The Adventures of Brian & Julia

We haven’t made much of a secret of the fact that India has been rough, so it should come as no surprise that we cut our time there (and our expensive, non-refundable tour) short. We did manage to exit in grand fashion, however, taking in the Holy City of Pushkar, as well as the quintessential India sight, the Taj Mahal.

Pushkar was much like the rest of India that we’ve seen so far- Temples, cows and chaotic street markets. We did have some fairly spectacular views from our hotel’s rooftop restaurant, including the holy lake (currently only a semi-sacred mud puddle) the town is built around. Overall, Pushkar was interesting, but we were frankly ready to get out of India. Note our cynical expressions…


We feel a little guilty for not liking India, but damn if we didn’t try…

Agra was really a perfect place to end our travels in India. Not because it’s some paradise built around one of the world’s most famous monuments, but because it seemed like the pinnacle of everything we liked and disliked. Hassle, traffic, pollution and the ubiquitous staring men form a gauntlet around the Taj. Even getting into the Taj is an exercise in patience. After standing in line to be metal-detected, patted down and bag-searched, I was turned away for the contraband in my bag- an Ipod. I had to walk 2 blocks to the locker room, pay 20 rupees for a locker, then walk back to the gate to stand in line and be checked again. Apparently any electronics beyond cameras and cell phones are prohibited. I’m at a loss as to how me listening to music on headphones (which I had no intention of doing, I just happened to have the Ipod on me) is somehow more disruptive/disrespectful than the dozens of people shouting into cell phones.

Anyway, all complaining aside, the Taj Mahal really is an impressive sight, and we were glad to have seen it. You can’t take a bad picture of it, and the surrounding grounds are nice as well. The whole experience seemed pretty typical of India- Amazing sights requiring amazing patience and resolve. What saved it for me was really the photos I got. Sure, there are millions upon billions of pictures of the Taj Mahal, but these are my pictures of the Taj Mahal, and I love them.

All in all, we’ve agreed we’re not sorry we came to India, but I don’t think either of us will be back. It seems petty to complain about a trip that so many people would love to take, yet so few ever can. I hope that with time the bad will fade and the good will be what we remember. I also know that sometimes the bad stuff makes better stories. Either way, we feel proud that we came here, and I suppose that is travel’s best reward.

Next Stop: Bangkok, Thailand!