India, Tanzania and in Egypt

Wow, the days are just flying by. We have to say that this trip is going to make it hard for us to travel by ourselvess again. Everything is done for us and all we need to do is show up at the appropriate times. Although tiring, it has been a fabulous experience and we've really seen a little bit of lots of places.
So, we left off when we were in Tibet. I found the visit disturbing because I think that the Chinese are working towards dissolving the Tibetan culture and way of life. Monk candidates must now be approved by the Chinese government and they are approving less and less people to be monks and nuns. It's a disturbing situation. We did go to several Temples and a Nunnery. The difference was diverse. The Nuns were so much more open about their place then the monks. We flew on from Tibet to India. Wow, what a contrast! From lots of open space and clean air (although thin because of altitude) to smog city. We flew into Agra. Our hotel was amazing - something out of the colonial times even though it's relativley new. We were promised a view of the Taj Mahal from every window. So, we woke up in the morning, threw open our curtains, and saw smog. The Taj was nowhere to be seen. Doug called it the Smog Mahal. As the day went on, it cleared slightly, but I could feel the smog in my breathing. We went early to the Taj. To get into the gate we had to run the gauntlet through many extremely persistent hawkers. It was pretty uncomfortable! We got into the grounds and it was crowded, although still early so not as crowded as it will become. It is truly an amazing place with incredible detail work, inlaid stones of many kinds and intricate inlays. Built in the 1600's, it is truly a remarkable building. It is completely symmetrical - building and grounds - except for the prince's tomb which is to the left of the princess's. The Taj is a masoleum and a monument to love. Consequently, many Indain couples go there on honeymoon. We saw many women in beautiful saris.
In the afternoon we went to the Agra fort. Another structure with an incredible amount of detail and carving on the walls.
The hardest parts of India were the aggressive hawkers and the air. However, it was amazing to see the conditions in which people were living. As we drove along the street we saw men getting their harcut and shaves on the side of the road - with a bowl and a mirror all set up - stalls selling all kinds of things and tons of trash.
Our next stop was Tanzania. The big group broke into three groups to go on Safari. We decided to go to Ngorongoro Crater, a small egosystem in which many of the animals stay. It was wonderful to get out of the smog and crowded conditions of India and into the open space and fresh air of the countryside of Tanzania. Having been there before when Avi was in the Peace Corps, we were able to notice a lot of growth. The road to the crater is finished, there were more buildings and they are working on the roads in and around the crater. We had a great time on the game drive. We saw elephants - one who came straight for our vehicle - lions, hyenas, warthogs, wildebeast, zebras, lots of birds, on and on. The highlights were seeing the male ostrich doing his mating dance - a truly amazing sight - and then mating with the female and seeing a cheetah. Our room looked right out over the crater, so it was wonderful to just relax in our little sun room and look out at the crater. There was a full moon while we were there and that made it truly special.
Our next stop, Luxor. Today we visited the Valley of the Kings and a number of temples that have amazingly preserved hieroglyphics. We were able to go into two tombs, including that of Tutenkaman, where we saw the actual mummy. Tonight we are having a gala "farewell" party at the Temple of Luxor.
We have met some really nice people and hope that we are able to keep in touch. It's hard to believe we have only one more country and then it will be time to head home.