Blog Post by Sophie

Going into this trip, I had certain expectations and ideas of what India was going to be like. I had seen pictures and talked to friends about the country, but nothing could have prepared me for the culture immersion and everyday life. After the long 14-hour plane ride from Vancouver into New Delhi, we emerged into the warm climate lugging our suitcases behind us. Immediately after stepping outside of the airport’s doors, we all hustled into small and crammed TukTuks, seating three people in the backseat. As we held onto our luggage, we wove between cars, buses, cow-drawn carts, and rickshaws, navigating our way to our hostel. After this first TukTuk ride it began to hit me that I was half-way across the country. The traffic and street life is so radically different to the calm and pedestrian friendly Portland I’m used to.

Today we travelled four hours by bus to the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. Thousands of tourists and locals lined outside the Taj Mahal to take pictures and go inside to see the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, the favorite wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The pictures of the Taj Mahal can’t compare to standing up close to it. Later, we toured the Agra Fort and the architecture and detailing was breathtaking. Photos will follow in the next blog post! 

—Sophie