heading to agra!

so, unfortunately, i spent my last day in mumbai confined to my hotel room. when i woke up, i felt ok enough to shower and head out. i stopped at a european cafe and thought to have tea and toasted bread to settle my stomach, and it did little of that. it reignited the sickness, and i rushed back.

i spoke to my friend who didn't get sick, and we both realized that regardless of how clean the fish dish may have been prepared, we have no idea what condition the waters are in, in which it resided, before generously sharing its grossness with me. stupid! how did i not think of that? how dumb! well, i certainly learned my lesson. no more fish until i have it with chips in london. her aunt was so incredibly kind, and had her driver send some medicine to my hotel. i cried for hours. i dunno if i cried because i was sick, or because she was so nice and kind. i want to see her again before i leave. i would love to give her some kind of gift, some sort of gesture for being so hospitable. my friend will be back home in the douche, aka, dumont, by the time i am back in mumbai, so i'll have to arrange this sooner than later.

it is a real shame that i missed the day, but at least the only thing i was planning to see was the museum, and i don't even really like museums anyway. so no real loss.

on the way to the airport, we drove along the "Queen's Necklace", the horseshoe shaped shore along the Arabian Sea. i'm going to be a fob right now, but the only word that keeps popping into my head is the egyptian word "corniche" along the water. you know, like corniche al nil-- like, the pathway along the nile river? i guess. anyway, at 6am, lots of ppl were out for their morning walk. it was a nice, quiet, real-life side of mumbai that i got to see.

so i am now at the airport heading for agra to see the majestic taj mahal. and let me just point out--- everyone always tells me i'm crazy for paying $450 a year for my amex platinum, but this moment is the exact reason why. access to airport lounges. access to free food, drink, and internet with speed and photo-uploading capability for 2 hours before my flight! not having to sit in a tiny, uncomfortable metal seat outside my gate.

i cannot believe i am going to go see the taj mahal. the taj mahal!!!! i'll arrive at 2pm, but i am going to wait until sunrise tomorrow morning to see it. they say it is most spectacular at sunrise. plus, there will be fewer tourists.

i forgot to bring up one last thing about mumbai that i dunno if i should even talk about. my friend had be try this one food sold on the street that, no offense, is the most revolting thing i ever put in my mouth. i forget what it is called, but it is something served at weddings. it is sweet tobacco that is wrapped in a leaf, and eaten in one bite. from first glance, i knew i wasn't going to like this. it is the same thing as eating the tobacco put in hookahs, wrapped in a leaf. the smell alone made me nauseus. i never spit out any kind of food before-- i eat everything. it was just terrible. and just thinking of it makes me gag. but nonetheless, it is very indian, so i had to share it. haha, sorry, i'm definitely not selling this one, am i?