The Taj

I'll start with some pretty persuasive evidence that I actually went to the Taj...



Our first view of the Taj Mahal was actually through the gate. We awoke at 5 to see the marble change color in the sun's light. It truly was a stunning site.



Another good reason to go so early was to avoid the crowds. Though this shouldn't have been a problem during Monsoon season/intolerable summer heat.



I'm going to spare you a history lesson because no one probably reads this to learn about the history of India or the Taj Mahal. But there wasn't anything particular that made my visit to the Taj any more exciting than anyone else's (there are between 2 million and 4 million people who see it annually).

So I'll shall conduct a list of things that I found interesting while there:

-The love story of why the Taj Mahal was built is truly beautful. But I promised no history lectures so if you want to look up the story yourself you can.
-The symmetrical perfection of the building and gardens is unbeleivable. The moguls had to have been geniuses to plan some of the stuff they figured out to do.
-Our guide told us that the Shah who built the Taj as a tomb for his dead wife planned on building himself a black replica of the Taj Mahal across the Yamanah River as a symbol of the hardships of life. This isn't actually true but it makes a really nice story for him to tell tourists.
-There is a mosque built next to the tomb so that the Shah could have prayed after coming to visit his dead wife. Oddly enough, he wanted to build a second mosque just so that it would look symetrical. The problem is that mosques have to face Mecca. So there is a non-functioning mosque that actually would have functioned as a guest house.


The Arabic and Islamic-Persian-Indian combination of art and architecture is truly stunning. I truly appreciate the Moguls.

Agra

So we spent two days in Agra at the beginning of the week. Agra is a good four hour drive from Delhi going South East.

In Agra we visited the tomb of one of the Moghul kings (also known as the baby Taj Mahal), Agra Fort, Sicandra, a carpet making factory, and the Taj Mahal. Our visit was topped of by a stay at the Jaypee Palace (one of the nicest hotels in Agra).

Our first stop was Agra Fort which is a beautiful structure built by the Moghuls in the 16th century. It is built our of red sandstone and is truly quite beautiful. Look at the intricate carving. This was done out of one piece of sandstone.



View from the courtyards.





At the Agra Fort there is a beautiful courtyard that looks out over the Yamanah River. It also looks out over the river to the Taj Mahal. So we had our first view of the Taj from the Red Fort. It was far away, but looked beautiful still. Here is our first taste, and this will be your first taste before I post pictures from the Taj itself.



Our last stop was the baby Taj. Basically it made us want to see the real Taj and it also had monkeys. Tht monkeys tried to attack us. Luckily we ran. Or the running caused them to want to attack us. I'm not sure.

Monsoon Wednesday

I'm behind on writing up summaries of what I did, and I'm behind on sleep. So I choose sleep.

However, I shall share this with you. I am living in a monsoon. Yes. From June to September it is monsoon season. The most accurate comparison to something in America is hurricane season (though less desctructive). Essentially large rainstorms collect in the ocean and make their way up to the north. This means that every few hours there is torrential raining that can last for minutes or days. It's rather exciting as you never know what to expect in a day, but also rather frustrating in that it is hard to motivate oneself to see a country when it is devastated by rainstorms.

What is interesting is that people here describe the monsoon season as if it is a person. They call it a him. "He's here" is the response to the beginnings of the rain.

So today, he came back. And he came back for a while. After just a few minutes of intense rain the streets were flooded. Not just flooded, but at least a foot under water. It was overwhelming to watch, but just a part of life to those on the street.




We went to a walk to the chemist (read as pharmacy). It had been raining for well over three hours and the streets were under siege from murky brown water sloshing with each passing auto. It was fun to meander the river, especially accompanied by the stares of locals who found our confidence in the water quite humorous.



This last photo is of a guy we saw on our walk. He was showering. With his shampoo, he was using the rainstorm for just what it was. A free shower.

Chondi Chok

My first 24 hours in India were complete immersion by fire. We took bicycle rickshaws to the oldest and most hectic market in Delhi complete with the largest mosque in India during Friday prayers (read as the busiest time to be at a mosque).

The adventure began with a stop at a Jain Temple (which I have no pictures of because you are not allowed to bring electronics inside). I honestly have no clue what it was or what anything meant or how old it was because the man who gave us our tour spoke the most garbled English I have ever heard. It was beautiful, intricate, and exotic and smelled like hundred year old incense.

