Sunsets on the terrace

As I sit and watch the sun set over the rooftops of agra I finally feel content and happy to be here. The monkeys jump from roof to roof, leaping down to occasionally sift through the garbage on the streets. Children playing with kites herd the streets, calling out "hello!" and "money" to us as those are the only English words they know (see below for picture). After our interesting experience yesterday i was not feeling so positive about being here but today brad and I took our own adventure and refused to go to anything touristy. Instead we wandered the local streets, walked the market, and tried to figure out our next stop. No one pressured me today, no random stops by taxis at their "friends" shops, and almost no begging (the kids don't count). There are scams to watch for here- they tell you the wrong price, lie about markets and get paid to take tourists to certain shops and hotels, and try to take advantage. But i keep reminding myself that when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. Today I got to see a piece of real India and thankfully not everyone is trying to scam us. Agra is a tourist town and we certainly stand out, even though I got a traditional shirt and scarf. Guess its my skin that keeps giving me away. Tomorrow we are going to head to Jaipur by bus which should just be delightful- make sure to use the bathroom before that 6 hour ride. Supposedly there is a kite festival and I am really looking forward to seeing a celebration.

Today I learned that there is a sport in India where people essentially collect pigeons as they fight with one another in the air. There will just suddenly be a huge group of pigeons in the air and I cannot figure out who wins and loses. Kites are also somehow involved. Men stand on the roof flapping sheets and there is a whole bunch of yelling. I guess gambling can take many forms...

On another side note our little friend at the guest house has joined us on the terrace and brad is currently teaching the little boys how to do American dance moves- if only this thing took videos too. While here we also met a great German couple and it reminded me how much I enjoy meeting people and making new friends while traveling. I have really enjoyed my time at Sai Home and would recommend to all staying in Agra. On to Jaipur!