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Published: October 31st 2009
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Sorry our last episode ended so abruptly, our connection in Agra wasn't so good and by the end of it we were getting rather frustrated!
So I shall continue today...
The train from Delhi to Agra was suprisingly the best train we have ever taken - included in the standard price we were given bottled water, newspapers (in english), tea and biscuits and a full breakfast! it was brilliant, and air conditioned too!
Arriving in Agra was pretty crazy but after Delhi nothing was too mad or bad. and so our new friendly auto-rickshaw driver Ali took us to our hotel and we crashed out. The only thing we managed to do that day was to go up to our rooftop restaurant (we love them) and enjoy a coca cola whilst looking at the taj mahal it was amazing!
The next day we were up early for a sunrise trip to the Taj Mahal. outside the gates at 6 o clock we were gutted to be told that we had to walk 2 km up the road to the main ticket office to buy our tickets. they were pretty expensive but so worth it. When we finally got
in the sight that greeted us was utterly beautiful- you can't even explain how stunning it is, the detail is so fine over such a large area. and the light at sunrise was beautiful, even though it was slightly cloudy. there wasn't too may people at that time either so we were able to wander at ease and not be surrounded by pushing crowds.
We finally dragged ourselves away from the magical building at about half 10 and met our rickshaw man for a tour of some of Agras other sights. Guru showed us the baby taj an even older building-smaller yet even more intricate than the Taj, a persian tomb, and the agra fort.
That evening we were due to catch the sleeper train to Varanasi but we still had the whole evening to kill first, we decided we'd stay at our hotel and have dinner up on the rooftop. We were treated to the ultimate special treatment- the hotel owner Dev set us up our own private table on the upper terrace and had the waiters bring us candles and beer. He sat and talked with us all evening chatting about everything from Indian politics, to
festivals and marriage. He was such a nice guy and it was a great way to spend our last night in Agra.
The sleeper train was an experience all of its own, a lot of people in a very small space all trying to sleep and on the whole succeeding!! it took me a while (lewi slightly less) but i did manage eventually to get to sleep. But always a cool experience to go to sleep in one place and wake up miles and miles away in another!!
Next stop on the whistle stop tour of Uttar Pradesh was Varanasi. We knew the spiritual significance of this city but to actually see first hand people bathing, washing clothes, saying ritual prayers, chanting, defecating, fishing, children flying paper kites, people selling all manor of food and goods, all lit in a beautiful dawn light it was fascinating and one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.
more pictures to come... Next stop Nepal!!!!
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That looks familiar. I think, it might be the hotel I stayed in too, in Agra. :)