Blogs from Uttar Pradesh, India, Asia - page 162

As always, getting to my destination city was an adventure in itself. On one of my trains between Agra and Varanasi, I was harassed by a drunk man claiming to be an army officer who demanded to see my identification papers. His friends calmed him down, bought me some tea, and chatted with me until he climbed into his bunk and passed out. On the long train ride, I had plenty of time to try and steel myself for the onslaught that awaited me in Varanasi. From what I had read in my guidebook, it sounded like the sort of place where the unwary traveller would be eaten alive by touts and scammers. There were warnings that "criminal elements" (a Hindu mafia, if you please) operated in the city, intercepting tourists at arrival points like the ... read more

INDIA, SEGUNDA PARTE. DE PUNE A SUNAULI. DÍA 193. 5 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2005. KALKUNDRY, MAHARASHTRA: INDIA RURAL Lo imprevisible es una de las características más fascinantes de los viajes. Apenas hace 24 horas estaba echando humo por las orejas en Pune dispuesto a olvidarme de Ajit y Gayatri, y ahora amanecí a cientos de kilómetros de distancia en un pueblito donde viven sus padres. Ajit es gran amigo de Sonal desde la universidad. Se enamoró de Gayatri (los tres estudiaron bellas artes), dejó Mumbai para ir a vivir cerca de ella, en Pune, y ahora están casados. Los llamé por teléfono un día, dijeron que pasarían a mi hotel a recogerme la mañana siguiente, no aparecieron, su celular estuvo apagado varios días, por fin hice contacto de nuevo, quedaron en venir al hotel... y 45 ... read more

Okay, Friday saw Wendy and I saying ourgood byes in Agra. She got Air Canadato change her ticket and believe it or not) is traveling home tonignt! She hoped to see the Taj Mahal early this morning before she took a taxi all the way to the Delhi International Airport. Oh then, speaking of taxis, you won't believe what happened to me last night. I had a train ticket from Tundla Junction to Lucknow. Based on the tourbook, I thought Tundla Junction was about 5 km from Agra. But I decided that wasn't the case. It is 45 km! Thus, I had to get a taxi as opposed to a rickshaw. Unfortunately, I used bad judgement in how I booked it. I let a bickcyle rickshaw driver guide me to a friend. This friend spoke a ... read more

I ate two consecutive breakfasts the morning I was to visit the Taj Mahal, planning to stay there all day. Despite the many hours I did spend, I'll be brief in my comments. The first thing that struck me was how much more there is to the complex than just the gleaming white mausoleum that everyone is familiar with. Entering from an exterior court to the main courtyard, one passes through a massive sandstone gate that is a masterpiece of symmetry in its own right. Reflecting pools run from the gate to the mausoleum itself, cutting the well kept grounds neatly in half. To the left of the Taj is a red mosque. To the right, a building that is its identical twin, but which can't be used for worship because it doesn't face Mecca. The ... read more

How many pictures can you take of the Taj Mahal? From every angle it is stunning, even from across the Yamuna River where it is surronded by wasteland it stands out like a diamond in the mud. The seventh wonder of the world has been described as "the most extravagant monument to love ever built" Built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to his 14th child. The Taj was completed in 1653 and in total 20,000 people were involved in it's construction. During my stay in Agra I went to (I say went - was driven to and deposited at by my rickshaw driver) a small shop which specialised in making marble artifacts in the traditional way - as used in building the Taj. It was ... read more