Sending out a Smoke Signal!

Hello all! Well, it's been a crazy first few days - sorry I haven't had a chance to blog until now. All has gone great and we are settled in at Yog-Ganga. I'm not sure if this internet cafe can upload photos, so I'll do it if I can..but in case, I'll paint a picture with some of the cast of characters we've met so far...in order of appearance.

1. The Devil Child - a child that cried for 5+ hours straight (I'm not kidding) on the plane...

2. The Luggage Bitch...well, let's suffice it to say that seasoned flight attendants don't have much patience when trying to stow luggage on a packed flight.

3. Mr. Raj Kumar - driver extraordinaire! He was our driver from when we walked out of the Delhi airport to when he dropped us off at the Old Delhi train station...and he wasn't even done there...stay tuned for more. He even stopped at a fruit stand and did the deals for us "because you have white skin". We taught Raj the meaning of being "in the doghouse". He was going to bring us home for dinner with his family before bringing us to the train station. I told him that when husbands in America bring surprise visitors for dinner, their wives get mad and send them to the doghouse. He has been a driver for 28 years and seems to be comfortable with the understanding that right side / left side of road are merely driving suggestions here.

4. Navneet and Rajeet - our India travel agents. They've done a fabulous job taking care of us so far - we had a great stint on the front end of our trip and are looking forward to the back end where we pick up a new driver.

5. Ishrat Ali Khan - or guide in Delhi. Humm...not sure how to describe Ishrat. Very smart, 1/2 a doctor (3 years of med school). He is a Muslim and it was quite entertaining when he was telling stories about the former rulers of India and how well some of them got along with the other religions, that the Muslim rules always seemed to have a bit of an upper edge.

5 1/2: Sameer - Sameer, bless his thighs, hauled our corn-fed, hearty American keesters through the streets of Old Delhi on a bicycle rickshaw. That boy got a mighty fine tip! But note to the building inspectors of St. Paul - by the looks of the tangles of electrical lines in Old Delhi, they could probably use an inspection or two before someone gets hurt!

6. Sonny - our guide in Agra, a good looking, suave young fellow, who we kept teasing about getting in trouble. "I don't understand this, get in trouble?" We explained it further when we were at Agra Fort and he started regaling us about the wine and hundreds of concubines. He got a kick and started to use the term liberally.

7. Taj Mahal @ sunrise - I know, an inanimate object, but wow. Breathtaking - more on that later when photos are an option.

8. Porter at Train Station - so, since apparently we are helpless American tourists, we can't manage our way through a train station, so Raj Kumar, (see above) paid off a porter to schlep our bags and stay with us until we were physically in...our...train...seat. He gave us strict instructions not to pay him until then, and, if that wasn't enough, he had to call Raj when the aforementioned butts were in the seats...and...if that wasn't enough, had to talk to us to be sure. The train station was ultra crazy.

9. Train mates - not sure of their names, but when Suzanne and I got delivered to our compartment (literally), we ended up having 2 Indian gentlemen as cabin mates. What started out as formal introductions, turned in to best pals. Our train was 3 hours late, so by the time we arrived, we knew pretty much their whole stories. Including that the banker was cheating on his wife! The other went to law school in Cambridge and is now working in the family law publications business.

10. Arrival at our guest house - we're staying with a lovely couple in a lovely home with a beautiful terraced garden. They are taking extra care that we don't get "fleeced" due to our white skin...a theme here? Sue and I decided this morning we're never coming home. We've become fast friends with Anil, our cook, and Dani, our gardener.

11. Yoga student - There are 40 in our class from US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK, Poland, Costa Rica, Israel, India, Malaysia - I think I'm missing some.

12. Our Yoga Instructors Rajiv and Swati -

Special note to J/J Laine: We're staying with the Duggals - they send their regards. "Jim is such a nice family man". Rajiv does as well. As for class tally: Rajiv: 1 Swati: 2 Other than hitting my coconut due to an unfortunate elbow bend at the end of a handstand, all is going well!

I'll keep in touch! xoxoxo dmt