Indi...Ah!, or Day 63 in Agra, Delhi, and Doha

It is weird to think that 24 hours ago I was at the Taj Mahal.

That also explains why I'm exhausted now.

Going this morning was worth it; I'm very glad we stayed in Agra for an extra day. I was up at 5:30, then waiting by the the West Gate when they finally opened it at 6:45.

The marble that the Taj is build from is translucent, according to Max, which explains the different colors it takes one in different lighting. The morning one is by far my favorite.

I wandered the grounds for a few hours, then walked back to the hotel to get Max, get our things, and get breakfast.

Then, the hours of travelling started with a few minutes on a tuktuk, then five hours on a bus to Delhi.

That five hours includes a rest stop, which has my official "worst bathroom in India" title. It also included puchina-flavored chips and "Tasty Tomato Fryms."

We got to a road right on the southeast outskirts of Delhi, and paid another auto-rickshaw probably a bit more that what was fair to get us to Max's aunt's house in the southwest.

I got an hour at the house, searching for and finding the backpack I had left there and raiding the fridge for leftovers.

I was cutting it close when I left the house at 18:00, since I was supposed to be checked in my 18:30. The cab driver got me there in record time.

However, Delhi airport has this convention that travellers must have print-outs of their bookings. Since the printer at the house hadn't been working, I had nothing.

I raced downstairs to the Jet Airways office, but was then directed upstairs. When no one was there, I prayed as I went back down that they would just give me the print-out instead of making me run back again. The agent, thankfully, gave we what I needed to get into the check-in desks, albeit a few minutes late. No one said anything, and I made the flight.

A few more hours until I was in Doha, getting picked up by Abdalla, seeing some friends, and feasting on shawarma. Home, sweet home.

While driving around today, Max and I saw "Indi...ah!" painted on the side of a bus. It was ambigious, so I'll offer a few different ways that I read it.

"Ah" like "Aha! I discovered something" : this interpretation is what I thought after I got India "figured out" on the second day. However, things never ceased to surprise me. At times, such as when biking through Rajashtan, I felt like an explorer among the people.

"Ah" like "AAAah! Help!" : this interpretation is what I thought about India while staying in some not so pretty hotels, while getting heckled on the street to give money or buy something, and when kids would grab at my bike or clothing.

"Ah" like "Aww, that's cute" : this interpretation was while I was around well-behaved children, who stared but didn't talk. It was the feeling I had when a family shared their sweets with Max and me at the Elephant Festival.

"Ah" like "Awe, pure awesomeness" : this interpretation came with the forts and the Taj Mahal, as well as the sunrise and the boat ride. I was blown away by those opportunities and sights.

"Ah" like "Ahhhh, a refreshing glass of water" : this interpretation came after we bought any 15-rupee bottle of water, and after showers at night.

"Ah" like "A...B...C..." : this interpretation didn't help us, since the majority of the signs were in script, which we couldn't pronounce.

"Ah" like "Huh? I can't understand you" : this interpretation happened a lot with rickshaw drivers and hotel owners. Every so often it happened with Max too.

And lastly, "Ah" like "I can't believe I just went to India." : this interpretation is by far the truest. And I am so glad to be home now, and thankful for this way of life. I didn't get a chance to connect with any Indians or very many other tourists while I way there, but I know that some winter, I'd love to come back to the south of India, and go through the jungles, waterways, and beaches.

I'm not done with India. But I am done with this blog post and ready to fall into bed.