Baby Taj

Today I took a cycle rickshaw to a place referred to as the Baby Taj.

The professor on the train said skip it, but the hotel guys said it's a must. So while Rich recuperated on his dose of antibiotics, I wandered around trying t figure out what I could do. I haven't seen a single sign advertising Yoga here, so I decided maybe I should see a site.

The driver Amar told me autorickshaws we're too loud, and so I think he was ready to give me the full on tour of Agra but I asked about the Baby Taj, and we set off.

Baby Taj is a Mughal tomb that preceeds the Taj Mahal, it's built entirely of white marble and it's real name is Itimad-ud-Daulah. (Does anyone else think it's odd to refer to the Taj Mahal as India's enduring symbol of love when it's a tomb? just wondering)

So, when Amar asked, straight off the bat, if I was married, I said yes. (See, Ayelet, I'm catching on) We turned down a few rural looking roads and I thought "Gosh, I'm an idjit. Rich desn't even know where I am." Amar also asked if I had children, why not, how many times I had been married.

That last question had me nearly falling out of the rickshaw, thinking, how does this guy know? Are rickshaw driver's doubling as astrologers here? I wouldn't be surprised but still, can they just calm down about this question? Until I realised he meant how long have I been married. I answered "one year" and he seemed incredibly stunned by this news.

"Are you married Amar?"

"No Madam"

"Why not? What's the problem? You're mother must be very upset."

"I have a friend who married one year, has one child."

"I'm not surprised."

Anyways, I was mildly relieved when he turned onto a road with more traffic, mildly because he turned on to a highway. I realised quickly that I was the only moron in a cycle rickshaw. There were trucks, motorcycles, jeeps, big diesel carrying trucks. No cows, because they're smarted than that.

Then we passed another moron in a cycle rickshaw, a japanese tourist, and I felt marginally better.

We overtook the guys pushing fruitcarts on the highway.

And I made it back in one piece, frazzled but one piece. Peace!