Last night...
- Sandra Lins
- Jul 26, 2018
- 2 min read
The trip back to New Delhi was pretty uneventful. We all got back at different times so we had the afternoon and evening to ourselves. Friday we all met for a debriefing with all the other groups. It seems like everyone had an amazing but different experiences. Some were in rural areas and went to several different schools. Evidently there were parades, newspaper interviews, tv interviews and more. What was the same was the appreciation and respect we all received from the students and adults we encountered along the way.
That afternoon we all piled into the bus and headed to Agra to see the Taj Mahal! It was about a 3 hour bumpy ride! We got settled into the hotel and then did a bit of shopping at a local shopping area. The next morning we got up real early to see the sunrise at the Taj. It didn't really happen because it was cloudy but it was still an amazing experience! It's hard to describe but it looks so surreal.....white marble and precious gems! It was built by the same man that built the Red Fort. His favorite wife died giving birth to her 14th child and he had her brought to this site and built this amazing structure. She is buried in a tomb inside and years later when he died he was buried by her side. The tombs you see when you enter aren't actually holding their bodies - those tombs are underneath. Pollution is starting to affect the site with acid rain and air pollution. You can't go to the entrance in a car or bus, you get out of whatever vehicle you are in and take a battery operated shuttle to the entrance. The gardens are amazing and there is also a mosque and several gate entrances. I can see why it's one of the New Wonders of the World!
On the way back to Delhi - we stopped at a friend of Rajesh's. We were fortunate enough to be invited into his home - treated like royalty again! Then we went to the clubhouse of the complex where we had a family - father, son and daughter play traditional Indian music. This gentleman is Rajesh's music teacher. We listened to various types of Indian music and then had a great dinner. It was a wonderful way to end our day as well as have our last night together as a group.

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