We made it to the Taj, the jewel of India. It was more brilliant than any postcard can really do justice, all shimmery, shiny, white marble, It was hard to believe we were really there. What a labour of love it was, built for the emperors wife when she died giving birth to her 14th child. After it was built he was imprisoned by his son eight years later when he seized power and he was only able to gaze at the structure from the Agra Fort miles away, which we also made it to.
While the Taj was impressive, the fort was even more so. Sprawling gardens and red stone buildings mixed with the white marble that the emperor loved. It was a maze of archways and detail work and stunning views. The view of the Taj from the fort was almost dream like in the distance, slightly shrouded in mist. Seeing them in person made me realize the importance of preservation. There’s a slim chance anything of this kind of magnitude will ever be built again, and recreation would be impossible. A marble counter top is expensive, let alone a giant, bedazzled, marble palace.
Although we intended to stay in Agra for only one day we missed our train and had an extra. We were able to rest a little bit, visited an art fair, and many of us indulged in the “Belgian Choco shots” from Cafe Coffee Day, enjoying some flavours that we haven’t found in the food since getting here. That night we left for the train, first taking a short ride to a middle of nowhere city and then hopping on the 13 hour one to ride to Varanasi. Monkeys and cows ran wild in the little station and it was funny to see how in some ways they rule. A packed platform left a wide berth for a sitting bull.
Finally we made it to Varanasi, One of Hinduism’s seven holy cities. We took it easy the first day, all of us being a little bit tired, smelly, and grumpy and visited the options for our internships. The presentation for fire dancing took the cake with a stunning private show that converted at least a few people who had been considering other options. 
Today, our first full day in Varanasi, we’re beginning to settle into the routine we’ll have for the next week. We took Hindi lessons in the morning, and all had our first day of our internships. I chose cooking learning how to make chappati (flat bread), aloo bajia (almost an Indian style french fry), and the omnipresent chai you find all over the streets of India. Can’t wait to see how much I’ll know by the end of the week, and share everything I’m learning with my friends and family. The last two weeks have flown by and I know the next ten will too! We’re wishing all the best to all our families back home.
-Hannah