We have been spending these few days site seeing so we will be a bit familiar with the culture. This by far the dirtiest, poorest place I have ever been. It is the same as slumdog millionaire. My heart goes out to these people. I cannot imagine being in their situation - there is not much way they can get out of their poverty. We visited the Taj Mahal - absolutely gorgeous. Imagine how tall and big you think it is and then multiply that by 10 times. It is huge, huge hu
ge. Then we went across the river to the Red Fort where the sultan was imprisoned by his son because his son thought he was crazy for spending so much money on the Taj. I wish all of you could be here to see this "prison"..... the son probably spent more money on the prison than the sultan did on the Taj .. maybe not... but it's like no other "prison" you can imagine
. It is HUGE - like a castle - a fortress, with a drawbridge, a huge "bathtub" out in the courtyard, a seperate swimming pool big enough to entertain friends, a seperate section for all of his wives and children- they had a swimming pool of their own in the courtyard where about 40 people could sit in the pool (kind of like the ledge you sit in in a hottub only much more elaborate. It was all in marble. Imagine the movies of the days of the kings... the king is sitting on his outside throne watching the things going on in the courtyard in front of him... there are huge white columns all around the courtyard.. there are people watching from the second level all around the courtyard - sitting o
n and leaning over the white marble railing between white marble pillars .... that's the Red Fort! The sultan could only view the Taj Mahal from inside the fort. He was there for the rest of his life. On the way to the Taj we rode in a bus - it was about 2-3 hours b/c you can only go about 40 mph. We had to stop periodically to pay taxes or tolls - there were beggars at every stop. At the first one, we saw a cobra in a basket! The second one we saw monkeys on a 
stick! they brought them right up to the bus windows wanting us to pay them money for looking at the cute monkeys. However, they are wild and mean. The beggars tried to get on the bus - opening the windows. Then we went around to the other side of the river where the sultan was going to build a tomb for himself - a mirror image of the Taj only in black marble - he never got to do that b/c his son wouldn't let him so he is entomb in the Taj beside his wife. That is the only thing that is not symetrical - the two tombs. On the opposite side of the river where the black tomb was to be built we rode a camel!!! :) Not too comfortable! I would hate to travel long distance. I will never look at the Christmas story the same again - the wise men coming from "afar" probably on camelback. It was here that we saw a blind boy - just as on slumdog. His eyes looked the same as the movie so our friends that live here said he probably was blinded on purpose. They also said the beggars most likely make way more money than the average indian. the average income is 1 rupee/ day (just less than $1/day) The beggars make way way way more than than from the people feeling sorry for them. It is against the law to give money to them - b/c the govt would like them to go away.
Tomorrow we finally start the teacher academy. We are to build relationships with these fellow teachers and help teach them new techniques. Thanks for "remembering" us daily in your thoughts.
ge. Then we went across the river to the Red Fort where the sultan was imprisoned by his son because his son thought he was crazy for spending so much money on the Taj. I wish all of you could be here to see this "prison"..... the son probably spent more money on the prison than the sultan did on the Taj .. maybe not... but it's like no other "prison" you can imagine
. It is HUGE - like a castle - a fortress, with a drawbridge, a huge "bathtub" out in the courtyard, a seperate swimming pool big enough to entertain friends, a seperate section for all of his wives and children- they had a swimming pool of their own in the courtyard where about 40 people could sit in the pool (kind of like the ledge you sit in in a hottub only much more elaborate. It was all in marble. Imagine the movies of the days of the kings... the king is sitting on his outside throne watching the things going on in the courtyard in front of him... there are huge white columns all around the courtyard.. there are people watching from the second level all around the courtyard - sitting o
n and leaning over the white marble railing between white marble pillars .... that's the Red Fort! The sultan could only view the Taj Mahal from inside the fort. He was there for the rest of his life. On the way to the Taj we rode in a bus - it was about 2-3 hours b/c you can only go about 40 mph. We had to stop periodically to pay taxes or tolls - there were beggars at every stop. At the first one, we saw a cobra in a basket! The second one we saw monkeys on a 
stick! they brought them right up to the bus windows wanting us to pay them money for looking at the cute monkeys. However, they are wild and mean. The beggars tried to get on the bus - opening the windows. Then we went around to the other side of the river where the sultan was going to build a tomb for himself - a mirror image of the Taj only in black marble - he never got to do that b/c his son wouldn't let him so he is entomb in the Taj beside his wife. That is the only thing that is not symetrical - the two tombs. On the opposite side of the river where the black tomb was to be built we rode a camel!!! :) Not too comfortable! I would hate to travel long distance. I will never look at the Christmas story the same again - the wise men coming from "afar" probably on camelback. It was here that we saw a blind boy - just as on slumdog. His eyes looked the same as the movie so our friends that live here said he probably was blinded on purpose. They also said the beggars most likely make way more money than the average indian. the average income is 1 rupee/ day (just less than $1/day) The beggars make way way way more than than from the people feeling sorry for them. It is against the law to give money to them - b/c the govt would like them to go away.Tomorrow we finally start the teacher academy. We are to build relationships with these fellow teachers and help teach them new techniques. Thanks for "remembering" us daily in your thoughts.
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