India...on business

I'm in India for work. So, most of my day is spent at work. Our driver picks us up at 8:30, we work and eat lunch at the office, and leave between 6-7. By the time I leave, it's dark and, unfortunately, can't do any sightseeing. Might be better for us if Indians used daylight saving time (but…they don't). Indians also eat dinner late. The restaurants in the hotel don't open back up for dinner until 8PM. That means I've been using the gym at the hotel (I know!), cleaning up, and then going to dinner with my co-worker. That's what the work week is like. But, on the weekends I've been here so far, (this and last week), I have gotten some sightseeing done.

Last Sunday I went to Qutb Minar. It's a mosque site. The tall tower is actually Qutb Minar, the rest of the buildings each have their own names. The detail in the sandstone is absolutely gorgeous. I love looking at old architecture, and I think I've said this before, but they don't make beautiful, handmade buildings anymore, and they're certainly not meant to stand the test of time.


After that, we went to Humayun's Tomb. His wife had the tomb commissioned for him after he passed away. He's not the only person entombed there, but that was the original intention. Amazing building, again with the spectacular detail. This is said to be the architectural pre-cursor to the Taj Mahal, which was next on my list to see.



The Taj is absolutely beautiful. We went just after sunrise, when the light is best (and the heat isn't so bad). I was not terribly familiar with the story before I got here (thanks Wikipedia!), but I am now. Beautiful love story, beautiful building. Did I say it was beautiful? If it wasn't so dang hot I would have stared at it all day. I'm going to admit it: prior to learning about it, I thought it was a cool looking big building, painted white on the domes. Um, yeah, embarrassed to find out it's made of white marble with amazing inlayed detail.


After the Taj we went to Agra Fort, which is where the emperor and his court lived during the Mongol rule of India. So cool! It's one of those really awesome palaces that has a moat and a drawbridge and ridiculous rooms and so much extravagance.


I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to see all of this. Many of my Indian colleagues have not been to see the Taj Mahal. Pictures in the album on the right!