Next stop was the spice market which was beautiful. The colors of the spices are just stunning (I have some good pictures but this one related to a different part of a story). Also they have premade spice packets to create the curry you want now. In other words instead of having to purchase every different spice to make chicken tikka masala you can now just buy a tikka masala spice mix and it is the correct ratio of spices to make the mix. The largest problem with the spice market was the peppers. Almost all of us ended up in nasty coughing fits because the air is so spicy just to breathe.
At the end of our walk through the market we found ourselves looking down on the largest mosque in India mere minutes before Friday prayer (the most sacred prayer to Muslims during the week). In this picture you can see the Muslim men washing themselves in preparation as other men begin to line up in the mosque for prayer time. It was so comforting to hear the call to prayer. I should say though that the melody here is very very different to the Palestinian one. What can I say, I'm biased?
After the market and the mosque we drove around parts of colonial India. New Delhi, I guess is the better way to put it. We saw the prime ministers building and the picture above is the parliment building originally built by the British but still in use by the current government. It's late here so I'm going to cut this short. But I'll say this. I'm not overwhelmed by the poverty here. I've seen pretty shocking conditions before so I felt ready for that. What I wasn't ready for is the juxtaposition of wealth and desperation. Mansions (or at least what would be considered mansions here) with Lamborghini's are built on land that is right next to a highway and under the highway are ten tarp tents with malnourished children bustling in and out of them. A man with expensive shows walking with the latest blackberry will pass starving men as he heads to his armored car from a hotel. There is no division. I'm yet to figure out how I feel about this. Anyway. Monsoon starts soon.

India and New Hair

So first night in India went smoothly. We arrived at the airport at 11:10ish to hoards of people. Made it through security smoothly. Retreived our bags and walked outside only to be met by people sleeping in the airport gardens, cars that had no regard for lanes, and people who seemed to know a dance through the waiting area that we didn't know.

Our bags were thrown on the roof of a van and we were off on our first drive through Delhi. Dad, I now understand what you meant when you said people draw no connection between risky behavior in driving and a need to protect life. It seems on Indian roads that everyones motivation is to throw off the others on the road in an attempt to be the first to where you are going. I've felt like I've been in places where people struggle with road law but never quite like this before.

Anyway, night one went well. Laura and I are roommates which makes for freshman year fun all over again. The heat is much more intense than anticipated. But the heat and humidity makes for a brand new hair style. Afro hair.

Also, I may have an early victory against jetlag. I choose the completely deprive myself of sleep for 36 hours option. This made flights boring (thank goodness for the mix that James made me) but on the up side I fell asleep last night at 1:30 AM and slept until 7:30. I now feel wide awake and raring to go.

Old City adventures and a few million people

So today was the beginning of classes. To start with I am already behind. Well in my defense, everyone is behind because we didn't get our textbook for the class until today and we had reading due today. So it's not my fault. And as soon as I finish this I am off to read until I fall asleep.

Classes went well. I'm not going to lie, it's somewhat (read extremely) difficult to focus when the classroom looks out on a spectacular view of the Old City. But I did. I did well on my first quiz in Emmetts class and didn't fall asleep at all in my other class (which was impressive not because it was lengthy but because of sleep deprival).

Last night I stayed up all night planning what I was going to do today when we were let out. Let me tell you this, it paid off. We weren't allowed to leave until 3 today because of prayer on the temple grounds. We left almost immediatly to run to Alladin's money exchange. He is this adorable old man who lets BYU students cash checks at his shop. As he is doing an exchange he says "I trusts you. You no look like a Jack Mormon." I got 300 sheckles and was off my merry way with about 10 people following me.

My itenerary was as follows. Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Seplechor, and the Western Wall. Check, check, and check.

We got to Damascus gate right as the world's largest human trafffic jam started. Literally hundreds of people were pouring out of the city. My group got split up but 6 of us remained and fought the crowds for a good twenty minutes. It was great people watching,

We got to the beginning of the Via Dolorosa right as they were starting. It's the organized walk that Christ took on his last day. You start at the chamber where Christ was sentenced by Pilot and stop at 14 places over a half a mile where he did other things (for example, started carrying the cross, fell three times, hugged his mother, was hung, and was buried.) All along the way are monks and nuns who chant and pray at each stop. A man who played the role of Jesus picked up at stop 6 so we followed him through the rest of the city.

The last 4 stations are all in the Church of the Holy Seplechor. The last station is supposedly where Christ was buried. We were standing in front of it and my friend Brian pointed to this corner near the tomb and told me we should wait in line to get in. So we waited in line and were actually let into the tomb. As soon as people saw you could go inside hundreds of people lined up to wait.

The tomb was tiny (as could be expected) but it was fascinating to watch the meaning it had to people who beleived it actually was where Jesus died.

The Church is famous for being home to many denominations. Everyone sort of fights over ownership (more like who gets to use which rooms). There were Eastern Orthodox's, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Ethiopians. Everyone. And they all have their own bells. Which meant at 5 we heard about a million bells all ring at once.

Out of the church we wandered our way to the Western Wall of the temple mount. This is where Jews come to stick notes in the crack of the wall as prayers to God. We were getting there right as Shabbat was starting so all the orthodox Jews arrived to bring in the Shabbat Bride. It was beautiful. We watched for 15 minutes or so.

I can't beleive how Jewish I must look. Not only do people at the center ask me if I'm Jewish, a few times people have begun speaking to me in Hebrew on the street. I guess that's fair because Hebrew is their language. But they do it as I stand in a crowd of tourists with blond hair speaking English. It's quite bizzare and I never know what to say.

