just what I had been missing all this month. Somehow, the Christmas spirit managed to permeate the thick smog of Delhi in that little chapel and kindled that hope I had been missing.

India truly is incredible and I hope that I can share all my experiences of India with the world. I had a great deal of stereotypes coming here, and being here shattered my mind and left me utterly confused for the first couple weeks. I'm no expert concerning India, though many times I act like one, and I hope by the end of my time here I will be able to say I changed what others thought about India as well.

Happy Holidays!

(I promise I'll get my posting of my visits to Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan up soon)

The Advantages of a Driver

(Firstly, I would like to apologize for my lack of blogs. Exams were rather stressful, so I was unable to go around Delhi and visit many sites. However, now I am free and plan to go around Delhi as much as possible and maybe even make more posts than my previously promised once a week.)

Having a driver in the U.S. sounds a little snobby. Having a driver in India seems like a no-brainer, unless of course your not aware of the traffic situation in New Delhi. I have been complaining quite a lot recently about India, mostly regarding the traffic. However, now that I have had the experience of having a driver, I fret I wont be able to go without one again. Now my complaining feels so petty, what was I complaining exactly for? Now that a driver has been invested in, life is so much simpler!

Today, with the aid of a driver, we managed to visit: Red Fort,  India Gate, Qutb Minar (for the 2nd time!), and still have time for a little shopping in Khan Market. At first, I was a little skeptical about visiting Red Fort, especially since there is one in Agra and we will be visiting Agra very soon. Although, Red Fort surpassed my expectations in the most important aspects; beautiful architecture, amazing photography, a rich history. The only real downside was the amount of trash on the UNESCO World Heritage Site, but hey that's everywhere in India. I highly suggest, if anyone visits Delhi to make Red Fort on the top of their list.

India Gate is a little different. In my opinion, it looks just like that Arc de Triomphe in France, except there are a lot of Indians everywhere. Try taking a picture of your family, and school kids crowd around the photographer trying to snap pictures of their own. I mean, come on! India Gate is great, I would just suggest not going there on a weekend or during winter, since that's when it's crowded the most.

My mother and all the other people taking pictures of my family

I'll spare you my opinion of Qutb Minar, since I have already blogged a whole post on it. However, I don't think many of my readers are aware of Khan Market. Khan Market has been ranked both Delhi's and India's costliest strip market. Stores range from common brands with large showrooms such as Nike and The Body Shop to small, little known Indian shops with dirt floors. One place I always visit in Khan Market is Fabindia.

Fabindia is an India chain store, selling garments, furnishings, and fabrics all in the comfort of a large showroom with air conditioning and a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere. You could buy kurtas for half the price at Sarojini, but then you would have to face crowds (which entails pushing and shoving). The choice is yours, but I think Fabindia, though expensive, is the way to go when you want to buy Indian clothing, but still in the relaxed western atmosphere you can find at high end stores in the west. 

I suppose that's all for now, I'll post about my Agra trip soon!

India Gate!

Inside Red Fort

Outside of Red Fort

Qutub/Qutb/Qutab Minar

Forgive me! I am two days late with my blog, but I had quite of bit of homework. Hopefully this still counts, since I had a valid excuse...

Well, yesterday I traveled to the Qutub Minar (or Qutb Minar or Qutab Minar). I had to do a little research for school on the minaret, and in all the books I found it was spelled differently! I think I'll stick to Qutub, since it was what appeared the most, but who knows? Getting there was the difficult part, since there was traffic and the tuk tuks (as always) were rather annoying.

Although upon arrival, after entering the actual Qutub complex, I exhaled. The sight of the huge 72 meter minaret was breathtaking, especially knowing it was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. No scaffolding, no cranes and yet they still managed to make the world's tallest stone structure in the world! The Qutub Minar has withstood earthquakes, lightening bolts, and the wear and tear most structures deal with over 800 years, and yet it still stands majestically.

Before I moved to India, I was a bit ignorant of the Indian landmarks. I knew there was the Taj Mahal, and I assumed that was about it. I had little knowledge of the Indian history before the British colonial period, and didn't even think that India had been ruled by any dynasties, let alone the Moghul Dynasty. It was one of the greatest that has ever ruled India, for under the Moghul rule India was at its finest, riches were everywhere!  The greatest examples of the Moghul rule and India's wealth are the most famous landmarks in India - Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutub Complex.

What's more, is that in the Qutub Complex there isn't just the Qutub Minar. Iltutmish's tomb is there, along with multiple Mosques, the ruins of the Alai Minar (supposed to be double the Qutub's height, but the ruler died before it could be completed), the ruins of 27 Hindu and Jain temples, and the monolithic Iron Pillar from 400 BCE. If that isn't enough, behind the Qutub Complex is the Mehrauli district that also happens to be full of ruins. This trip, if anything, has taught me that when Indians have the ability to do something, they go all out.

Here are a few pictures of my trip:

The Qutb Minar

Me and the minaret!

Intricate carvings on the minaret

Iltutmish's Tomb

The white marble was imported from Persia!

The Hiatus is Over!

