greetings from agra, india

[mopinko]

hello all. just a short post (?) to say hello and tell you all that we are having a great time. it is something else here. somehow, i do not feel like i am in such a strange place, as i am used to and love the hustle and bustle of the big city, and english is very common here. then again, the poverty is so extreme that it makes the saddest american look like a prince. it is also pretty strange to see people driving camel carts on the highway.
saw my first elephant today, also pulling a cart. you just wouldn't believe what it is like driving here. lanes are sort of a quaint suggestion and the weaving around is nuts. cars, trucks, bicycles, ox carts, camels, pedestrians, ancient buses, and these crazy little glorified golf carts that they use for taxis, all loaded to the point of collapse, all somehow sharing the road with almost zero traffic lights. just a constant beeping of horns, and somehow it flows. people ride 4 and even 5 on a motorcycle, and whole families cram into these little golf cart things, i think the record sighting for us was 14, which included 3 on the roof. on the highway. good thing we have a driver. my head would explode.
went to the taj mahal today and the red fort, which is a crazy mish mash of a place, built by mongol rulers, and knocked down my muslims and brits. heard the stories of the kings and their sons who murdered each other, and all that.
found out that guides guide you to historic sites, and to government approved vendors of rugs, scarves, fine marble inlay, shoes, and other cottage industry products. spending a little too much money on stuff, but just cannot really bring myself to haggle very hard in the midst of such privation. even though the guy we bought some marble inlay tiles from has not missed any meals, the poor fellows working away grinding tiny pieces of stone in the lobby look pretty thin.
anyway, very tired and looking forward to spending a few days in one place. long drive and a plane tomorrow, then 4 days where DH knows some people. he is taking pics at the rate of about a dozen an hour since we got here, so as soon as we get them sorted and up, i will post.
:hi: to all.

ps, folks here don't seem too keen on obama. seems they thought george was an ok guy. they don't like the muslims, either. especially since the bombings here.

[Droopy]

1. Do you think they might like Bush for his humanitarian work in Afghanistan?

[mopinko]

2. they just have been fighting the muslim/hindu battles for 60 years.

i don't presume to talk for too many of them. clearly most could care less about anything of the sort. but i have heard several stories about bill clinton's visit here, and none of those people reacted well to my comments about hoping they would get to meet obama.
they really are going through what we went through after 9/11. every hotel searches your car, every historic site pats you down. (although not all have a female to pat down the females. :eyes:) but the fear is palpable at times. and with so many around with nothing to lose, well.....

[Droopy]

3. I understand

A lot of normally sane people in this country were all for going to the Middle East and gunning everyone down after 9/11.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. thats strange. most people i know in india, were ELATED when obama won,

and indians were huge fans of bill clinton

[mopinko]

5. i am glad to hear that.

i admit my sample is tiny. a few shopkeepers and guides. have seen a few pictures of bill in shops, and heard stories about his visits. yes, he is loved. i am sure that hillary will get that love, and do great work as sos.
but so far no one even wants to talk about obama, and they seem to almost react with fear when i try to bring it up. the fear is quite raw.
so sad.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. hillary was the preferred candidate but i think they were just glad a dem won

i know i got text messages all over india, praising us on on victory on nov 4th and 5th

i think a lot of very severely antimuslim hindu's are afraid that obama will not keep the pressure on pakistan. however, i think not all indians feel that way.

as i said, all my family and friends in india were rejoicing when obama won

[Haole Girl]

7. Looking forward to seeing your pics!

Enjoy the rest of your trip. Remember, political views vary depending upon which part of India you are in. Most Goans despised Bush.

[PfcHammer]

8. Think you mean Mughal rulers

:thumbsup:

[DeepBlueC]

9. same thing

Mughals descendants of Mongols. Mughal originally a mispronunciation of Mongol.

[JCMach1]

10. If you have a stopover in Dubai, give me a shout....

[mopinko]

11. stopping at heathrow, but thank you.

suspect i will be pretty crappy company by the time i am heading home.

[JCMach1]

12. Understood... just did a conference back in Florida

and have been sick and jetlagged since