Agra: Three World Heritage Sites and Some Sheroes

After three days in Jaipur, we drove to Agra. It’s most famous building was on the agenda, of course, as who can resist visiting the Taj Mahal. First, we stopped at one of the cities other UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Fatehpur Sikri.

In 1569 the Mughal emperor Akbar founded this site and established it as the capital of the empire. The entire fort and palace complex is made of red sandstone. It incorporates architectural styles of many different cultures: Indian, Arab, Persion, Hindu, and Jain. Fatehpur Sikri didn't serve as the capital for very long, though, as the site did not have adequate water to support the people.

We saw the hall of public audience, the palaces of each of the wives, and the hall of private audience (Diwan-i-khas) where Akbar met with scholars and clergy of different religions. Our guide explained that he valued these different perspectives and even sought to create a new religion that incorporated all of the good values of each of the other religions.

The next day came dark and early as we rose before dawn to visit the Taj Mahal. Arriving early in the day allows for easier walking and picture-taking through the site. Unfortunately, the weather turned a few days ago to cool, foggy mornings and afternoons. We did not have those amazing, picture-postcard views of the Taj, but it was impressive nonetheless.

Our guide explained that the Mughal emperor had three wives, and his second wife is the one who bore the most children, including his four sons. It was also this wife whom he loved devotedly, and after her death at age 39 during childbirth of their 14th child, he commissioned this memorial built. Amazing. The marble is translucent and inlaid with colorful stones; not a drop of paint colors the building. It is enormous and glorious and tinged with sadness.

We returned to the hotel for breakfast and relaxation, then met our guide again at 11:30 for a tour of the Agra Fort, our third World Heritage site visit. The stories continued and I remained impressed at the richness of India’s history and culture.

We also visited Sheroes Hangout today - a cafe run by acid attack victims who operate the cafe as a place for survivors to shed their stigma and learn to live independently. It was a powerful experience. I was choked up with sadness most of the time. They show video documentaries about their attacks, the prices are as you wish, and goods by local artisans are for sale (including clothing designed and made by one of the survivors). Just after we sat down, a documentarian from Boston came in to talk with the women and take their pictures for a project of hers. One wall is lined with books, and we got the sense this really is a hangout and we did just that.

I think American culture is pretty unfriendly to girls and women in some ways, but nothing there compares to these acid attacks. A mother and daughter pair in the cafe were burned about twenty years ago by the husband/father who was urged to throw acid on them (and one other daughter) by his parents because his wife had not produced a son. Another teenager was attacked by her step-mother because she wanted to get the girl out of the way. Ritu, the one who spoke the most English and had the best vision, was attacked on the street because some extended relatives were in property dispute with her parents and chose to attack her, the youngest child, so it would inflict the most pain on her parents. She had been a star volleyball player and was poised to join the international level of the sport. The hostility toward women that compels these attacks is astounding. The courage and integrity with which these women live and work left me awe-struck.

A Homey Feeling in Nawalgarh

I booked all of Europe and Africa on my own, so I assumed I would do the same for India. One attempt at making hotel reservations taught me that this was not the way to go. Instead, I used a travel agent to take the notes I had made from reading guide books and websites and turn it into three-weeks of magic. The agent put our desired locations in a sensible order, arranged ground and air transportation as required, and made hotel reservations. The one accommodation that I insisted on was a guest house and eco-lodge in a Rajasthani village called Nawalgarh. I had read about it in a guide book, checked it out online, and determined that this was a good place for us to reach out past the well-trod tourist trails.

Nawalgarh proper has about 80,000 residents. The eco-lodge - Apani Dhani - is on the outskirts between the new and old cities. We were greeted warmly, shown to our two cottages (mud walls, thatched roofs), given the eco-friendly lay of the land and a yummy lunch. The property includes at least seven guest cottages, a large dining room, a thatch-roofed gazebo in the center of a large courtyard, vegetable gardens and fields of grain, as well as housing for the owner-operator’s family.

Dinner was served at 7:30 each night for all guests. Breakfast was available from 7:30 a.m. on, as you are ready. Lunch was available, too, if you wanted. We usually opted for a light snack of pakora as breakfast and dinner were big and hearty. These communal meal times allowed us to meet many fellow travelers - from Britain, Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. Some were India newbies, some were frequent visitors, and one was even a resident working for an NGO that serves children with special learning needs.

Apani Dhani offers opportunities to see the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, including the historical parts of Nawalgarh, but it also serves as a comfortable base for experiencing some of the traditions of Rajasthani life. On our first full day there, we took a guided tour of old Nawalgarh, visiting the painted havelis (mansions) of wealthy merchants of the 1800s. We saw the wholesale market, wedding preparations (we happened to be visiting during one of the most auspicious months for weddings), many cows (bulls, mostly, which was odd), an enormous banyan tree, and a lot of litter.

The girls met the boys of the family and played together every night of our stay. They played chess and tag and cards and Scrabble. The boys taught them a backyard version of cricket. One of the men of the family gave us cooking lessons in which we picked produce fresh from the garden then prepared it for dinner. We also took bangle-making and tie-and-dye workshops. Even though the lessons were extras that we paid for, I still felt so welcome.

Overall, it was a rustic and relaxing stay. I got to read and plan and draw. (I hadn’t drawn any pictures since our August visit to Sweden.)We slept under mosquito nets in our earthen-walled cottages. Electricity and hot water come from solar power, so we conserved those by spending little time in our rooms and using the bucket-and-mug method of showering. We met the founding owner on the first night, but it was the rest of the family and staff that saw to us most of our stay. I already miss them.

Travel in the Terrorism Era

Two nights ago, 120 people died and hundreds more were injured in several coordinated terrorist attacks across the city of Paris. I am heartbroken, as are so many others. Yet, I am concerned about the way we value some lives over others in our collective responses to tragedies. For example, Facebook created a temporary profile pic overlay of the French flag for users to display their solidarity with the people of France yet did no such thing when dozens of people died and hundreds were injured in bombings in Beirut just two days before, attacks perpetrated by the same terrorist movement as attacked Paris.

We were in Paris just about a month ago. It is a city we love, where we have friends and memories and dreams. Our friends are safe, thankfully. Our friends and family at home are understandably worried about us. International travel is anywhere from slightly to very scary for many people on a normal day, let alone the day of breaking news about terrorist attacks somewhere previously thought to be removed and safe from such violence. I took notice of my feelings and realized that I am heartbroken and angry and concerned, but I am not afraid.

We have dreamed about and researched and planned this trip for over three years. Every international trip we took with the girls during those years - Beijing, Barcelona, Mexico - were done with some thought about how this trip would be. We asked ourselves all sorts of questions. Where are we comfortable being self-sufficient? Where would we rather have guides? How far off the typical tourist path would we like to go in each country? What would we do if one of us fell ill or injured? How would we get help for any kind of problem we might have?

Also, what kind of wildlife would we like to see? What would it be like to drive through Europe for three months and stay in apartments and houses instead of hotels? How can children have fun at the world’s largest arts festival - Edinburgh Fringe - and what would they think about experiencing a major pilgrimage event in Pushkar, India that over time merged with a major camel-trading fair? What would it be like to visit Argentina from tip to tip and side to side? How would it be to spend major American holidays in countries that don’t celebrate them? How spicy is the food in Cambodia, really?

Those questions about what to see and do and learn are still much more on my mind than questions of safety and security. I will continue to stay aware of current events, of course, but I am not afraid to continue our travels. I love this world and am eager to explore it with my family. I am grateful for the privilege of being able to do so. My hope is for all people to feel unafraid to live and travel wherever on Earth they may be.