Life seems to have been getting in the way of my blogging, but fear not! I have a trip to Qutub Minar (the big minaret in Delhi) coming up, and I hope to share my experiences of it with you by the end of the week.

Hopefully you can start expecting a blog every other Friday, so I can really share my experiences of India with the world. India truly is an amazing place; often I am rendered speechless by the complexity and foreignness of it all. At times you want to pull your hair out, since things might not get done as they do in the West, but I have learned to appreciate India for what it is - a beautiful, exotic land.

Mahatma Ghandhi Believed in Equality for Everyone - Minus Reporters and Photographers

Hopefully, teenager wannabe photographers aren't in his definition of photographers. Even though I do enjoy taking good pictures, I understand exactly where Ghandhiji was coming from now that I'm in India.

National Monuments are generally going to have some similar, unspoken rules in most countries you visit. Usually, there are a few locals trying to make a quick buck, but they aren't quite so in-your-face out of respect for the national monument. Other touristy areas that are not national monuments: beautiful views, a world renowned flea market, etc. tend to be loaded with more pushy locals.

Of course, in a not-so-far-away land where elephants rule road and no one gives a damn, that's not the case. Those people are hounds! If you look remotely foreign (and I'm Panamanian, so I don't that foreign) the men will hound you until you agree to take a picture with them. If you disagree, they will follow you, and then stalk around you to try and capture a picture with their cell phones. Sure it's a great ego booster, for the first ten minutes. However, after an hour I was tired and annoyed, and now have an inkling of what it's like to be followed by paparazzi. Trust me, it doesn't seem so fun.

On the bright side, I did manage to shoot some cool portraits of a man charming a snake or some girls in traditional sarees - for a price. Another unspoken rule in India, seems to be that money will be made as simply as possible. So, if you are taking a picture of a man charming a snake he will probably ask for money, and after lots of bargaining you will discover 50 rps isn't worth a mediocre shot of a snake near India Gate. I suppose I can't blame them for how they act, the caste system really is the culprit, but that's a discussion for later.

So where does an amateur photographer go for interesting portrait pictures? Generally, you can get away with little kids who just want to see themselves on the screen, as adults tend to be the more greedy ones. Or, invest in a zoom lens and capture all the portraits you please from far away, and save yourself 50 rps every time you go out.

I've learned what I can get away with

Revenge of the Tuk Tuks (and I get a little political)

Driving in India can be stressful, there is no doubt about it. Even sitting in the back seat, listening to the tuk tuks honk like crazy, cut cars off, and just do what they please with no regard for anyone else can tense your shoulders up so much. They are always there! Just when you think they're gone, "BAM" another one appears. By the end of the drive, I came to two realizations: tuk tuks are annoying and it really is no wonder that India is the birthplace of yoga, they need the relaxation. 

I'm pretty sure they're car cockroaches.

While I'm listing things that bother me on the road, I might as well add in, what I have dubbed "car tappers". Any car stopped at a red light brings flocks of children and adults, sometimes trying to sell you things, sometimes just trying to beg. It really is a shame to see the children there, willing to do anything for just a couple of rupees. Whether you politely say "nahim" or turn your head the other way ignoring them, they just continue to tap on those car windows.

So then I thought to myself, is this what capitalism brings? Could capitalism be to blame for the creation of tuk tuks and invasion of beggars? Or on a deeper scale, responsible for poverty? Would a socialist or communist society be better? I had the experience of living in a communist country, and after I left I was sure that communism (like tuk tuks) was evil. Seeing those children though, running barefoot on the dirty Delhi roads with matted hair and torn clothes, makes me second guess myself... 

Of course there is an upside to capitalism too, just visit the five stars in Delhi. Once you step in, it's as if you have entered a new world. A world, where everyone's sarees are jeweled and suits freshly pressed. If you ask for it, it will come - the concierge will make sure of it. All the commotion of the outside world, seems so far away. Would you give up $200 sunglasses and eating gold-shaving sprinkled brownies, just so the there would be less poverty?

Don't hate, but I honestly don't know.

Feeling Worlds Apart in One World

What if we were all just from one place, one place full of a countless number of people, places, and things. A magical place, where everyone does have one thing in common, one thing which overcomes the differences that divide us on a daily basis. Perhaps I'm a bit of a dreamer, but I like to believe this place already exists. 

Some people have a fairly small view of the world, wanting to move onto the next place before they can enjoy where they are. I have always thought of things a little differently. Just because we can fly around the world in less than a day, doesn't make it small. In fact, this planet still has a lot of land for us to explore. 

So, why are we sending people off into space when we have barely scratched the surface of all the places in this planet? Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. There is still so much for us to learn, so much culture on the earth that many are willing to ignore! 

Living in India, I aim to truly experience this place as best as I can. I will admit, in previous countries I failed to enjoy them as I now know I should have. (Being hung up on the lack of food, is no excuse!) I vow to make this planet, a little closer, by sharing all my experiences. From how comfortable the traditional Indian clothing is to what the Taj Mahal really looks like, I plan to bridge the gap between the cultures and make places worlds apart realize there's just one world.