first, new impressions

It is Christmas eve and i am in Agra, still unwinding from the long journey here, and yet constantly being fed sights and sounds and tastes to add to the immensity of this first experience in India. It is a whole other world. I haven't even been able to grasp all, or any of it, but it keeps coming. So as I place it all in my pipe to smoke, I will give some initial impressions:

*the streets--shared (that is an understatement...camels, monkeys, cows, dogs, bicycles, cars, rick shaws, auto rick shaws, water buffalo, all crowd the road, where the sign that reads "lane driving id safe driving" is clearly only a suggestion)
*the Taj Mahal--floats, it stands peacefully above the bussle and commotion below it...indescribable
*the food--amazing
*the vendors--persistent, very persistent
*the pace of life--a rushed relaxed

tonight, back on the train to Delhi and tomorrow, Christmas Day, a flight to Hyderabad...MERRY CHRISTMAS