Pictures from Delhi and Agra

Okay, so I had intended to complete my travel narrative before posting pictures, but then I got to my brother's apartment in Tokyo and my problem with my browser quitting every time I tried to upload pics into Blogger suddenly disappeared so I will throw some pics up here for you. There's a lot of Taj in this group, because the Taj is like that good-looking friend in every social circle who ends up having their picture taken the most because they just NEVER take a bad picture - even the unexpected ones, they somehow magically are ready for every shot. I took a lot of candids of the old Taj - tried to surprise it, catch it while it was sleeping, or get it with it's eyes shut while eating - but it's a pro, always ready for me.

I'll type up my final installment of my India trip and post that next before putting up more pics. But before the pics, I will tell you a dumb joke that I made up on the lightrail train I took in Delhi:

Q: What did Matt say to the Indian woman in Delhi when he sat next to her and accidentally sat on the edge of her dress?
A: Sari.

...pause for laughter... (two tumbleweeds slowly roll by the screen and someone coughs uncomfortably)

(This dumb joke was inspired by actual events. I sat on the woman's sari, said "sorry" to her, and the moment I said it, a smile came over my face, but the woman didn't seem to appreciate the joke)

Here I am, miffed in Narita airport because my plane is delayed 8 hours!


Here's New Delhi and a kind of arch thing that I don't know the name of because I don't have my "Loney Planet" handy.


Here's a typical street in New Delhi.


Some bicycle rickshaws in Delhi.


A view from my seat on the city bus heading to the bus I would take to Agra.


Some rickshaws in Agra.


A view from my rickshaw on my ride to the Taj.


"Holy Cow!"


Here is the main entrance to the Taj.


The Taj framed in the arch.


And another one.


This is my perfect Taj picture.


But this is my favorite Taj picture.


Close up at an angle. Even in profile - perfect (I hate MY profile - why can't I have a profile like this?).


Okay, I lied. This is my favorite Taj picture.


This is what the marble looks like. The flowers around the base of the Taj are hand-carved and at points are highlighted with a semi-precious stone inlay in flower patterns.


This is what the Taj get's to look at all day - the gardens are so beautiful and peaceful.


This is one of the side buildings next to the Taj - it is balanced by an identical building on the other side which is a mosque. I love this picture because there is something so perfectly balanced between the blue sky, the white marble, and the red stone of this building.


Back in Delhi.

Here is my friend Suvir's restaurant in Connaught Circle. It's called Veda and it's super swank.


These next pictures are of Lodi Garden. These three domes are kind of cool, huh?


Here I am atop the ruins.


Here's a detail of some of the Islamic carving in the archway of one of the tombs.


And another shot of one of the tombs.


Well, that's it for Delhi and Agra. Keep checking for more pictures and the final installment of my travel narrative.