Arrival

We arrived in Delhi late last night after our flight was delayed in Chicago. After an easy trip through customs and baggage claim, we met Ryan; it was great to finally see him and begin our journey together. Ryan took us to the hotel we had reserved for the evening: "The Cottage Yes Please" (no really, that's the name of the hotel).

Today, after about 3 hours of sleep, we embarked on a train trip into central India. I am certain now that I was not prepared for the crush of humanity we have encountered here. India is about as big as the western US, but holds 3 times the population of the entire US. The stench of refuse, diesel fuel, and overwhelming humanity still clings to my nostrils as I write this, and my ears are still ringing with the blare of car horns, animal cries, and truck engines. I can't really describe the sheer volume of people we have been surrounded by today. Even the pictures we have taken can't really demonstrate what we have seen. I'll try to come up with an apt description later...right now my senses are too overwhelmed to do it justice.

One thing is certain; there is a lot of darkness here in India. Jared and I chatted about the lack of respect and value for human life here, partially due to religious influences and partially because there are just so many people....either way, it was difficult to see dogs lying in the street half dead, and people doing the same thing.

* [edit to orignal post]
We travlled to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. It is closed on Friday. This is as close as our tour guide (Ryan) could get us.