The Jet Lag Days

It has been a whirlwind few days since I arrived in India early Thursday morning. I worked for most of the day, but left early to catch a flight straight to Dehli for the long weekend. Here are some first thoughts

'A New Delhi Every Day' -

-Delhi Airport advertisement

Wher as I wasn't there long enough to really judge the veracity of this statement, I had to appreciate the good copy. But, in fact, at our pace, for the two days we were there Delhi seemed to reinvent itself every few minutes.

You could stumble over a pile of rubble and into the swank United Coffee House . You could hop over sleeping beggars and fight off unscrupulous 'travel agents' near New Delhi Train Station and then find yourself walking serenely through the Red Fort gardens. You could be walking quickly through a slum, and then find yourself at the gates of the enormous and elegant Jama Masjid. Rickshaw drivers could be crooks and lie about museums being closed to take you to their friend's craft shop or they could be your best friends, joking about monkeys and cows having a place in Democratic India, or telling you that you resemble a Bollywood super star ( you decide: Ben Clark, Shah Rukh Khan).

Delhi was a trip, but a fun trip all in all. Other highlights included the must-see Qutb Minar, the Lodi Gardens, the National Museum, and Humayun's tomb.

The White Marble Anniversary

Sipping a newspaper wrapped beer, I watched the last light disappear over the Taj Mahal. There are some landmarks in a couple's love: going steady, the first kiss, the 'L' bomb, the engagement ring, something made of gold after 25 years. But Shah Jahan was the only person in the history of the world to take 20 years to create a monument to his wife that ranks with the most iconic buildings of all time, and that, hundreds of years later, people from all around the world still flock to in order to snap novelty photos of them pretending to hold up the building from its cupola. The Taj Mahal has to win as the most enduring symbol of love in human history.

The ambition and romance of the Taj appeals to me and I I should try to out do it. But being a bachelor, I would have to chose one of these three loves for the subject of my monument.

In all seriousness, the Taj Mahal was worth all the hype. It is a beautiful building with a good story. When we were having our beers on the roof top, I kept on saying to Carrie 'I can't believe I am having a beer and looking at the Taj Mahal. I. Am. Sitting on a rooftop. Having a beer. Looking at the Taj Mahal!'