Terror Stricken

May 5

11:03am Delhi time
As we all know from Alyssa's blog while she was in Senegal, traveling to new countries and experiencing new cultures comes with a price. Full disclosure here coming up! To say the least, my intestines were pretty unhappy this morning. I had my first bout of diarrhea! Yey! I just hope it stops before we have to be on a bus at 5pm to go see Baby Taj and then an over night train ride tonight. Thank god I have meds! I can't imagine having diarrhea in an Asian style toilet... On the train... In the middle of the night. This is TMI but its body functions so whatever. There was actually one point where I couldn't control it any longer and I was one foot away from the toilet and I ended up shitting my pants a bit so that's embarrassing. Again, best underwear ever... No leakage. And in pushkar we got back one evening and I wa getting to the point of no return and Z kept talking and talking. It was horrible. That night I survived without any disasters though.
We don't have to check out until 1 so we just get to chill this morning. Our first meeting time is 4:30pm. It seems silly to not do anything but honestly, constantly moving gets so exhausting so the few rest times we have are great.
I'm not used to living out of a back pack yet. I keep having to repack it different ways. I think I'm getting more used to it though.

4:30pm Delhi time
This afternoon we went to a local market (bazaar). It was an interesting experience and a great place to take photographs. But there wasn't too much for us to do or buy there so we didn't stay too long. There was a shop that had a bunch of sarees hanging in it and a few of the girls went up to look at them. A man came out and asked "laundry?" They left quickly. They thought they were being sold. I guess that is the problem of going to a local market. Most people didn't speak good English either, if any. It was a lot of fruits an the tuk tuk driver told us it was good to get shoes too but I didn't see any shoes. There was a shoe repair man though.
We went into a music store there as well. They were selling sitars and other instruments. Not sure what they are called but one was a bracelet you put around your wrist with bells on it so it is an "accompaniment" musical instrument. There was also a string instrument with 1 string an you squeeze the top part (where a fingerboard would normally be) to make different sounds.
Then we went to Sanjas Palace which is a rooftop restaurant that is said to have the best view of the Taj Mahal. It was a great view and also a good place to see surrounding houses. I know that is weird but I really like looking at that.
For lunch I wasn't really hungry so I ordered a mango shake and a fruit salad. The shake was terrible. I took a few sips and stopped drinking it. The milk was warm and it was kind of clumpy and it tasted funny. The fruit salad had mango, papaya, banana, and grapes in it. I probably shouldn't have eaten the grapes but I didn't even think about it until I was almost done with the salad. Everything I eat is supposed to be something that I can peel so I know it wasn't washed in the water and possibly contaminated. Messed that one up, self. Definitely a bad decision.
For breakfast we ate at the hotel and had an "American style" breakfast. There was toast with butter and jam, tea, and scrambled eggs (which were pretty white looking but tasted normal).
When we were leaving the restaurant on the rooftop we passed the kitchen. It wa pretty gross. I just didn't think about it. But it was dark and the people in there were sweaty and it looked super dirty. Bugs all over the place. Pretty much completely unsanitary. And food from there had just gone into my body.
When we wandered into shops on the street (Taj Ganges) after the restaurant the shop keepers would turn all the lights and AC on when we came in and off when we left. Just caught my attention. They end up spending most of their day in dark hot shops.

