Agra to Jaipur

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Day 4 Agra to Jaipur 4/10/2008 /h2]

Mr Ali-Baba and different driver arrived in splendid a/c at 7.00am as promised and took us the long way round to the South gate to the Taj Mahal and said he would be waiting outside at 9.00am. Well of course the Taj is everything you hope it would be and more. The gates and entrance are such that you can't see anything until you enter the central door way and there it is!! The most beautiful marble and decorations of inlaid semi-precious stones, beautiful gardens and all totally symmetrical. See the Taj and die, say no more.

Mr Ali-baba waiting at the gate took us on to the RED FORT. This too was magnificent and absolutely huge though it was so hot and humid by now that the wow factor was somewhat overtaken by the need to find shade and water. You have to leave your belongings in a locker while you go in so you are anxious about whether the lap-top,phone and i-pod you brought out for safe keeping would still be there when you got back. Of course, they were but what was not was Mr Ali-baba

and friend + car and our backpacks!!!!

20 mins later, David was on the verge of calling the police, I was on the verge of tears and we couldn't shake off the poor begger woman who had been trailing us for 20mins!! Of course we knew it was a white car.... so were all the rest..... the driver was Ali-Baba......so were half the taxi drivers in the country. No tel number no car number..... what could we tell the police anyway!!

Fortunately Mr AB tips up eventually complete with new driver and VERY old beat up TATA and luckily our luggage. One last sight seeing trip to Baby Taj... who cares...lunch....not bad and then spent the entire afternoon being dragged around shops, which we expressly told him we didn't want to do and he agreed! Bought nothing, got hotter sweatier and more tired. Eventually we got him to take us to the station 2 hours early only to find the train delayed 30 mins and then got delayed another hour on the track!!.

David slept up top on the journey and we arrived at nearly midnight in Jaipur. The Generals Retreat was a truly welcome relief...... and a treasure too!!

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Photos

Taj Mahal
Every bit as wonderful as you knew it would be

The Red Fort
Hot and Red but where is Mr Ali-baba?

The Baby Taj
The original design for the Taj and our last sight of the day before hitting the shops!!! Spot the bird! Weird or what?