MADURAI 3/27

My sincerest apologies for the lack of updates! I'm really bummed that I was not able to share our incredible adventure with you all! I has been very hard to find access to internet at the hotels where we have been staying. Either there hasn't been internet access or it is very costly. I am writing to you now from a kiosk in a little room below the hotel. I also haven't had any phone service here either, and that's why Twitter hasn't been updated, too! And no luck uploading photos, either. Grrrrr....
We arrived in Madurai this afternoon around 1PM. We are going on a tour of the temples tomorrow morning and more specifically the grand Meenakshi Temple. I can't believe we only have two days left! I'm totally not ready to come back, but we're trying not to think about it.

Hope all is well on the home front! We can't wait to share our fantastic journey of a lifetime with you all. See you in a few days!

Love & Namaste~
Martin-babu

WE'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMAZING, BREATHTAKING, INCREDIBLE, FANTASTIC, FABULOUS, INSPIRING!!!!!!! India is all these things and more but I don't know how to even begin to describe. After finding our guide, Bippil, in the sea of name cards at the Delhi airport, we were escorted to our car that took us to our hotel for the evening. Within the first 10 minutes of the car ride we saw our first two holy cows lounging by the side of the road! Very exciting! We spent the night in New Delhi last evening and this morning we boarded a train for Amritsar. Amritsar is a city very close to the Pakistan border in Punjab. Also, as most of you know, it is the epicenter of all things BHANGRA! The train ride was great! We got see all the geographical changes from Delhi to Haryana to Punjab. We also enjoyed the antics of a rather rowdy bunch of young school children on a field trip to Amritsar with their stern yet entertaining teacher. We arrived at 1:30 this afternoon in the Bhangra music and dance capital. And if you had forgotten where you were, the blaring car stereos reminded you! Bhangra dance tracks cranked at ear splitting levels, FAAAAAABULOUS! So, we make it to the hotel. We're settled. And we're off to explore amazing Amritsar! The hotel is in the heart of the old city and is exactly one and a half blocks from the Golden Temple! The temple is a religious pilgrimage destination for Sikhs. Pictures will not do it justice! We are taking a guided tour of it tomorrow, but we couldn't wait...WE HAD TO SEE IT! After seeing the temple tomorrow, our guide is taking us to the Jallianawala Bagh monument in memory of all whose who have died for India's independence. After that its off to the India/Pakistan border to see a flag/guard changing ceremony. I haven't quite figured out how to post pictures for you to see, but I will figure it out by tomorrow. Photos will be in full force! Gotta go! Gregory needs to use the computer now. Until tomorrow!

Namaste~

Martin-babu :-)