R and L Share Hotel with Goat

Jaipur Album

Jaipur

Ranthambore Album

Ranthambore

Agra Album

Agra

Shanti Lodge, Agra

Hard traveling.  We may have hit a paradigm shift in our travel standards.  We checked into a hotel in Agra last night (recommended by a fellow-traveler) and decided to improve our position by moving to a better hotel across the street this morning at 6:00 am.  We had to step over a goat up tied up at our hotel’s alley entrance, and we barely noticed.    And as Roger observed, “There may be goat tethered at the doorway, but we can still see the Taj Mahal out the window from our bed.”  Words to live by.

Since our last BLOG update we visited Jaipur. The morning we arrived, Roger was out scouting the neighborhood while Linda slept off an overnight train hangover. He heard an unexpected, “ROGER!”, and spun around to see a couple we had met back in Cochin, last month. At this point, they were our oldest friends in India, so we had a great time hanging out with them. We had a few adventures (monkey temple, parade dancing, and palaces), then had our big splurge to the Tiger Den Resort at Ranthambore National Park.  It may have ruined us for the rest of India.  Clean sheets, functioning electricity, beautifully manicured grounds, swimming pool. Not only did they provide towels, BUT THEY BROUGHT US FRESH ONES TWICE A DAY! Cleanliness was never so exciting.

We did a couple of wildlife safaris and were lucky to see a leopard on one and a tiger on another.  While it was thrilling to see a tiger in the wild (a rather indistinct view of the cat taking a stroll some distance away), the real thrill was the convergence of jeeps jockeying for position to show their guests the best view—a wild ride with shouting and cursing and fender benders.  More exciting than the tiger sighting, to be honest.

Now we’re in Agra-- visited the Taj Mahal this morning, Agra Fort tomorrow, and then a night train to Varanasi for the holi celebration. We are excited, but are getting weary. India has been at this for a lot longer than we have, and it is winning the battle. People crowding into our personal space is less charming that it was a month ago. For crying out loud, stop touching me!! Sheesh!!

Still an incredible adventure, but the grit is getting to us.  And the noise.  And the fights with the tuk-tuk drivers.  We have seen so many incredible things, but consider:  is there a limit to how many women you can see carrying loads of cow shit from the fields balanced on their heads before it loses its charm?  There is!

On to Varanasi!