Indiaaaaaa

Alright, highlights (in chronological order, more or less)

The Taj Mahal
The Taj mother fuckin' Mahal, people. It was so beautiful that my chest hurt. I cried. I could not stop taking photos. It was just breathtaking and nothing prepares you for it. I had to walk through a "gate" and I could see the Taj through the portal and then BAM! There it is, behind a reflecting pool. I went early in the morning so it wasn't too crowded and I spent ages just sitting and gazing at it. Incredible.

Udaipur
Udaipur is in southern Rajasthan and it is so pretty. The fort/palace was built on a lake is it's considered the most picturesque in Rajasthan. The palace inside was beautiful and I wandered around in it for ages before going on a lovely lake cruise. Also, the vibe of the city was nice. While there was still people trying to sell things every two steps, it was not as pushy as other places I've been. Also, I met Mohammad, the sweetest old man ever. We took a picture together and he gave me his address so I can send it to him when I get home.

Jodhpur Fort
Jodhpur itself is nothing special but holy crap, the fort there is THE fort to end all forts, and that's saying something in Rajasthan. First off, the setting couldn't be more dramatic. Jodhpur is pretty much flat and then there's a huge bluff with the fort on top. Lemme see if I can find a picture....ah, here we go:

Inside, it's just as impressive...and huge! I took the (very excellent) audio tour and went through the whole damn thing.

Jaisalmer Fort:
The fort is not only very pretty but it still has people living in it! It's about 80% Brahmin and 20% Rajput and it's an actual vibrant living fort. Very very cool.

Sleeping in the desert:
Words cannot describe the night sky I saw. It was stars horizon to horizon. I felt like I was in a snow globe.

The Golden Temple:
The Golden Temple is more or less in the middle of a pool in a marble courtyard. It's stunning and very spiritual. It's also busy all damn day, every day. Every Sikh tries to make at least one pilgrimage to the Golden Temple and it's filled with all sorts. There's a ritual just to walking in the temple and it works to create this atmosphere of utter respect and reverence. The priests (wrong word but I don't know what they're called) are continuously chanting from their holy book over the speakers and it's so unearthly. I had to wait for ages in line to go into the actual temple but it was totally worth it.

The lowlights include a wildly disappointing visit to Pushkar, sexual harassment from a chai wallah, and an awful 24 hour journey through the Punjab but why dwell? The good has outweighed the bad and I'm having a wonderful time.