Sleepless night before flying to NYC

About to travel across Atlantic Ocean for the third time in my life,
direction New York, the city where you don't sleep.
Too scared to miss the flight, I chose not to sleep, getting prepared for the big apple !
06h50-Nice->Munich->New York-14h05
Then a cab to Vintage bar in Manhattan, waiting for my friend host Molly there.
Specialities of the place are the Martini cocktails, this sounds like a good introduction, looking forward to Jazz clubs, no name avenues, art museums, bars, nightlife, lively districts...
Almost 10 holy days to spend in NYC.
Decision made very quick last December with the opportunity of a new friend's invitation.
Almost an improvised trip, but the will to visit the legendary city was here for a long time.
Bag is packed, ready to ride to the airport, fresh new electronic passport in the pocket,
New York, New York !

a long time without any update

and so many travels since my holidays in India.
Let's go back to travel writing.
With the memory effect, places and people will get some mysterical feature as part of alegendary past...
wellsomehow exagerating:)
Let's try it however, sooner or later without any specific chronology except the one of each trip itself

to the Taj Mahal and back

It seemed I am unlucky with trains. Yesterday my train to Agra (departing 7pm from New Delhi) was planned to arrive 9:45pm and arrived just after midnight! I was not very confortable in a place like Agra around midnight. Hopefully, I joined 2 french men going off the train, we shared a taxi to an hotel area. I finally fell asleep around 1am but planning to wake up only 4 hours later.
Unfortunately, my alarm clock was useless, I woke up at 6:20am, just after sunset, too bad. Anyway I went to the Taj, early morning is fine, and what's more, my flight is tonight!
The Taj Mahal is really huge and beautiful, truly one of the world seven wonders.
I spent a short time there, leaving before the heat.


After a ride on a cycle rickshaw to the bus station,

I took the government bus to Delhi,

5 hours travelling but no waiting at the train station and some more time watching indian street life.
Some shopping near Connaught place spending my remaining rupees before going back to Pahar Ganj to the same hotel I've been when I arrived some weeks ago.
Now a little rest before the ride to the airport and the flight to France.

back to Delhi

After an evening spent in Harudwar, I'm in Delhi again, tired by the 5 hour waking up and the 5 hours train.
Yesterday, we attended a "Fuja" celebration in Harki-Pairi on the river banks. This happens daily, with an amazing crowd of people all around a canal coming from the Ganga.

Harudwar is considered the exact place where the Ganga leaves the Himalayas and therefore, this is a very special and sacred place. People gather at sunset and give to river "mother" little banana leaves boats with flowers and candles inside. Then they sing and suddenly leave at the same time (it made me thinking about last summer U2 concert ... ).

The bazaar next to Harki Pairi is over crowded after Fuja with only local people (no tourist at all). Harudwar is a big city compared to Rishikesh !

Then I returned by train to Delhi, alone and tired.

One train ticket booked to Agra, departure within 2 hours. I plan to wake up very early tomorrow morning to visit the Taja Mahal at dawn, and hopefully before the crowd!