Hello Friends!
So we had a wonderful time in Agra! There was so much that we were able to do. First, we experienced the adventure of long distance train travel in India. Traveling overnight in a sleeper car is quite an adventure. You wake up to chai wallahs walking down the isle singing their tune to let you know that they are coming with some hot milky tea. You also have the beggers, eunichs and sellers of wares. It is quit the adventure. Once we arrived in Agra we made our way to the hotel that my friend had reserved rooms for us at. We soon realized that all travels in India require that you bring your passport with you! The hotels need verification of your visa and passport validity. So we were quickly on the phone to our friends in Igatpuri to obtain the necessary information. We were lucky that someone was able to sift through our things to find our passports and tell us what we needed to know. A lesson not easily forgotten. :)
After settling in... we soon got to meet with my dear friend, Beka. She played hostess for us while in Agra and allowed us the pleasure of touring the city on the back of her scooter. :) Much fun. We visited the famous Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort, got to go to Church on Sunday morning as well as get a breif Sitar (musical instruments somewhat like a guitar but bigger and harder to play) lesson. The highlight of the trip for me was our encounter with two magnificant creatures. The two elephants were waiting outside our hotel one night on our arrival back 'home'. They were wonderful. We had seen them ocassionaly in our travels throughout the city in the three days we were there and I was secretly harboring a desire to have a more up close and personal visit with them. To our surprise they were just outside our hotel one night. I so much enjoyed just getting to stand by one of them. They are truely amazing animals!
Now we are back in Igatpuri and enjoying the weather.... now that the rains have officially stopped. The sun is shining again and the mold has stopped growing on my suitcase. :) Soon it will turn cold (in about a month) and I have a shawl ready and waiting for the chilly nights. Until then... I will enjoy seeing the sunsets and the stars out at night. Igatpuri is a beautiful green place to live. I am happy to be here now!
