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Published: November 29th 2007
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Well, this is my first posting for some time and it is with regards a trip I completed 3 years ago.
I cannot recall if I have previously mentioned that I do enjoy visiting places where once you are in the particular country or city you instantly know you are there by the sight of a familiar landmark, as in the Alcatraz thing in my previous post. Well during my travels I have built up a liking for the Asian countries, particularly an interest in China, Thailand, Singapore and India. In my next blogs I anticipate to tell you of my fond visits to these fascinating countries. So, here we go with INDIA.
May I just add, before I get started, if you are wishing to give anything to the locals, nothing can be more gratefully received from you than items out of your hotel rooms such as soap, shampoo, pencils, pens and note paper, in fact you are actively encouraged to give items like this rather than money. I actually spoke to some friends who had visited Indai prior to my trip and advised that clothes are really appreciated, so I promptly sorted through some t-shirts etc and
in each city made a point of leaving the hotel complex and having a walk into the towns and distributed both items from the hotel rooms and the clothes, all of which was gratefully received.
Firstly I booked this trip in June 2004 and my trip was booked to commence on 29th December 2004 and it was with an organised tour operator but I was traveling alone, not knowing who, if anyone would be on the trip upon arrival in India. I had booked the Golden Triangle tour which included stays in Agra, Jaipur and Delhi (New and Old). Having got the shuttle down to London from Manchester I promptly boarded the flight to Delhi.
Having arrived some 8 ½ hours later (in the morning), I proceeded to collect my case and make my way through to the Bureau Exchange (as you need to exchange your currency upon arrival into India) and promptly received my Indian Rupees. I saw the sign and made my way to the tour operator and waited for the rest of the group. In total there were 19 people on the tour and we made our way to the first hotel in Delhi. The
afternoon included a tour of Old Delhi and a visit to the India Gate and the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. Whilst driving around the city (thankfully I wasn’t driving!) there appears to be complete carnage and no road etiquette at all, however having witnessed it first hand it brings a true sense of meaning to the term ‘Organised Chaos!’ and considering there are 13.8 million people in Deli alone it is easy to understand why the roads are so busy.
Having spent a night in Delhi we traveled to the fantastic city of Agra, although we did stop a few times en-route to savor the local culture, however when you have seen one carpet being made I really can assure you, you have seen them all being made! It appeared to be a common trait of our guide to stop at the local factories/stores who provide demonstrations on how local crafts are undertaken and the items made. I did notice that whether it was a carpet or jewelry or even tea the chat from the local store owner appeared to be the same apart from the fact they inserted the word of what they were making (and hoping to sell) in the missing space and hey presto you had a sales pitch. I really do appreciate that these people need to make a living but having experienced it first hand and so often in a short space of time then it does become rather amusing, without being disrespectful.
Anyway, I digress, upon arrival in Agra (it is now New Years Eve) and a gala banquet was waiting for us. Being a magician I always tend to carry a few tricks with me wherever I travel, as when traveling alone they are a great ice-breaker and allow you to get to know people. Well we celebrated New Year and it was now 2005, and one of the highlights of the trip was just hours away.
As I mentioned I like visiting places where when you see a sight you realise that you are in that given country or city. Well no other landmark can surely do this for India than the Taj Mahal. For I was to have the pleasure of spending New Years Day of 2005 on an early morning visit to the great temple, the Taj Mahal. Upon our journey to Agra we had the pleasure of visiting what is termed the baby Taj, said to be the ‘prototype’ for the real thing.
Now upon entry to the Taj Mahal area, I expected to walk in and see it; however this is not the case. Once entered into the grounds, you stand in a huge square (not just the group, I mean a vast space!) and then make your way to the gate way into the Taj Mahal driveway. This is where you get your first sight of this fantastic monument. I proceeded to walk up the grand gardens towards the monument in total awe of its size and beauty, it was truly amazing. In fact no words or pictures in the world would do the Taj Mahal justice; you really do just have to see it. Once of my observations however was that when stood next or close to it, it really does seem to loose its ‘magic’. For its condition is in serious decline due to ‘acid rain’ corroding some of the stonework and this is quite noticeable upon close inspection. However, with that said, it is fair to say, from a distance it is truly magnificent and everything you could imagine and a lot more besides.
I must also at this point mention the visit to the Agra fort which is another amazing place to visit offering fantastic sights over Agra and on a clear day a great view of the Taj Mahal itself.
Alas, it was time to move on to more sights and bumpy roads (some VERY bumpy roads) I might add and make our way to Jaipur.
Now the main purpose of this blog is to explain the beauty of the Taj, however there is one more building/sights I really must tell you about. Now this may not appear very exciting to you but having seen so many pictures of it I was really looking forward to seeing the Palace of the Winds, and upon witnessing the sight, it is really worth a visit, so get it on your itinery now!!!!
I really must mention this before you fall asleep completely. The people in India are amongst the friendliest you can meet, there are moments when you are mobbed by excited children, and there is a lot of poverty, but the people really do make your visit to India so much better.
Whilst I had seen many sights I felt I really wanted to spend some time of the beaten track so to speak, and whilst traveling from one city to the next, along many rural roads and through many towns. I decided to asked the tour guide if we could stop at one of these towns, to try and sample the ‘real India’. This I must admit was something which made my trip all the more worthwhile, for we stopped at a town where tourists don’t normally stop, the locals were great and there was a local market on at the time and the colours and smells of the fresh produce available, no picture can ever do justice to and I was fulfilled and happy that I had finally seen some of the true India.
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