After a flight back to Delhi Wednesday evening, I left the India Habitat Centre at 5:30 in the morning for a day trip to Agra (4 hrs drive away). It would certainly have been a shame to spend a month here and not see the Taj Mahal...and I have to say, it certainly lives up to- and actually for me, exceeds- the hype.

Today I managed to see a bit of Hyderabad; much of it from the car, as I spent, I believe, longer than I was supposed to at the one place I did stop at...the Chowmahalla Palace (one of those unfortunately redundant names- since "chow" means "four" and "mahal" means "palace", what I just wrote was effectively the "Four palaces palace"). It was the seat of the Nizams of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, who ruled Hyderabad state from until it became a part of the Indian Union in 1948.

The trend of very kind people in Bangalore continues! Yesterday I had a very pleasant meeting with 3 people from Azim Premji University; S. Giridhar, the Registrar, Padma Nayar, who does admissions, student support, and career placement, and Gladwin Joseph, a professor and ecologist (with interests in sustainability and human ecology). APU is probably the most distinctive university I have encountered here, and I really look forward to following their progress as they grow. They're 2 years old, having just graduated their first cohort in their 2-yr master's program (they offer a master's in education and a master's in development).

Bangalore has amazing energy...and weather. It has all the hallmarks of a city undergoing rapid growth; no matter what direction I head, going to meetings, there is an abundance of home furnishings, granite/stone, bathroom fixtures, etc. stores, car dealerships, real estate offices...and the plethora of luxury salons, boutiques, etc., suggests there is a good deal of wealth around.