Hindi Word Highlight: Janam Din

Translation: Birthday!

As in, happy janam din to my wonderful mother, the woman who inspired (demanded?) this blog.

I love you.

Sometimes, when you live in India...

You pass camels in the street.

It's kind of like when you live in DC and see the presidential motorcade roll by.

You pretend it's no big thing - what, the motorcade? Whatevs. I see it all the time.

But secretly you're super excited.

Best. video. ever.

Turns out I was wrong. You can get another adult to show you what to do in the bathroom. Anything is possible on YouTube.

So in case you were wondering, here's how to use a squat toilet.

The Taj Mahal: a closer look

What struck me most when I was visiting the Taj Mahal was the realization that, prior to my visit, I'd had no idea what it looked like up close.  Exploring the intricate details of the design turned out to be my favorite part of the Taj visit. 

Here are some of the most interesting photos from the day (full disclosure: a couple are from the Red Fort, down the road from the Taj, but the Red Fort was also built in part by same ruler who built the Taj Mahal).

I finally visited the Taj Mahal.

It's big, it's pretty, it looks exactly like the pictures you've all seen.

Train ride to Agra 

Proof!

You can't wear shoes when you're walking on the white marble parts of the structure. Foreigners get to wear these booties, which are included in the (outrageous) price of a foreigner's ticket. Indian citizens just have to take their shoes off and hope they're still there when they get back.

So many lines.

Such a good idea - it was so hot.

Fellow tourists

Lunch

View from where we stopped for tea.

Agra train station

The end.