http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , India , Uttar Pradesh en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:00:04 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:00:04 BST After a very hot ten hour bus journey we made it in one piece to Agra. Our hotel was by chance and basically a building site we should have known better but more about that later.The next morning saw us getting up at 5.00am to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. The gates open at 6.00am and by the time we had tickets got rid of our bags and had body searches we got in around 6.30am. Well the sun http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-304387.html Agra Fort is located on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. It has also been declared as UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the most historically important stronghold of the Mughals containing a intircately decorated buildings encompassing the imposing Mughal style of art and architecture. It was constructed by the third Mughal emperor Akbar on the rem http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-303942.html In the twilight hour chants and chaos reign the riverbanks. Priests are waiting for the last few pious of the day. Vendors sell out flowers grains and earthen lamps to be flown in the river. Policemen keep a vigil on any overenthusiastic pilgrim on the riverside. The Yamuna is deceptively deep on the flank in Prayag where it meets its magnificent sister the Ganga.Prayag aka Allahabad is blesse http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Allahabad/blog-302353.html I think that I may have forgotten to introduce Leigh into the story. Seeing how she will be a main character in the events to come allow me to back track a bit. Leigh is a girl who just finished her Undergraduate in a small college and lives in Colorado. She grew up in a state park and definitely has that hippy mentality. She plays the guitar hates cities and all of that kind of stuff. She w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/blog-302225.html Taj Mahal marks the last and most important Visit in my entire India trip. I swear I never leave India without going there and I did it. Though many shits happened along the way...first heard about riots in New Delhi due to politician uprisings then no train tickets mumbai then no bus operations in Delhi due to Shiva's birthday and their metro subway construction inconveniences. I'll say its w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-302087.html Akbar's Masoleum and Agra FortFinally after all the hasslecar crash and fucked traffic from Delhi I am at Agra which is like 200km away from New Delhi. It was kinda luck as I just got to realise that Taj Mahal closes on Fridays and today is Thursday 3pm. Had to rush again. This is the most hectic time schedule ever in India after the lazy 8 full days spree at Mumbai. First to Akbar's Masoleum http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-301840.html Hello all ... Think i will keep this one brief as got much more to write about from Nepal which is where i am now. Will write about Nepal in a few days time so keep your beedy eyes out for that oneOK Dave arrived in Delhi on Monday June 30th Definatley the most random place we have met up. Wanted to cram in as much as week could so book a taxi for 12 days to take us to Jaipur Jodhpur Udai http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-301653.html Bonjour famille et amiscomme la plus part d entre vous saviez mon trip en inde commencait a varanasi la ville sainte de l induisme et du buddhisme. Cette ville ou les gens y vivent de la meme facon qu il y a 2000 ans ou le moyen age s entre mele avec le present. Au coeur du vieux cartier 1 km2 y est cache un temple indu ou se trouve le lingam de shiva un peu comme le linceuil de jesus...reco http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-301257.html As we write this blog we are sitting on Luckyrsquos Restaurant rooftop with an unobstructed view of the magnificent Taj Mahal imposing itself on the horizon. This is almost at the end of our tour in India only two more nights.A week ago we arrived in Delhi and found the streets round Main Bazaar rd where all the backpackers stay a shithole. The following morning we get to the railway sta http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-300344.html Varanasi was a pretty awesome place despite the hoards of touts trying to extract whatever money they could from us. As usual the main streets were pretty hectic and frustrating at times but the ghats and side streets provided much needed relief and felt peaceful and spiritual. The burning ghats were amazing and we were fortunate enough to witness the process. We learnt that a body typically tak http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-299517.html We arrived into the bustling city of Mumbai formally Bombay on the 2nd of July. The phrase organised chaos comes to mind when you witness the workings of such a hectic city and yet with all the noise rubbish and extremely persistent sales men the city has a certain charmOn our first full day we were invited to play as extras in an upcoming Bollywood movie called Rascals so we jumped at this o http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-298694.html Agra struck me as a big urban zoo. I saw monkeys running around outside the train station an elephant being washed by the side of the road eagles flying above the fort donkeys horses and camels transporting goods and of course the usual buffaloes cows and oxen dodging the traffic. As we were only here for the day we left all our luggage at the train station storage and hired a rickshaw drive http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-298474.html NAMASTE again.Arrived in Agra throught the caotic market at 8pm. Hordes of rickshaws motos