Rants and Raves

Rants, Raves and Tips:

Rants:
- A life-saving 5-star hospitality
- The breathtaking beauty of the Taj Mahal
- Surviving 6 days with not a pinch of Delhi-belly
- Hundreds of cows that roam around the streets and all decide to take their day's nap in the middle of Delhi's busiest road.

Raves:
- beggars, hustlers, pushers, snake charmers, "official" local guides, desperate rickshaw drivers, rip-offers and all other people who feel the need to charge you for a simple smile and a hallo
- Authority figures that use rudeness and lack of respect as their only tool
- Dirt, smells, filth, pollution... (do we really have to write the whole list again?)
- General lack of atmosphere and charm of the city
- The Bill Clinton tax on all entry fees, which now make entry to sites for foreigners about 50x more expensive as for locals! Thanks Bill, screwing Monica was apparently not enough for you!
- The constant spitting, nose and throat cleaning 24/7

Tips:
- Don't only visit Delhi and Agra, go to Varanasi, Rajastan and other places to get a real feel of India
- Don't let your rickshaw driver drag you into all the "authentic bazar" shops in Agra.
- Visit Fatepurh Sikri when in Agra
- Do make the effort of going INTO the Taj Mahal (although it is messy, dirty, crowded and a rip-off...): it is worth it!