Day 5: Agra

For my final day in India, I began my day with morning tea at the Taj View Hotel. I had a lovely breakfast tea, in the British style, a holdover from when India was a colony known as the “Jewel in the Crown.” I had jalebis, which are sticky syrupy fried sweets, with my tea. The waiter spoke in Hindi, the official language of India, and luckily my companions could translate.
After breakfast, I visited the renowned Taj Mahal. As we approached, I was astounded by the beauty of this building. It was built by Shah Jahan in appreciation of his beloved wife, Mumtazmahal (meaning “jewel of the palace”) in the 1600s, by 20,000 workers. She died at the age of 39, giving birth to her fourteenth child. My tour guide told us that the color of the building changes based on the time of day that you view it. I was fortunate to see it in the bright morning sun, when it was a beautiful creamy color.
As I approached, I was awed by the massive dome. The entrance is hard to find, but we found it: a red sandstone gateway that separates the building from the world. The guide said that it symbolizes the division between paradise and the world. The original doors were solid silver, but these and other treasures had been stolen over the years. The garden focuses on symmetry, and I spent some time wandering through the greenery,. Then I saw a monumental tomb, although the actual graves are in a private crypt below. My favorite stop was the Lotus Pond, where I took a picture like every other visitor, sitting in the marble bench. The pond, which reflects the tomb, is named for its lotus flower shape.
Finally, I took a taxi to the airport and paid in rupees, the currency of India. My journeys were over for the summer, but I hope to return in the future. Perhaps I will stay longer next time, as the world has so many more adventures waiting!

Day 4: Ranthambore

Today I spent the whole day at the Ranthambore National Park, one of the finest places to view animals. I attended several lectures about the parks history and “Project Tiger” and took a safari of the national park. In the park history lecture I learned that the national park was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1957, and in 1974 it gained the protection of "Project Tiger". The park received its status of a National Park in 1981.
During my safari I noticed that there are many bodies of water in the park so that the animals always have enough to drink. There are many ruins all over the national park, which give it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavor of nature, history and wildlife. The tigers were amazing. I was able to see them hunt in full view. But, personally my favorite animal was the peacock. The way it sprawled out its feathers were as though it was painting the sky. Luckily I brought my camera so I could take tons of pictures.

“Project Tiger” is the effort to conserve tigers in India. Project Tiger has brought the tiger back from the brink of extinction. The population of tigers in the country has increased significantly to about 4000, from less than 2000 at the time of launch of the project. After seeing the tigers and hearing about their recovery from extinction, I thought that we need to do something about our wildlife. I hopped onto a train for my final day in India.

Day 3: Jaipur

This morning I flew to the “Pink City,” Jaipur. The first place I went was very interesting to me, the Dolls Museum. It is a fascinating museum showcasing dolls from various countries in traditional clothing of the country. The Dolls Museum provides insight into the culture of different countries. Some of the types of attire include costumes, bridal attire, classical dance costumes, and traditional clothing. Some of the countries from which the dolls are from are: India, Bengal, Mexico, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Lebanon, Uganda, Britain , U.S.A., Burma, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, China and many more. After visiting the museum I bought a collection of the “Around the World” dolls from the gift shop.
Then I went to an afternoon yoga class at my hotel. This yoga class was developed to learn basic exercises and breathing techniques from a local expert. After completing the class I felt limber and almost like Gumby. Then I had a relaxing lunch of vegetable samosas, a new found favorite of mine.
After lunch an elephant took me to Amber Fort. It was amazing (and slightly stinky) riding an elephant. It was sort of like being a princess in a Disney movie. Amber Fort is beautiful; it is built of white marble and red sandstone. The crystal mirror image of the Fort, on the still waters of the lake, seems to be a beautiful illusion. At first when I saw it from the outside I was disappointed because it looked rough. But the interior is exquisite with paintings of hunting scenes, carvings, and all of the other beautiful features. After finishing the day I hopped onto the train to head to Ranthambore.

