I have not made love to my wife for 6 years...

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So, starting to catch up with the blogs....lets see if we can remember what we did.

Oh yep...New Years eve, and off to Agra.

Prit had arranged for us to hire a car and driver to travel through Northern India. You pay by the rupee and the driver stays with you. As Prit's family is from India, he has many contacts, and so as we all climbed into our brand new, leather seated, air conditioned, bull bar'd Toyota SUV, we were all patting him on the back.

However, whatever car you are in does not mean the journey is any less hairy. It's not that the Indians drive particularly fast, or that the roads are in any particularly bad shape (in fact they are pretty good considering), it's just there is sooo much going on. Car's everywhere, constant horns, cows in the middle of the road, elephants wandering, trucks coming at you the wrong way down a dual carriage way, camels pulling all sorts, tuk tuks with several generations of the same family on it....get the picture. Fortunately our driver was excellent (including using the indicators although I'm not sure the other drivers had any idea what they were, and certainly didn't care).

Anyway, we left Delhi via a quick tour around the colonial India Gate and made our way to Agra. On route, as we became accustomed too, the driver pulled us into a restaurant. At first we were suspicious, as he obviously got some kick back, (as did others judging by the number of other taxi/cars outside), but to be fair it was OK...in fact we got to the point of insisting he took us to one of his recommendations...some of them were that good.

Just before Agra we stopped at Sikandra, Akbars Mausoleum. Akbar was the top boy of the Moghul emperors and builds a mean coffin(!). It was a sublime place....some say more beautiful than the Taj, and surrounded by acres of gardens with peacocks, monkeys and antelopes. A great guide took us round for a few pennies....

Anyway, arrived at Agra early evening, and again using Prits contacts, we checked into the posh Holiday Inn under the employee rate. The manager did a good job of selling us tickets to the Las Vegas New Years Eve bash ("it's a big city in America, sir")...and that's where we celebrated 2006...

And what a laugh. Despite having no references at all to Vegas (i.e. no casino), we feasted on the buffet and free beer and danced to lots of Bollywood dance tunes. Chuckle. In typical India style, the DJ forgot about midnight until about 12:04....but we'd already sung the two lines of Auld Langs Ayne(!!).

It also turns out that Indian men like whiskey. And once they've had a few they like fair haired western boys. Steve was asked for his room number, and the best chat up line was as enshrined in the title of this blog. We got out soon after.

Anyway, up early on New Years day and off to the early morning beauty of the Taj Mahal. What can you say....it's is quite magnificent. It's is justifiably called the most beautiful building in the world and it lives up to that billing. You've all seen the pictures...it's just as good in the flesh. How did they build like that so many many years ago. And why can't we do it now !!

We had our first 100 meter loo dash at the Taj, with Lou leading the way...but all made it we are happy to report.

So, from the Taj we drove to Jaipur, but called in at a place called Fatehpur Sikri, which is an old deserted town. I'm afraid I can't remember much of the specific history (something about an emperor who could have a son until the guru who lived on the rock blessed him), but it was a great place...so well persevered and must have been a sight to see when is was in full flow. Do a google search and take a look.

Anyway....into Jaipur and that’s the next blog.

Cheers

Steve and Lou


Stop Press: Bugger Bugger Bugger - Having a problem with a corrupt CD...can't seem to get many photos off...I think the images are there though...looks like will have to wait till we get home to rescue them...only a few for now

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Photos

Fatipur Sikhri (2)
Read the text of you can

Comments

[Rich]

we had a sweep
...on you proposing new years eve - did you just miss this out of the blog? Easy kind of thing to forget to mention...

[Mum Holland]

Rich - Both mums have apparently got them married off as soon as they get back - Lous mum is however a bit worried about the cost of Saint Pauls cathederal ! Enjoy yourselves in Sri Lanka and keep clear of the Tamil Tigers in the north.

[Cranston]

I must say
I must say the title of your blog caught my curiosity. India is really a magical place and definitely increases your libido. Just the hot, grimy sweat and the smells are enough to drive anyone into a s*x crazed minion--I should know, it happened to me when I was there.