excursion return

I'm back! I am going to spend most of today in the internet cafe, trying to figure out how to get my photos on here and also doing research for my independent project.

The excursion was absolutely amazing! We traveled from Delhi-Gwalior-Orccha-Khajuraho-Agra-Delhi again. We saw the Gwalior Fort, the temples of Khajuraho (tantric masterpieces), the Taj Mahal, and Fatuhpursikri (I am butchering the spelling of that). I didn't get sick once, despite the sketchy hotel food, and I maintained a positive attitude! Sometimes that's hard when you are with the same 12 people for over a week.

The good news is that the Academic Director has improved by leaps and bounds. I think she was in her element - telling us about architecture and Mughal emperors and all of that. It was great. She also really loves my particular group of friends. She sat in our van with us on all the car rides (one of which was an extra 3 hours because we had to take a detour when a village abrupted in a mob because of some murder that happened 7 days before we drove through) and sang along to the mo-town and Muddy Waters-esque music we insisted on listening to. For some reason that's the soundtrack to this trip. We are all a bunch of jokesters. Humor is essential in India. That's what I'm finding.

I really want to get pictures up here. These buldings were unreal. The Taj Mahal is, truly, everything one would expect. I have to run home right now to see Aunty's preschool do a play of the Ramayana... but I will post later when I'm back here doing research.

Love to all.