Day 2: Udaipur

Last night I arrived in Udaipur and had a marvelous dinner at my hotel, the Fateh Garh. It is a fairy-tale Indian palace with a beautiful view and even a pool. For dinner I had three vegetable samosas and a vegetable curry. It was so spicy that I finished three bottles of water.
This morning I visited the extraordinary City Palace. It was so grand that its main entrance was a triple-arched gate called the Tripolia. Also, balconies, cupolas and towers surmount the palace to give a wonderful view of the lake. The Mor Chawk is the peacock square and gains its name from the vivid blue glass mosaic peacock that decorates its walls. The main part of the palace is a museum with many artifacts.
The last to stop of the day was very interesting. Sahelion-ki-Bari, the Garden of the Maids of Honor, are beautiful gardens were you learn about the lifestyle of royal ladies who once strolled through the garden. This was definitely my favorite part of the day.

Welcome to India Day 1: Delhi

Early this morning I arrived in India, the country I have been looking forward the most to seeing. After leaving the airport, I went to Delhi to see the city’s many wonders. The first place I visited was Humayun’s Tomb. It was very humid because of the rain and heat, but it was worth seeing the tomb. When I entered the building, there were guided tours of the tomb. The tour guide explained that Humayun, the second Mughal emperor, was buried here. The tour guide also told the group that this tomb was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal! It was quite beautiful.
After seeing the tomb, I hopped on a train to the National Museum, a museum with five millennia of Indian history. When I arrived at the National Museum there were many artifacts to see. My favorite gallery was the textiles, a collection showcasing several Indian weaving techniques including: the beautiful gold and silk brocades, intricate embellishment, and even tie-and-dye. After viewing some other galleries I visited the gift shop where I bought an ornate golden Indian necklace with emerald gems.
Lastly, I went shopping. The shops displayed exotic items, from jewelry to music. I browsed the shops for hours before I came to see the item that was right for me. It was a traditional Indian outfit. It was a cream dress accented with pink and beautiful embroidery. It had a matching pink scarf and white pants. It was beautiful. After a long day, I headed onto the plane to go to Udaipur.

Day 5: The Red Sea

After traveling all night, we arrived late and spent the night at the Nessima Hotel, right by the Red Sea. I wanted to spend my day outdoors, enjoying the beautiful natural sites. I spent most of my day at the Coral Reefs, one of the richest ecosystems on earth. The waters are so clear; it is easy to see the life forms.
First, I went scuba diving. The scuba instructors told us that the reef is very fragile and endangered. You can look at it but not touch it. As I started to swim down, I saw the reef wall, which plunges 260 feet. The wall is home to corals, fish, crustaceans, sponges and other marine life. After marveling at the reef wall, I swam a bit and saw a large jewel grouper, a red fish with black dots and a big mouth, chasing a school of spotted sweetlips, which are small fish with blue lips that make a grunting sound that divers can actually hear. I was shocked to see the humphead wrasses, which are huge unappealing puke-green fish. Not only did I see fish, but I also saw other marine life: sea turtle, manta rays and even a shark. That is when I left the water.
I finished my day at the Nabq National Park. We enjoyed a small picnic of figs and cheese and bread. The adults drank local wine. I sited beautiful birds near the water: storks, heron and large birds of prey. After that, I took a train back to the airport and prepared for my final country: India.

Day 3: Amman

I woke for breakfast at my hotel, the Marriott in Amman. We ate at Champions at the hotel and had a U.S. style breakfast meal of chocolate chip pancakes. I reluctantly ate one-eighth of my smoked fish, which is a more traditional breakfast item, and gave the remainder to one of the many feral street cats living outside the Marriott.
Off we went to the Archeology Museum, a small spot with over 8,000 years of Middle Eastern history! I saw skulls, elephant bones, bug-eyed statues and many other amazing wonders. There were gorgeous doorways transported to the museum from the Arab Castle of Qasr El-Tuba in the eastern dessert.
Next, we went downtown to shop. We found some delicious local olives and beautiful gold jewelry. Then we went to buy lunch at the street stands. We ate falafels and then stopped for strong, spiced coffee and honey cake. We went to the art gallery and stopped at the Darat el-Funum art gallery, which is next to the remains of the 6th century Byzantine church. We also stopped at the King Abdullah Mosque, an impressive Islamic monument. I used my respectful headscarf, which I had purchased in Egypt, and we all removed our shoes, as is the custom.