Life Changing Words Ministry

President's Journal

November 27, 2006 – Delhi – 7pm

Yesterday was pretty calm.... A nice subdued church service – wearing my fancy suit (kurta), I apparently out-Indianed the locals. Hopped into car—this time, an SUV, so more comfortable than some of the previous ones—for the ride back to Delhi. Bill and I dropped off at Gene's so we could go to Agra on Mon. Eaten alive by mosquitoes – including bites right under eyes, which are still painfully swollen. Alarm at 5am for 6am car to Agra (Taj Mahal): 3 hour car ride. When you look at most American world maps, India doesn't look that big... until you start riding between cities in a car. [Someone pointed out at some point in the trip—after this entry, I think—that if you tilt India on its side and plop the southern tip on the US Eastern Seaboard, northern India would hit the Rockies, and the east/west coasts would touch the north/south US borders... ie, it's BIG.]

We "did" the Taj Mahal – we park about 0.5km from campus, get guide, ride rickshaw-bike, buy tix. The tour felt a bit jilted to me: the things that I, alone, would have looked at a long time, we scurried by, and vice versa. Ushered out back gate to marble trap. Bought souvenier "Taj-style" coasters, supposedly made the same way as Taj. Bill helped me negotiate – took down from the original "lowest price I can offer" to a little over half-that; it was more than I expected, but it was inlayed marble art. And I was very appreciative of Bill's bargaining skills. There was a little "confusion" over wages vs. tips as we rickshawed back to the parking lot and settled with our guide and pedler. By the time all that haggling was over, I was sick of touristy: originally, we were going to see the Fort, too, but I wanted lunch first, so a Fort guide took us to some restaurant, which was not bad. Took him back to Fort, and he tried to convince us to tour the Fort, but I was too tired of it. (Also, the hawkers, both there and exiting Taj parking lot, were very annoying.)

Drove back, though Bill had to keep poking the driver, who was falling asleep while driving... which was good [not that the driver was sleepy; that Bill didn't give in to his own tiredness], because as a passenger, I quite readily nap myself, and I wouldn't have been able to be the one responsible for keeping the driver awake. Got back to Gene's at 5 (4.5 hours later... longer drive going back) – we went to "Monday Market" (roving market set up in this neighborhood on Mondays), where I bought a big sport duffel for cheap (thanks to again to Bargain-Bill) – after all my souveniers and gifts, I am in need of extra bag-space, and there's still a lot more trip to come. I am not cut out for bargaining-based commerce.

More guests at Gene's tonight, so Bill and I are sharing a room. Well, I didn't come to India for my privacy. ;-) Tomorrow, will go to money changer, then back to Gurgaon for planned shopping, etc. The plan for Wednesday is for me to get to see Agnes School.

[My scribbling got pretty messy here. I think I was overly influenced by, and complaining about, the large quantities of mosquito poison in my body being combated by large quantities of hydrocoritsone.]