12:01am Delhi time
In the afternoon/evening we visited "Baby Taj" which is a tomb to a prime minister. It's not like the Taj exactly. It has surrounding gates similar to the Taj and it is made out of white marble as well. It is famous for its white marble screens- very intricate detailing.
There were a million monkeys all over as well. To the point where guards with big sticks just stand there all day to ward off monkeys. Literally so many monkeys. Baby monkeys all over the place too. Falling and dropping from trees, running around, being carried on the backs or stomachs of bigger monkeys.
I was standing a ways back from a monkey and taking pictures pictures of the Baby Taj and this huge monkey started booking it straight toward me. It was terrifying! On the white marble the monkeys feet makes a slapping sound that makes it seem forceful and attackish. I don't think it touched me but I have no idea because I was so focused on trying to get the fuck out of the way! I for sure thought I was going to get bit by a monkey and have to get a million rabies shots throughout the rest of my trip... Or die of rabies. Luckily none of those happened.
I wish I could have watched it happen because in my head it seems like it was probably super awkward looking. I can just picture me moving out of the way super quickly. I think I was even squatting on the ground and jumped up while lifting one leg in the air to try to avoid a bite from the monkey. Oh my god, ha. I can leave that experience in India I hope. I really hope that never happens again. Monica was watching and said she thinks the monkey swatted at my leg a bit.
There were women walking through the monument carrying things on their head and the old woman saw my camera and stopped and smiled and said "photo" so I took a picture. Then she wanted money. The man watching our shoes that we were required to take off also wanted money which none of us gave him. Which I didn't give her. That happens a lot.
After that, we went to the site across the river from the Taj Mahal. Rumor has it that Shah Jahan wanted to build a black Taj across from the white Taj and join them together with a bridge over the river. He wanted to be buried here. But because his son put him in prison he was never able to build the Black Taj. There is a garden on the actual land the Black Taj would have been built on. None of us went into it. It didn't look too exciting. Just lots of green. We took pictures by the river of the back side of the Taj.
We headed back to the hotel for about an hour and a half. I just journaled. I wasn't too hungry so I didn't get anything to eat. My stomach has also been bothering me still with the diarrhea.
We then headed for the train station. Our train was scheduled to leave at 10pm. Our bus got stuck in traffic on a road they closed for construction so we got another but we didn't leave til about 8:40pm. Z had said earlier it takes about an hour and a half to get to the train station. We weren't sure if we would make the train or not.. He told us to be prepared to grab our bags and literally run. In my head all I could picture was me running and falling over and not being able to get up again because of how large my bag is.
When we got in we found a spot to put our bags down and we still had half an hour... And then an hour. Z told us not to leave small bags lying around in the luggage pile because the monkeys will come and take them. I think all of us are pretty scared of the monkeys.
Z didn't want us waiting on the platform we were boarding because it was not lit so instead we waited in a more lit area. Then when we found out we had more time before the train would come he brought us to a waiting room with seats.
The one we originally went to was so hot and humid and full of men. My first thought after taking 3 steps into the room was are you kidding me? I don't want to wait in here! It was hotter than the first spot we had. A bunch of people apparently thought the same thing because I turned around and everyone was gone and we were left with a group of 6 of us and Z. He had us move rooms so we went one room over which was the first class ladies room which was the same thing except it had less people in it and it was cooler. Z and Curtis sat in a restaurant because they couldn't come into the ladies room. There were men in there that ended up getting kicked out by an official guy. There was also a man who was in there with his teenage daughter but he was allowed to stay because he was accompanying her.
Then we headed to the platform. We had to wait a bit still. Literally all the men basically surrounded our group and just stood there starring. It's the strangest thing and it is pretty uncomfortable feeling. Steve and Michael just kept staring back overly exaggerated or start taking pictures of them (they do that to us too) or asking them what they needed or if they were lost.
Sometimes Z will yell at them to go away but I think there were just too many it wouldn't have helped. They come up really close to you too and just stand there and stare.
While we were standing there, Z gave us all our seat/bunk numbers. It got kinda scary from there because most of us were alone. Z took me to my bed and said okay have a good night. I felt pretty uncomfortable because it was dark and I couldn't see. Once I got in I think I was terrified for a good half hour. I just laid there and couldn't really think. Then a man came and was asking for my ticket which I didn't have because Z had all of them. I told him my group leader had it and he left.
Z came around to check on us and help us find our beds. I was asking about the stop and how I knew when to get off. He said we arrive at noon or later so we should be awake and it's Varanasi.
The train has 4 beds on 1 side that are bunked, 2 + 2 and then 2 across the aisle on the other side. These are all compartments and then there are multiple compartments per car. We were in A1. I'm sharing a compartment with 3 other people... I think I feel better about it now but oy. I was terrified. At least it's overnight and I get to sleep most of it. I also wish I had locks for my bags now.
They provide you with a sheet and blanket but Z advised against using the blanket and I decided to use my sleeping bag. Thank god I have it.
All the advertisements I noticed are lighter skinned people. They put whitening creme in their lotion as well and today a beauty article in a magazine talked about every woman wanting make up that makes them as fair as Snow White. I'm going to try to sleep now. It's 1:12am