Incredible India, that's what the brochures boast and so far our experience would not dispute this claim. Incredible, literally beyond belief, can have both positive and negative connotations. India is clearly a country of contrasts, from the sights (beautiful countryside vs. dusty, polluted cities) to the sounds (the rhythm of traditional music vs. incessant pleas from the begging masses) to the smells (the soothing aroma of chai or the savory smells of Indian food or the ever present, fragrant nag champa incense vs. the all-too-frequent wafts of human waste on the street). It is a land of extremes that takes you from exhilirating highs to sombering lows, at one moment lifting your spirits, at another knocking you down. An Irishman we met put it this way: "One minute, you'll have the biggest smile on your face. The next, all you want to do is escape from the bloody place..." Incredible India, indeed.

We've seen a lot in our short time here thus far. Upon arrival to the capital city of Delhi we were eased into the country by Mr. and Mrs. Raj Duggal who treated us as though we were their own kids. They fed us scrumptious Indian food, being sure that our stomachs could handle such food. Introduced Jij to the surprising sophistication of Indian Whiskey. They arranged our first big travel endeavor for us and truly made us feel welcome in their country.
So on to Jaipur, capital of the tradition-rich state of Rajasthan and known as "the pink city" (the maharaja had the whole city painted a uniform pink to welcome a visit from Prince Albert). Here we were "taken in" by another family the Aroras. They taught us the sanskrit phrase of "a ti tee devo bhava" which means "guest is god". They didn't just talk the talk, but they also walked the walk. We felt very comfortable at their house, enjoyed very much our time there and were very well taken care of.
We were lucky enough to stumble across the "Camel Mela/Fair" in a town called Pushkar. Here people from all around come with their camels, clad in decorative headpieces and saddles. It's a livestock trading fair along with a religious festival...imagine the Minnesota State Fair combined with a Billy Graham revival where everyone is dressed in their brightest, most traditional attire.
After the camel fair, we headed for some tranquility to Keolondeo Ghana National Bird Sanctuary. Here we reunited with bikes and peddled around marshlands to the songs of painted cranes, kingfishers, parakeets and such. Staying in Bharatpur, just outside of the Sanctuary, put us in good position for a day trip to Agra. The town is a pit and spending any longer than a day there would have been unbearable. An hour was nearly too much for us with the bombardment of touts, beggars, and offending smells. It's a wonder that such a place can host one of the most magnificent monuments on this planet...the Taj Mahal. So, we spent the evening in awe watching as the glowing sunset seemed to illuminate the massive marble monument that sat before us.
Then back to Delhi to enjoy some wedding festivities. And festive they were. You've seen it on t.v., they aren't exaggerating. It was a truly extravagant event (and long, lasting into the wee hours of the evening), from the brides attire, to the horse that the groom rode in on, to the band, the massive spread of food, the colorful decor, and most of all the dancing.
We are now gearing up for a 30 hour train ride in the morning to Darjeeling. There we will drink tea and sit, staring at the some of the tallest mountains in the world including the tallest of them all...Mount Everest. We'll let you know how the tea is when we return.

A big thank you to Nisha and Neelam Malhotra for arranging our stay with their family. Shokreea to Mr. and Mrs. Duggal and to the Arora family. Ham Watis Atay (we'll come back).