The Taj Mahal and the Ups and Downs of Agra

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February 19th 2008

Published: March 29th 2008

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Andy and Christine

Taj Mahal, Agra

Everyone searching for a perfect photo op

We were off, on our way to see the Taj Mahal in Agra, a must see location on any trip to Northern India. Just another easy night train on Feb. 12, this time from Bikaner to Jaipur, since we wanted to break up the long train trip, and spend one more day wandering Jaipur. It was an interesting stopover and we liked the city much more the second time around.

We got a much better hotel and strangely enough, a few people actually remembered us from the last time we were there. Namely, the guy from the internet cafe, a guy at a bangle shop and one cycle rickshaw driver, who all commented on the fact that we were back in town. And happily, we never ran into the 'USA' chanting crazy rickshaw driver. One day spent wandering Jaipur, looking at some sights and in shops and we were ready to get back onto the train.

The exciting part, the sight we had left until the end of our trip, was still to come. We were on our way to one of the more amazing sights of the world. It is one of the main reasons people young and

Agra

A monkey enjoying the view from our rooftop

old come to India in the first place. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Taj Mahal! We were interested to see how we would like Agra too, knowing that it is said to be one of the hassle capitals of India.

We took a train that was comfortable, with seats rather than bunks, as it was during the daytime. We had a couple of chais to pass the time, which are constantly on offer from guys that go up and down the aisles singing out 'Chai-chai, chai-chai!' in funny voices, while carrying huge silver pots filled with steaming tea to help the masses enjoy the ride. After a few short hours, we arrived in Agra.

We strategically (or so we thought at the time) bought our return tickets to Delhi in advance, so that we wouldn't have to return to the train station. Sadly, there wasn't a prepaid rickshaw booth, and our hotel was a distance away, much too far to walk. So we had to give in to the rickshaws, and stupidly, we went with one of the pushiest and most annoying drivers we had met our whole time in India.

First, he led us to the ugliest,

Jaipur to Agra Train

Off the train and ready for anything

unpainted, and unmaintained looking rickshaw that we had seen in all of India. We would never have gotten in, except that we had already agreed on a price before seeing our ride, and felt that it was bad form to change our minds at this point. But we really weren't sure that his piece of garbage rickshaw was going to make it all the way there.

He and a friend both hopped into the driver's seat (which was really just for one) and we zoomed off. Flying in, around, and in front of traffic, we never had a rickshaw ride like this one! The driver kept bothering us the entire way, saying that he knew a cheaper hotel (for him to make a commission) and trying to push us into taking a tour with him. Time and time again, we politely refused, and his tirade seemed never ending.

He kept insisting that we tell him how much we were paying a night for our hotel, and Christine finally told him off and to mind his own business. He shut up, but then started chatting on his mobile phone, passing the steering wheel to his friend, who was even

Agra Fort, Agra

Gateway to the fort

a worse driver! Even after that, he followed us into our hotel once we arrived, to see if we might change our mind! A horrible man, giving all nice rickshaw drivers a bad name.

We were starting to understand where the hassle reputation had come from. We got to our room and as usual, there was no power. But no one would give us a straight answer about when it would be back on, or whether the hotel had hot water or not. We dropped off our laundry and were excited to get it back, until the hotel overcharged us, then gave us the wrong change, in their favour.

The guys working at the desk were all pretty seedy, and constantly kept asking us if we wanted to change money there, or go on one of their tours. But enough of the bad, on the brighter side of things, our hotel had an incredible view of the Taj Mahal, probably one of the best, from its rooftop restaurant. It also served decent, edible food and great big pots of chai, which were perfect for sipping away while gazing at monkeys racing around on the roofs with the Taj

Agra Fort, Agra

The guardian of the gate

in the background.

We had planned to visit the Taj Mahal the next morning, then return to Delhi the day after. Suddenly, we clued in that the next day was Friday, the only day of the week that the Taj is closed. Frustrated, we decided to spend an extra day in Agra. To make matters worse, we had to pay for another rickshaw to return to the train station, cancel our train tickets, pay a small cancellation fee and buy new ones to leave at a later time. All these problems were starting to add up, and it seemed that nothing was working in our favour since arriving in Agra. We grumbled for a bit, then decided to make the best of it, and enjoy our stay.

On the up side, we were still able to see the Taj Mahal, only now we had time to see the massive Agra Fort as well, which was open on Fridays. We figured we'd walk to the fort, since it was only a couple kilometers away. It was a nice walk, although frequently people wanted to give us a ride by rickshaw, horse, camel, horse carriage and even a guy offered

Agra Fort, Agra

Detail of stonework

a spot on his bicycle to Christine.

Also we received frequent offers to buy items, but they were never what the seller claimed. For example, 'marble' necklaces were bone (sometimes it pays to know osteology) 'metal' items were stone, and 'glass' was plastic. Nothing was what they claimed it to be. All this while we just wanted to go for a walk!

