"113 but feels like 129"

Posted by: Sara Bartlemay
'113 but feels like 129' is a direct quote from our weather forcast today!
I think that heatstroke becomes me...just kidding. I'll post photos later and you'll see what I mean!
Today, the group bussed around New Delhi to see various temples and historic buildings. I learned and saw so much that my mind is still spinning to keep up! I liked the Buddhist temple built in the shape of a gigantic Lotus made out of white granite. It looked like a giant geodesic dome frame with petals opening out from the center. Inside was beautiful and quiet: with only the occational bird chirping in the rafters. A peaceful place to rest your eyes and meditate.
We also went to a new buddhist temple built about five years ago. It was also made of marble - red and white, with fortyfour stairs leading to the top and several arched doorways and bulbous towers. It took five years to build, and it is easy to see why! The interior is ALL carvings. No flat surfaces - the walls and ceilings are made of carved figurines, buddhas, rows and rows of birds and ornate flowers. The seilings were gorgeous! My favorite was the scene of the buddha under the boddhi tree. The tree was larger than lifesize and carved from white marble - in a circular shape of twisting branches and vines that I could not attempt to recreate even with a pencil on paper - it was so balanced and intricate but so very complicated!
This temple also had a room with a ceiling of rows and rows of different sized brass bells in an inlay circle. Amazing.
The people, well, we've all been to an Indian resturaunt. Yes, they pretty much dress just like that. For some reason, it is okay for women to show thier middrift but not thir shoulders or anything from the knees down. I think they are gorgeous and seem to float on by. Many people will smile at you if you smile back, and they all pretty much speak English, as it is taught inthe schools here. I have picked up a few phrases in Hindi - enough to express myself. It is an interesting language with many eh and ah sounds. I have learned how to ask if I can take a photo, and some people will ask to take mine as well. Actually, people will walk up and start shooting photos, or come over and put thier arm around me to have thier friend snap a shot. I think it is the hair? Meredith (the other redhead) and I had a group photo at the temple today with 16 or more Indian women. They were all laughing like it was the funniest thing. We are stared at by groups wherever we go, but everyone I have met has been friendly.
Child marriage here in India has almost completely been erased, except for in the poor castes. Women can even date if they'd like... and get this- a woman has been in a government position more than once here! But they still do very hard labor. Today, our bus passed by two women who were digging out rocks - claring a space for a canal pipe. They were loading the rocks onto platters and carrying them on thier heads out of the site and back again to continue digging with thier bare hands. It looked like heavy, dirty work. One of thier tiny new babies lay on a dish towel in the shade - he was covered in dust and sweat - did I mention it was 113 today?
I am ready to leave the big citys with thier noise and clutter. But first, we must head to Angra to view the Taj Mahal. Tomorrow we will journey by train early in the morning to see a temple built for the love of a woman.