people animals and cars noisy as ever with the loud incessant blowing of horns including the one from our driver Raju. Everytime he enters a town he starts blowing the horn constantly. I requested to go to a certain hotel and Raju said It is too far out of town. Seconds later Amanda points to th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-297296.html We ruilden het met forten en paleizen bezaaide Rajasthan voor het touristische Agra en haar mysterieuze Taj Mahal. Het wereldberoemde mausoleum werd in 1631 gebouwd in opdracht van de Mughalheerser Shah Jahan als liefdesmonument voor zijn overleden echtgenote. Dat het zijn veertiende vrouw was dat de bouwwerken bijna 20 jaar in beslag namen dat er 20000 man en meer dan 1000 olifanten aan me http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-297039.html Whole families had already jumped to the platform before the train came to a complete stop. Long gone was the thoughtful man with whom I shared my open compartment. The overnight train from Calcutta to Jodhpur arrived to collect the masses in Agra two hours late at ten orsquoclock in the evening. In a lapse of judgment I expected ushers to bring meals or snacks and would but from him. But http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-297004.html To my esteemed friends family and other readersI am leaving in 5 hours now for a trek into the himalayas. Or at least that's the goal. The first step is an early morning bus to Haridwar one of the more holy Hindu sites where I can bathe in the torrent Ganges. From there we will attempt to make it into the himalayas with suitable destinations being the Kerdanath Temple Nandadevi Peak or http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-296492.html Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site . The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals built entirely of white marble. The Taj seems to glow in the light of the full moon. Taj Mahal was built as a mausoleum by Emperor Shah Jahan died 1666 A.D. in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra India. It http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-295899.html Last Thursday after class our school organized a trip to explore two of Lucknowrsquos most famous structuresmdashthe Bara Imambarah and the Chota Imambarah. First though our group was driven to the house of a descendant of one of the Nawabs of Awadh Mr. Abdullah for tea and a short lecture about his family and the old Nawabi culture of Lucknow. lsquoNawabrsquo is a courtly and adminis http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Lucknow/blog-294812.html ldquoYou choose This is your Indiardquo he exclaimed. Pasarrsquos final destination was also mine though his journey started twentyfour hours before. We had joined up on the same bus from Agra to Mathura an eightyminute journey in a lunchbox on wheels. Having stepped into the chaos of the bus terminal I asked him if it would matter how we should move forward either by shared rick http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Mathura/blog-294339.html Sikri is an very old settlement situated in the upper Vindhyachal ranges which is now almost eroded through the vagaries of nature over the eons. It was once situated on the banks of a large natural lake which has now mostly dried up. It is a prehistoric site where some stoneage tools have been found alongwith Ochre painted Pottery which date back to 2nd Century B.C and its prolonged occupatio http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-294329.html 30 June Agra Uttar PradeshI take joy in the stupidity of others. It also helps conquer boredom.Our rail coach was a blend of foreign daytrippers and uppity Indians who enjoy bossing service personnel around as if they were unresponsive oxen. Across from me sat an antsy IndoFrenchman heading a group of college interns on a threeday excursion from Delhi. Conditions were ideal to begin wit http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-293536.html Bihar is Indiarsquos poorest state and there is no evidence anywhere yet that it is participating in the current development of the Indian economy. There are no international advertisements no signs of globalisation not a single Nokia or Vodaphone advertisement. I discount the fact that there is a little more asphalt on the roads more western dress less evidence of malnutrition more clea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-293035.html Irsquom having a hectic little week of it at the moment. Itrsquos actually really nice to feel so engaged with my world though it comes at a cost. Fitting in the dullbutvitals of life was tough enough already so unfortunately sleeping has now gone by the wayside. The madness started on Friday because I got sick again. I was up all of Thursday night sharing my innards with the world and bea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-291992.html Yesterday was a whirlwind tour of some places outside of Delhi since we will be leaving the city tomorrow. We went to two Hindu temples and saw the place where Krshna was born. Krshna is one of the main Hindu gods and was famous for being a flutist. It was really cool to see all the pilgrims there singing hare Krshna. Then we went to a fort built by one of the Mughal rulers and chilled out b http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Agra/blog-291053.html Arrived in Delhi early this morning. So did the monsoons. Normally expected in Delhi during the first week of July this is the earliest monsoon in 108 years so we are off to a good startFirst experiences After buying a prepaid taxi ticket this guy walked up to us the second we came through customs claiming that it was his taxi we were looking for he had managed to read the taxi number off http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/India/Uttar-Pradesh/Varanasi/blog-289592.html