Well, we've arrived at one of our final cities in North India: Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Tomorrow morning we'll see the Taj Mahal at sunrise along with a few other sights, hop on a train, and arrive at our final destination in Delhi. Time has been flying; we've been seeing so much and trying to take it all in. Its hard to believe that almost four months in India has passed and this chapter is about to close.
Its hard to convey some of the things that we've been seeing and experiencing but, I'll take a shot at it. I'm up for the challenge.
First stop: Kolkata (Calcutta). This was the embodiment of the stereotypical "India" that most people have. It was full of poverty on a level I have never seen before. There is so much of it that it cannot be hidden; slums are everywhere and beggars literally grab you as you walk by. The pollution is terrible. Not only is your snot black when you blow your nose, but so is your earwax (apologies for the blunt reality). Its hard to breathe and in fact left almost half of our group, myself included, battling a nasty cold because our lungs and noses just aren't used to that stuff in the air. It was a challenge seeing such blatant social problems and it was completely heartbreaking. At the same time, I am so glad we got to spend 4 days there.
Second stop: Varanasi. This is the holiest city for Hindus, and a tourist spot for foreign hippies. It is located on the ganges river (the most polluted river on Earth), where we got to see dead bodies being burned in what appeared to be little campfires. It is also home to one of the only and the largest cannibalistic communities in the world. We watched them eat the ashes of people. Varanasi is also home to many, many cows. I got head-butted by a cow in the middle of an alley and have a nice ol' bruise to prove it. To be quite honest, the town was a little eerie. Again though, I'm so glade we went - it showed such a different picture of India.
Third stop: Jaipur. This city is full of old Rajput (king's) buildings and architecture. It is also home to the current king of Rajasthan. I'm not sure how a state of a democratic republic still has its own king, but this appears to be the case. In Jaipur, I rode an elephant. Enough said.
Current stop: Agra. We just got here, to the home of the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world. No big deal. We'll be viewing it at sunrise tomorrow.
We've been traveling by plane, train, and bus. Its been a crazy wild ride thus far and I'm exhausted, hence the very short blurbs about our trip thus far. I will compose a more detailed description, time permitting. Its crazy to think that tomorrow we board our last train to head to Delhi and then we board a plane home from there. Only 4 more days in India. I'm feeling more torn than ever and of course incredibly blessed to have had this experience. God is so good.
I've been reading Ephesians a lot lately and I'm not sure why - its just so good and I can't seem to get enough. So, I'll leave on this note:
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God [Eph 3:16-19].
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