First stop India... Agra to be specific


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Asia » India » Uttar Pradesh » Agra
April 1st 2011
Published: April 26th 2011
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As someone who loves to travel I also love just listening to other people's travel stories and tales from the road. Through listening to the travel stories of others I have heard tales of different destinations as past travelers are usually all too happy to tell you how great a destination is and what you MUST do there. Over time I have noticed one exception to this rule… the nation of India. When listening to those who have visited India, any reviews of the nation are almost universally preceded by a disclaimer from past travelers who seem anxious to portray the nation in an accurate light, while at the same time not discouraging prospective travelers from visiting for themselves. I guess we were undeterred because we included India in our itinerary, largely to experience the Taj Mahal, but also just to see a slice of India for ourselves. For logistical purposes India would be our first stop on this trip so I guess we be started in the deep end of the pool and put those travel related disclaimers to the test.

San Francisco to Agra
After much anticipation and a false start that included us showing up a day early for our flight at SFO (classic George moment in travel) we finally arrived in India, bright and early at 2:10 am. After some immigration formalities we found ourselves getting comfortable in the international terminal before embarking on the next leg of our journey, a 6:00 am train from Delhi to Agra (home of Taj Mahal). Because of the early hour and our unfamiliarity with Delhi we were in no rush to make it to the train station at 3:00 am to sit around for 3 hours loaded with bags (and that new tourist smell) to await our 6:00 am train so we passed the time resting in the terminal and sorting out a taxi to the train station later that morning. We ended up hanging out around the airport until about 4:15 am before finally leaving with our taxi driver who whipped out of the airport and into the Delhi night heavy on the horn and all but oblivious to the existence of traffic lanes or the space between his taxi and other vehicles. Aside from the manic driving we could not see much so we just sat there watching the city pass by before or driver slowly veered off of the main thoroughfare and onto a quieter side street. Upon leaving the main thoroughfare the surrounding scenery changed dramatically as once vacant sidewalks were now replaced with the sleeping bodies of Delhi’s homeless, huddled intermittently in clumps, some under blankets, some just asleep on the concrete and still more sifting through mounds of trash that seemed to be just piled on the side of the street. I hoped that our train station wasn’t located in the area and this was just a shortcut our driver was taking but in short order he pulled left again into our train station and through a surprisingly (given the time) busy parking lot where he dropped us off at the station entrance for our first taste of India.

The train to Agra
We exited the taxi and I tried to pay the driver quickly, get our bags together and make it inside the station and away from the noise and clutter of the parking lot. We hurried inside but found that just getting inside the station didn’t provide much relief from the bustle outside as the activity continued inside the train station, just under better lighting. We made it through the station entrance and immediately passed a hallway on the right that was lined with people asleep side by side on the stone slab flooring and then proceeded through a (seemingly) long ago broken metal detector before emerging onto the stations main platform (platform #1). The plan was to just put our bags down and get oriented with the station, however our presence in the station did not go unnoticed and seemingly everyone awake on the platform took shifts staring at us, some more discreetly than others. Prior to arrival I figured that there would be at least a handful of tourists making the early morning run from Delhi to Agra but no such luck, the only people not staring at us seemed to be those asleep on the platform, either next to bags as if waiting for an upcoming train or just asleep awaiting daylight and another day in Delhi. We shortly thereafter discovered that our train was coming on platform #5 but the unwanted attention/staring made us uneasy so opted to wait for it on platform #1 which was well lit and was coincidentally patrolled by (what appeared to be) a member of India’s military, standing ever so confidently about 40 yards away with an automatic weapon slung over his shoulder. When our train finally arrived we made our way to platform #5 and after some running around found our car and boarded… there was a sense of accomplishment and it was also just nice to be off the platform and not being stared at incessantly. After finding our seats we got comfortable and grabbed a window, eager to watch India pass by through the train window. On our way out of Delhi we were “treated” to what would become a common sight on morning trains we took in India and what appeared to be a morning ritual for those living near the train tracks … men, and in many cases groups of men, squatting and relieving themselves beside the tracks in full view of passing trains and passengers, completely undeterred by the passing audience and not a square of toilet paper insight… cultural differences I tell you, welcome to India and shake with the right.

Agra and the Taj Mahal
Upon arrival at the Agra train station we caught a taxi to our hotel and got our first glimpse of the city. Agra was nothing like what I had imagined in my head, I had (perhaps naively) expected to see the Taj Mahal when arriving by train, possibly off in the distance standing impressively over the city and I craned my neck from the train but with no luck. As for the actual city itself, I had imagined that after millions and millions of tourists and tourist dollars flowing into the city annually, the tourist infrastructure would be a well oiled machine with shuttles and all the good stuff to get people from point A to B with some efficiency, however what I found was… India (that is what we’re there for anyway aren’t we). In Agra cows roamed the streets freely impeding traffic, the air and the streets were polluted and lacked any sort of tourist veneer to mask and/or mute the fact that you were smack dab in the middle of India. In hindsight I’m glad that Agra was not what I expected as it was (aside from the airport/train) our first taste of India and a nice prep for the larger cities we would soon visit.

