Summer Camp!

Hey all, we're in Merakotla (I think this is how it's spelled) which is in the Punjab state. It feels a bit like home as it's a small town and there are lots of fields everywhere. Yesterday we visited a garden full of flowers that were just starting to bud. I wish we could have seen it in a few weeks when all the blooms would have been full. We also visited a school and a cardiology hospital. Today the team went to the Golden Temple. Unfortunately, I was not able to go as I was quite sick. I needed a day off, so while everyone else was driving for eight hours and seeing the sights, I was sleeping, reading, and sleeping. But I'm better and anxious to look at all the photos!

Speaking of photos, I would love to post some, but we are having some technology issues. Our laptop no longer works, so everything is a bit more difficult. But we'll try to get some more up soon!

Here, instead of being split up, we are all staying together, which is a bit like summer camp. We love all being together...which is a serious blessing! We head out tomorrow and hopefully we'll have some time to get some more posts out.

Here we are at Taj Mahal during our stay in Agra. India. Words cannot describe its beauty. One of the seven wonders of the world, it truly touched each of us and left us mesmerized.

Currently we are in Hisar at the Rotary District 3090 Conference. More photos to come...we promise!!!

Hello Everyone!
We left Agra and arrived in Biwani, Hyana last night. Our time in Agra was wonderful. Seeing the Taj Mahal was such a beautiful experience. It felt so surreal to actually be standing in front of it in all it's glory. Oh yeah, we had a tour guide there that looked like a Bollywood actor who provided a lot of entertainment to our visit. That evening, we saw a play about the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz, which inspired the building of the Taj Mahal. The costumes and dancing were so much fun! We visited Fatephur Sikri the next day,which are royal palaces of Akbar and his three wives. The most interesting aspect of these palaces was to see symbols of Islam, Christianity,Judaism, and Hinduism included in intricate architecture. We had about a 8-9 hour drive to our destination, and it was quite an experience to say the least! Once we reached Biwani, we were greeted by a crowd of rotarians. They had garland necklaces in hand,and blessed us with as they traditionally do with guests. We will start our official tour today. We are going to visit a glass factory, and also going to a service activity where we will teach local women how to sign their names, so they can use if for legal documents. In the evening, we will have visit our first club meeting, and give our presentations. We hope it goes smoothly:)

Agra!

Hello blog readers! We spent today touring Agra, in preparation to tour the Taj Mahal tomorrow. It is closed today, as it is a mosque. We visited the Agra fort, which is very old. It has two moats: one with water for crocodiles and one with land for tigers and other scary creatures. Our host family supplied us with a driver, an escort, and a tour guide, all of which were helpful. We then drove to the Baby Taj, which is exactly what its name implies. It is also a mosque, so we walked around with no shoes. The weather is nice, and there were not many people there, so it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

We have decided that an appropriate theme for this blog would be food, as we've pretty much eaten nonstop since arriving. For example, earlier today we asked for a "light lunch". We were served an appetizer, soup, multiple main dishes, rice, salad, and bananas for dessert. We have considered taking before and after pictures of ourselves to demonstrate the inevitable weight gain!

Today was a day for shopping. At one point, the three girls were sitting on a couch in a store while Woody considered jewelry and Telly was measured for some new suits. Everyone spent some money, some more than others!

Hopefully we'll get some photos up soon!

We've Arrived!

Our team arrived safe and sound in Delhi, last night at about midnight. We were thrilled and grateful for no lost or damaged luggage. After surviving in excess of 24 hrs travelling together (on some very crowded flights) we're certain that our team will be able to "keep it together" for the remainder of the trip. We spent last night in a hotel near the airport and everyone is feeling refreshed...CLEAN...and ready to go. Today we will meet our driver (who will remain with us for the entirety of the trip) and set out for Agra to see the Taj. We will post some photos soon!

Tickets in hand

The team has finally received their ticket for India. We leave Roanoke on 27 January and arrive in India late on the evening of 28 January after a 26+ hour trip. Our first stop will be a visit to the Taj Mahal as guests of the Taj Foundation. The stop will be an R&R before we start our tour of Rotary District 3090 in the State of Punjab.