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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.
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