Road Trip!!

We had heard horror stories about the freeway to the Taj Mahal, what the tour company generously described as "one of India's finest freeways".  So I guess you can say we expected what followed on our first road trip.  Imagine a 3 lane highway... now imagine 5 lanes of cars smashed into 3 lanes without regard for those silly dotted lines, people casually strolling across the freeway with their children in tow, bicycles pedaling alongside huge trucks, tractors pulling carts full of hay and other large objects, camel-drawn carts, extra wide auto-rickshaws full of Indian men and women bursting at the seams (at least 20 crammed inside with limbs protruding from every possible opening), trucks blaring their melodic horns, blinding headlights coming in the wrong direction toward us, and one truck frame on wheels (missing a body).

To be honest, I had imagined it would be worse, but Tim and my dad said that I slept through the worst part of it.  I guess ignorance is bliss.  Of course the most exciting moments happened after dark when the camera was put away, but here are a few pictures from our first road trip experience.  We traveled from Delhi to Agra (Taj Mahal) to Jaipur and back to Delhi over 4 days!

Traffic is at a standstill leaving New Delhi

We saw so many people riding on the back of trucks, bicycles, auto-rickshaws, tractors.

First glimpse of the truck frame on wheels.

Is this vehicle legal?

The driver - I hope he's wearing a seat belt.

Auto-rickshaw packed with Indians.  There were at least 10-15 people crammed inside most of these vehicles.

Crowded streets of Agra.  Pedestrians, cars, motorbikes, bicycles, and cows all share the same space.

Camel parade on the way to Jaipur.  I caught this pic moving at least 100 km/h.