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Published: November 9th 2010
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The train back to Varanasi was three hours late, so it was a race to be back at the hotel, who were kindly saving a room for me, by 10pm when they close for the night. I had tried to phone them to let them know I was running late, but the phone company seemed to have chosen this moment to cut off my SIM card.
By the time I reached Varanasi the train was five hours late, but I jumped in an auto-rickshaw which got me to the Vishnu Rest House with half an hour to spare. After giving me a mild telling off the manager welcomed me and I would not be having to sleep in the street that night.
The 5th November was Diwali. It's a little bit like Christmas, where the businesses and houses put up little fairy lights and candles, and people spend time with their families. I'd spent the earier part of the day either people watching in the Mona Lisa Cafe, or sitting by the banks of the Ganges, which are both very relaxing things to do. It was surprising that there didn't appear to be any official ceremonies or events in
the Hindu holy city, but I didn't mind as I got to watch some unofficial firework displays over the Ganges. They have a very liberal attitude towards kids playing with fireworks in India. Mum and Dad will happily stand by and watch their children lob a few smoking tubes around. As it was Diwali I bought some Indian sweets and shared them with the people who worked at the guest house.
The next day I headed for Agra. I'm staying in the Shah Jahan Hotel, which is a really friendly Muslim run place where you can see the Taj Mahal from the rooftop cafe. The only strange thing about the hotel is that there is a light in my room which just won't switch off no matter which switch I flick. Is this the modern version of the eternal flame?
I went to see Agra Fort first which was well worth a visit. After a while I found a little cove in the wall just beneath an unguarded twenty metre drop, where I could sit and relax, looking over the Taj Mahal in the distance.
The Taj Mahal itself, built by Shah Jahan to house the body
of his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal, is along with it's gardens and surrounding buildings, as beautiful as it's reputation. My photos don't to it justice at all, so you will all just have to go see it for yourselves! The building is made of marble and semi precious stone, which changes colour depending on the natural light. At the side of the Taj is a mosque, which is complemented by a dummy mosque on the far side, to maintain a sense of symmetry. Inside the Taj Mahal is a small room containing a replica of the Shah and his wife's coffins, exactly as they are laid out in the vault below the floor. The best time to go is at 6am when it first opens and is not too busy. You can then spend the whole morning there as the monument gradually fills up with thousands of people.
While I was in Agra I also sampled the local delicacy Petha, which is pumpkin boilied in sugar syrup and flavoured with rose water. It was definately different! I can't say whether I enjoyed it or not.
Today I'm leaving Agra for Jaipur in the desert state of Rajasthan, before
heading off to Pushkar on the 13th at the Camel Fair. I'll be sleeping at the railway station tonight so hopefully they have some retiring rooms free.
I've also sorted out where I'll be over Christmas and the New Year. It will be Goa from between around 6th December to 20th December, then Kochi 21st to 27th December, and finally Kovalam until 3rd January. So I'll basically be spending my last month relaxing on various beaches and backwaters. In between now and then I will try to fit in Jaisalmer, Amritsar, Delhi, Udaipur, Mumbai, Pune, and Hampi.
I enjoyed Agra, a lot of people and guide books suggest it's one big hassle, but I found it was ok. The only downside was getting food poisoning for the second time in a week. Time to watch what I eat and drink more closely I think!
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