Jaipur to Agra

The bus was cramped, even for me. Fifty mile an hour winds punched me in the face throughout the whole 5 and half hour journey. But for some reason, I didn't mind.

On the bus, I talked to two guys who sat next to me at different times. One, the Indian Craig Stadler (what a mustache!), didn't speak much English. It created some cute moments: "Are you going to Agra?" After a long pause, "115 kilometers." He was in the medical profession from Rajastan and though Kashmir was India's Heaven.

He got off and another guy got on. He let me borrow his phone to call the hotel to pick me up. He was from Rajastan too. He also worked in the medical profession, for the army. He was visiting his sister in Agra. The driver picked me up right from the bus. He was also very nice. His family is from Dharamasala. His wife and daughter just went on a train there and he said he just called to make sure they were ok. Family's the same everywhere.

The guy who showed me to my room in the hotel asked if I had a girlfriend. He then said, "I can't believe you don't have a girlfriend. You are very handsome." What am I supposed to say to that? "Well, I have a terrible personality." Anyway, I thanked him. I ate at the hotel's rooftop restaurant. The Taj Mahal was right there beyond the night. It was tantalizingly close, yet still remains unseen. When you mention the Taj to foreigners or Indians who have seen it, their eyes light up. I'm excited.

Besides being next to the Taj, the hotel is in the middle of no where. I went for a walk and was approached by a small teenaged boy. He offered me beer, weed, and girls. I didn't accept.