The Taj Mahal..then back to Dehli

(Sorry There are not pictures today, our Hotel Charges a separate charge for Internet Service for my laptop, so I am using dad's computer) We awoke at 5:AM this morning and met our guide to go to the Taj Mahal or at is called here, the Taj. A short golf cart ride to the gate and then you wait until it opens which is 6:00 A.M. There is usually a line, but it is very hot and we were ahead of tour buses etc. On some days there are up to 20,000 people that visit the Taj each day. We went in at sunrise and it was a beautiful sight, a spectacular building with incredible marble and such beautiful inlaid jewel. It is much larger than we thought it would be. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and manicured perfectly. It is continually swept and cared for. If you know the story, it is the tribute to the Shah Jahan's wife who was dying. She asked him to show the world how much they loved each other and 22 years later he answered her with the finished Taj Mahal. She was entombed there but his son imprisoned him but did allow him a long range view of the Taj. He later died and his tomb is next to hers but she is Center Stage. It is a spectacular sight..but we could not get off of our minds the incredible poverty that existed everywhere around us. It was such a horrific contrast. As you leave any of these sites, the beggars come with small things to buy and they are agressive beggars... they come after you, grabbing and talking to you for blocks. We are told by our guides to just tunnel vision and walk straight ahead,that it is a huge racket and that they do not want this encouraged, but there have been a few times where we just gave in and gave them money. They also knock on the windows of your car. Today a little boy about 7 followed us selling a book. We at first ignored, but as we got into our golf cart (we were facing the rear in the back of the cart) he held on and started to run. He kept running and following behind the cart. Reed quickly reached into his wallet and pulled out the money for the book. He handed the little guy the money and then went to take the book(this was all on the run)and the little guy pulled the book away and ran with the money. We were amazed but thought, well ok, maybe he can eat today. But our Taj Mahal guide was mad and went back and found the little boy and took him by the shoulders and said, " You are going with me to the hotel and give that American Man the book." He got scared and gave him the book. I will never forget the face of that little boy running behind. People just live around the Taj under tarps and little shelters with nothing. There are more people than you can imagine. We figure we have seen 6-7 million people today and yesterday. We pulled up to one intersection and we said that probably there are more people in the intersection than live in Kaysville. (20,000)It is not uncommon to see in a city's cross street, a Honda, an elephant, a camel and of course a herd of scooters. Entire families ride on scooters and only the driver must wear a helment; children and babies ride between parents. They say that Indian families only have two children because three would not fit on a scooter but I have seen three children and two parents on one scooter. We also saw a snake charmer today and the man played his flute and the snake came out of the basket but we found out that the fangs of the snake have been removed. Of course, you must tip the man....there have almost been more tips than New York. Today I saw camels pulling carts and elephants and monkies...there are monkies everywere, like squirrels but they are mean and a menace, going in windows, trashing homes etc. We have been introduced to Bollywood and it reminds me of High School Musical....but a great escape for the Indian people. Raju and Punita came with us and they were good company and wonderful to spend the weekend with. We have had wonderful guides everywhere we have visited; such smart, bright people with such great senses of humor. We are now here at the Imperial Hotel in Dehli and will be meeting someone for a business dinner. The Hotel in Dehli, the Imerial is my favorite; very classic, British and formal. Tomorrow, Raju will take me to see a few Dehli sites and then Punita will take me shopping to buy a few trinkets...and believe me they are trinkets. I keep trying to picture some of these things in our home, but I can't. We did stop at a shop in Agra that makes marble items with the inlaid jewel like the Taj has and we purchased a table for out by the pool. We chose the pattern and style and it will take 7 months to make and deliver to us. That is all we have purchased; a bit of a big heavy purchase. We leave Dehli tomorrow night late and arrive in New York at 4:30 AM Tuesday. I am tempted to stop and see Ali, but I don't think she would want me at 4:30 AM and it is the first day of her new intership and I know she will be busy. We will be anxious to get home and to be back in the USA.We arrive in Salt Lake 10:15 Tuesday Morning. It has been a fabulous trip; I could never have imagined all I have seen, if I ever come back here is no doubt, I will do humanitarian service, but we're looking forward to our return.....there's no place like home.