On the way out of the Western Wall we tried to get onto the Temple Mount. Dumb attempt. Israeli guards stopped us at every possible gate. I will get up there eventually though. Count my word. I will.

Anyway. Tonight we had brownies which was the first American food I've had in a while. They were good, but honestly I would prefer baklava.

I think I'm off to bed. Or more like reading/waiting for the Rammadan parties to be over so I can sleep. Still hoping that all is well in the US. I really hope CA hasn't burned down like how people say it has here.

Much love to all.

PS. Mom I met Marie yesterday. She says hello and sends her love.

Jerusalem or bust.

I’m actually here. As unreal and unbelievable as it often feels, I have to keep reminding myself that I am in Israel. Right now while typing this very sentence I am under an olive tree looking at the Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sephlicer listening to a call to prayer on one of the minuettes a few blocks away. Yeah…

The flight yesterday was uneventful. We flew from SLC to ATL and then ATL to TLV. Due to the luckiest of scenarios, I was bumped to first class on the 12 hour flight across the Atlantic Ocean. This was a perfect scenario. I got a lazy boy for a seat that converted into a bed as well as three feet of leg room, a comforter, two pillows, travel kit, and a plethora of fine foods (including salmon in a garlic glaze, tomato Florentine soup, shrimp with avacado, fine cheeses, and a design your own ice cream sundae).

Upon arrival into TLV I was the first off the plane, the first through passport control, and the first out of customs. The last first proved to be the most problematic. I do get mistaken for a Jew quite often. Of course arriving into the Tel Aviv airport meant that at any point when I was not surrounded by blonds from Utah I was being bombarted by people assuming I was here with a program called Nativ (essentially an Israeli birth-right program which pays from Jewish kids to come to Israel).

I made it into our bus without being taken home by one of the Nativ programs and we spent an hour on the bus headed to Jerusalem. We passed the old city, Iraeli officers with Uzi’s, wine country, Hebrew University. Finally we got to the center which is absolutely stunning. Imagine a Hawaiin resort mixed with beautiful architecture a mere mile from one of the most influential cities in the world (on a historical aspect). That is where I will be living for 3.5 months. From my apartment I look out on temple groupds, the wailing wall, all that is the old city as well as a beautifully quaint Palestinian village.

After an orientation (and dinner) last night I finally managed to bed. Due to jet lag and just general exhaustion I fell right asleep. At around 4:07 AM this morning I was awoken immediately. A faint sound outside suggested that it was the Islamic call to prayer. Due to a rush of adrenoline I sprinted outside to hear in the distance all these beautiful male voices blending in choir of Rammadan prayers. Almost immediately after getting outside the minoret closest to us began their prayers. With the city all light for prayer hour, I just sat outside soaking in all I could for a few minutes before I tried to bed again. Unsucessful at the least.

This morning we had another orientation, breakfast, and a walk around the old city. We walked through the Palestinian town that the center is located in, past the Northern walls built by Byzantines 1500 years ago, through Jaffa Gate past the temple mound, around the city. All along the way we met Palestinians who are some of the center’s favorite vendors. Jimmy, Saladin, and Ef all seemed somewhat desperate for our business but having not exchanged our money yet, we were all useless to them. We walked under a tunnel that Sharon had used as a launching point for an attack in Jerusalem. Above the tunnel were Israeli flags. Under the tunnel in an apartment were the photos of Palestininans killed in the attacks. We continued through the city smelling saffron, baklava, and pomegranates (it’s their season I learned).

Right as we were crossing from the Palestianian district to the Jewish district we happened upon two men arguing. Each had canes in their hands and seemed very riled up. Our professor told us to walk quickly but as we walked past it turned into an all out brawl. Old med attacking eachother with canes and umbrellas yelling in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. What started as two men quickly escalated to five and I ran. I was running in the direction of Israeli army men headed towards the battle with rifles longer than my arm. I’ll never know how it ended but it was definetly an experience I’ll remember forever.

Speaking of the Israeli army, they are everywhere. I have seen more green combat suits and uzi’s then I can ever remember. And UN peacekeeping trucks. I knew there was a conflict there but I guess I forget that it is still quite relavent. On our way into the Jewish district we saw buildings with holes in them from the was of ’67. Palestinian boys threw pop ‘ems at us as we passed through. Anything we purchased from a Muslim had to eaten elsewhere as not to offend them from their fasting ways for the day. Life here is intense but quite quite beautiful.

I can’t leave the center to explore till I have a security card to use as identifaication for the army here. So I am stuck on my patio looking out on the old city. Since starting this entry the prayers havn’t stopped. It’s as if as soon as one minoret is done another starts a few meters away. It’s beautiful though. Almost enchanting a little.

I’m off to take a nap I think.

Much love to all and hope all is well back in the States.


PS. I biked 12 miles today on a stationary bike. Hopefully this will do two things. First it will encourage my weary body to sleep better tonight. And second I will keep working out every day.