After enduring the endless, exhilarating train journey, we coasted along for a bus tour of India's capital city, Delhi. Kutub Minar, India Gate, Teen Murti Bhavan, Indira Gandhi Museum, the Birla temple and the Bahai Lotus temple. Then there was Delhi Haat and of course, an external view of the Rashrapati Bhavan, Lalu Prasad Yadav's residence and Shah Rukh Khan's school, accompanied by dollops of our guide's insightful narratives of the history of these places; we witnessed it all in our stay in Delhi. We retired in a cozy hotel tucked in the nooks of Delhi's most quiet lanes, crammed with tens of other hotels with an assortment of hilarious names.

The worst part was that we were to stay in Delhi for merely a night, definitely not enough time to explore a city of marvel; the consolation: we were heading for Agra, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World: the Taj Mahal. After a staggering journey, we visited the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and the Agra Fort over a period of two days and stayed in a rather isolated hotel PuspVilla, which had confusing flights of stairs and floors and a rotating restaurant !

Though we had a blast, the journey was tiring as we spent majority of our time traveling. But in the end, it was worth it, as we saw some of the most marvelous monuments and designs in the world; convincing me that we were definitely more skilled, knowledgeable and insightful during the Moghul rule. They don't make geniuses like them any more.

Rheaa Rao, IX B