Last Day in Delhi.....arrival in Agra(By Josh)

Fantastic last day in Delhi, we explored more of New Delhi which is a whole different animal than Old Delhi. Nice wide boulevards, leafy plazas and less visible poverty though having taken Tuk-Tuks all day we were approached regularly by begging children. And the chaotic traffic, smog and odd smell of garbage or other less pleasant odors still seems to linger occasionally.

who's wife built an architecturally stunning tomb (1633)which was/is so influential that the Taj Mahal was modeled after it. It was truly a magnificent work of art and well preserved with a massive prettified garden surrounding. Something noteworthy, Niki let a nice young Indian couple take our picture where in the past she has been opposed for fear of being swarmed (a valid fear by the way). But the tomb and grounds were quiet, relaxed and it felt fine to let our photo be taken. They were very kind and seemed appreciative.
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We then grabbed a Tuk Tuk and made our way to the well regarded shopping plaza of Kahn Market as Niki has been excited to visit India's premier clothing chain, Fab India! It was pretty rad I must admit, all Indian fabrics with both a modern and traditional style twisted together, It was pure fun, Niki bought some beautiful Kurtas and I bought some linen shirts, helpful staff and just fun all around.
We then hopped on another rickshaw which by this time was getting somewhat exhausting, you tend to feel the pollution after a while on your face, in your mouth and in your lungs. It's a fast and affordable way to get around ( and fun!) but after a long day of it, it does become weary some.
We headed to the Lotus Temple, the Bahai faith's architectural triumph. There are only two million "bahaiers" in India (in a country of 1 billion that is like pocket change)but the temple was impressive. We entered barefoot and silent as per instructed and sat and reflected and in the tranquility. I thought about how long we have been on the road, and how 3 days could feel like 3 months in our current lifestyle. I thought about Delhi's street children and the injustice of it all. I started thinking about all i have seen in every country on this trip and i felt overwhelmed but in a positive way.
We set out on this trip to find what the old man called " the essence of life" and I feel like it is revealing itself but in such an abstract way i cant really describe it. I knew the contemplation or reflection was helpful as for some reason my eyes teared up to which I can't really explain except that i suspect I was taking time to process all i have seen. So temple aside, a place to sit in peace was perfect for us at that time.

Neither Niki or I are religious but anyone who knows us knows we both have a great interest in learning about world faiths. The general concept of the B'ahai faith is to unite all no matter what religion. People are united in this faith through chanting and prayer/meditation from theistic books
written in 1844 by the founder Abdul Baha,which makes me wonder if it is a sneaky way of converting you if the theme is "all faiths unite but follow our doctrine"??
They essentially have taken bits and pieces from many religions and created a collage. Of course, they tried to recruit us. There was a very kind and friendly girl who answered my questions for 30 minutes about the religion as I was curious about its doctrine and origins. However, when she handed me a form and encouraged me to write my email for more information I did, mostly to please her as I had taken up much of her time( she wasn't a guide or anything just a kind volunteer)and already I'm getting recruitment emails with upcoming activities!
Overall a very impressive modern structure. It boasts 27 marble clad "petals" with 9 sides. It is built on 26 acres of serene garden area with 9 large pools around representing the Lotus as a water flower around the structure. Our friendly B'ahai volunteer explained that the number 9 is an
important number in the faith representing 9 gates to connect with God.( the temple also had 9 entrances)

A very charming experience as a whole, both visually, educationally and personally, to have a place where silence was the law was well needed respite for us and reflecting over everything felt healthy.
We had a nice supper with our guest house mates Toby an Barbara at the guest house and are planning to meet up in Jaipur or maybe Udaipur.
We headed to Agra this morning on 4 hours sleep and no breakfast. And
to boot, our aggressive hotel owner, who in the end we quite loathed, I think Niki will expand in her blog but essentially she gave us a very clear sign that unfortunately the caste system is still very alive in India and the way Tannie treated her staff was very upsetting. She convinced us to book our train ticket with her friend ( a travel agent and so she would get a commission and we knew that but she promised quick service and booking online can be a process and we had already spent a lot of time booking trains so for ease sake we gave in.
Well, long story short, 3 hours of a total "chicken train". She didn't book the proper class so we were kicking it chicken style. Which normally may have been more fun but on no sleep or food( we were supposed to be on the class that served breakfast!) it was a little rough. And we were the only foreigners on the train and it was quite early for all the attention( photos etc)

We did however meet a very sweet little girl who spoke good english and just smiled at us the whole trip:)
We are in a small cafe in Agra right now and unfortunately I have a bit of a headache that won't subside. But were going to see the Taj Mahal at 6 am tomorrow to avoid the crowds and are looking very forward to it. However, since we hit Iceland we have been going everyday none stop and have seen some amazing things however we have decided that in Jaipur( tomorrow)
We are going to take a coupe days off and just relax, maybe read a book, or sit in a cafe and people watch. We have 5 days there so no sightseeing for a couple days just plain and simple "being".
Particularly in India where your senses are in constant overload, some peace and relaxation is important, we can thank the Lotus Temple for that:)
Peace all:)