The last few days have been a whirlwind adventure! We visited Saranath where Buddha gave his first lesson after attaining enlightenment. Very interesting. Then We left Varanasi on an overnight train to Jhansi and drove to Khajuraho where we stayed in a good guest house. Then visited the UNESCO temple sites there. The temples were Kama Sutra temples from over 1000 years ago. Believe me that there is nothing new under the sun in that part of life. The carvings pretty much covered everything.
It was strange that the overnight train was more comfortable with only two bunks on each side but we felt much safer and slept better with all those soldiers around us and the Sikh on the floor blocking any entrance to us or our bags. We wanted them back again!
The next morning we were up at 5 AM in an open jeep -cold - heading to a nearby tiger preserve. Praddah. We saw plenty of big fresh tiger prints, monkeys, birds of all kinds, deer, antelope etc but no tigers. One jeep pulled up to us proudly showing a great photo on their camera of a huge tiger taken on a dirt road we had just driven. Darn. The tiger looked to be as tall as the side of our open jeep. We were hoping that he or she had eaten plenty recently! But we loved being out in nature again in the huge teak forest.
After breakfast we drove on to Orchha for more beautiful temples and old palaces. That area was worth more days.
A two hour train ride and we arrived in Agra. Up at 5 again to see sunrise on the Taj Mahal. After breakfast the Red Fort in Agra and an afternoon rest. Our guide arranged a 3 pm checkout. Then out to see sunset on the Taj before the two hour train to Delhi.
In the guest house in Delhi at midnight --still not over the Khajuraho temples, exhausted, and ready to pass out. Then do Delhi in a day until the plane leaves at 1:45 am on the 14th.
Over and OUT for now. See you all at home soon.
Darryl & Susan
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