However, the Agra Fort more than made up for this. We were treated with a beautiful garden, wonderful views of the Taj, great marble work, and lots of friendly, funny people, some wanting a chat, and others wanting their photo taken with us. It was a great way to spend a few hours and escape the weird people, mostly casualties of the tourist trade, we guess.

Then the next morning, off to the Taj Mahal! First, we went through some heavy security to get in, a metal detector, a pat down, and a bag search. Stepping through the inner gate was like a dream, and very surreal after seeing the Taj hundreds of times on posters, photos and postcards. Such a perfect structure, white and shining in the sunlight, beautifully proportioned and balanced.

The

Agra Fort, Agra

Strangers wanting our photos, again we felt like celebrities!

Taj was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan after the death of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Called an 'elegy in marble', the mausoleum was to commemorate her memory and hold her, and eventually his tomb. It took 22 years to build and was completed in 1648. Twenty eight types of semi precious stones were used in the stone inlay designs. Imagining his grief and seeing such a beautiful monument to his love and memories was incredibly moving, requiring a moment of quiet and reflection. Strangely, this was possible, even though thick crowds surrounded the entrance and pathway.

The grounds were packed with Indians and foreigners alike, all wandering happily, searching for the perfect photo, admiring the incredible stonework, and enjoying the lush gardens that surrounded the monument. Men worked in various locations restoring sections of marble that were missing, filing and carving the new piece until it fit perfectly. Birds too enjoyed the location, and walked in the flower beds, searching out their next meal.

To visit the monument, everyone must wear disposable booties over their shoes, or go barefoot, to protect the marble. We stepped into the inner monument, where sadly, photography is forbidden. The work

Agra Fort, Agra

'Birdie num num'

on the outer walls is just incredible, that is, until one sees the inner walls. After seeing the incredibly fine detail of the marble carving and inlay, the outside looks bland and rushed in comparison (as if that could be true). But that is the only way to describe the incredible work inside the mausoleum.

After spending several hours wandering and admiring, we concluded that all the hassles of Agra faded away after experiencing the Taj Mahal. We realized that Agra was well worth all the hassles because the Taj Mahal is incredible, let alone the other monuments located there. No photo can compare, or even come close, although based on the number we took, we were trying as hard as any visitor.

Leaving Agra by train, we returned to Delhi and to our old hotel. Our train was late, we were tired, and to top it off, our hotel obviously overbooked, even though we had made reservations. They suggested that we go next door to their new 'sister' hotel across the street, which coincidentally cost an extra 200 rupees a night! After a bit of an argument, they relented and suddenly, there was a room available, at

Agra Fort, Agra

Although the air is hazy, it's still a beautiful sight (and the Taj looks nice too)

the original price.

We spent our last day simply relaxing and wandering one of the huge government markets at Connaught Place. New Delhi wasn't as bad this time around either. We guessed we were just more accustomed to our surroundings then when we had landed a month earlier. Only hours before leaving India, Andy stepped in a large fresh cow pie, something he had been able to avoid the entire trip.

Our last taxi ride was a doozy. The driver was yet another crazy man with no thought for human life. The driver made it to the airport twenty minutes quicker than predicted, and we thought he was half asleep during the ride too, as we just missed colliding with a tractor sitting in the middle of the highway.

We got to the airport and it was totally confusing. First, while looking for the correct line to get into the airport, we asked one guy who worked there for directions. We got annoyed when he said that he'd show us the 'quick' line for 100 rupees. Forget it, we found our way in shortly after, then watched as the guy x-raying our bags at the security check

Agra Fort, Agra

kept falling asleep. Andy asked the girl at the information desk where we were supposed to go, and got directions. Later, we were told at our flight check in that they apparently had given us the wrong information purposely, to be funny. Basically, the New Delhi airport is well in a league of its own.

Our flight was over two hours late departing, and we were getting very antsy. We were tired, it was 5:30 in the morning and we hadn't slept. As we boarded our plane, we began reminiscing about India and how truly interesting it was. For us, it was very hard to define.

It was a strange love-hate relationship. For everything bad that happened, something incredibly good and amazing would be just around the corner. For every sad sight, there was an incredible view or beautiful person coming right after. From people trying to scam us, to people trying their very best to help us, or just be friendly. Stir in some incredible history, fascinating culture and there you have it.

India, at times a sensory overload, and at others, feeling just like home. We were relieved to be moving on, but at the

Taj Mahal, Agra

Finally there!

same time a bit sad too. And strangely, as the flight left, we were already planning our next trip, maybe this time to Southern India, already wanting to have our minds beat up all over again.

How would things be in Dubai? Were we in for a major culture shock? We would soon find out.

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