We ended up spending 2 nights in Agra, the highlight of which was (of course) the Taj Mahal, which is actually a giant mausoleum built on the banks of a river in the middle of Agra. The Taj Mahal as a structure cannot really be put into words but suffice to say that you don’t just see the Taj, you experience it. Having seen many photos of the structure before our trip I expected to be somewhat prepared to see the Taj, however the flaw in that logic is that pictures have borders and the Taj, its immensity and its surroundings cannot accurately be portrayed in a photograph. I am somewhat embarrassed to say how many photos we took of the place but a few are posted with this blog, it seemed that every time you moved or changed an angle you wanted to capture an image of the structure again… simply amazing. While in Agra we also visited “baby Taj” a much smaller mausoleum and thought to be a precursor to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri (pictures included).

Travel in India
There are destinations that one can travel where the act of getting from point A to B is almost a passive experience. As an English speaker (the de facto language of international travel) you will encounter friendly and helpful English speaking agents and multi lingual signage at most travel hubs. India is not one of these countries… India is a country that requires patience and in some circumstances a sustained effort to successfully navigate from point A to B because you will often be followed, stopped, stared at and pitched different goods along the way… an example.

We arrive at the Taj Mahal (driver has to drop you about a block and a half away) and set about walking the distance to the gates. The block between the drop off point and the Taj is lined with souvenir shops, many employing “fly catchers” whose job it is to approach passers by, engage you in conversation and try to get you inside their shop… walking down the street is an exercise in repeating “no thank you” numerous times and avoiding questions from the general public… where are you from?, you want cheap post card?, you look at my shop, good price, rickshaw… rickshaw mister?… the first few don’t bother you but it gets old quickly and you have not even made it near the Taj yet. After running the first gauntlet you make it to a small square with the entrance to the Taj where the “tour guides” then take over the sales pitch routine. Some will outright ask if you want a guide and you will give the standard reply “no thank you” some will listen and others will just keep on following you staying just out of arms reach but obviously hovering around until you make it to the window to purchase your ticket to the Taj (I believe 20 rupees for Indians… 750 rupees for foreigners). After buying your inflated ticket one or two of the hovering guides will approach you and direct you to another station where you get some shoe covers and a bottle of water (actually useful) and then set about their renewed sales pitch, as though you have not told the last 5 people no already. You will tell this person no also but they will pretend not to hear you and then set about telling you that their services are free (already included in your ticket price – not true) and all you need to do is agree to their guidance and “everything is free”. Once you ditch that crowd and make it through the gates… there is another band of “tour guides” inside that have paid the 20 rupee fee for locals and try to catch you inside the gates, but before you make it to the Taj itself. This might just sound like a minor inconvenience but every step of the journey becomes a mosquito bite and the longer you stay in India and are subjected to the slow accumulation of bites, the more tiresome it becomes and the more you long for the ability to peacefully and quietly take in the sights of India without the recurring hassle of the continual sales pitch, inflated prices and unwanted attention.

To make an analogy, I guess you can liken travel in some countries to an orange, some countries are easy and the orange comes peeled and pre-sliced in front of you. Some countries are an orange with the peel intact and will require a bit of effort to get to the good stuff within… India is in some ways like an unpicked orange at the top of a tree… it will almost always require additional effort to get to the orange, much less to peel the thing… and some days you wake up and feel like climbing the tree… and some days you don’t. Travel in India will be many things… it will be dirty, you will see overbearing poverty, it will be involved, tiresome, and it will test your patience… but it will also provide some amazing experiences for those willing to climb that tree and peel the orange… just bring an open mind and your climbing shoes.

Sorry for the length and that it took so long to get this out... more posts in the days coming!


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26th April 2011

Sounds like an adventure. George, you just need an Indiana Jones hat and a whip! That'll keep the merchants away :)
26th April 2011

Wow!!
I feel like I am reading your story in National Geographic. Great pics!!!! I can't wait to read about your next stop.
26th April 2011

Again?
Hey Jorge, I see you're at it again. Thanks for the very thorough insight on India. I think I'll skip the destination. Are you two going round the world again? Another 3-4 months? Ya'll be safe and have a great and educational time. Looking forward to your next post. Sabra
26th April 2011
Photo 12

Awesome
Venny, glad you and George are enjoying your trip. Have enjoyed all the photos of your adventures. Looking forward to more pictures. Miss you both!!! Take care and keep having a great time on your journey.
26th April 2011
Photo 19

Nice picture
This a very nice picture of the both of you. Wish I was there too enjoying the awesome buildings in India. Thanks for sharing your photos. :)
26th April 2011
Agra Fort

Maybe he thought you were a famous baskeball player....just to cute!
26th April 2011
Photo 19

Great Picture!
This is a really nice picture of you guys, I love it. Thanks again for sharing your photos with us. Susie
28th April 2011
Me & V

You two are SOOO brave!
Love the pics, and love the narrative. George - you are quite the writer!! You two are so brave for traveling the world as you are. I'm glad you have each other to keep yourselves safe and sound. Happy trails to you!! ~Janelle~
2nd May 2011

Amazing!!!
I feel like I was there too! Thanks for sharing your adventures and amazing pictures! You guys be safe! Love, Jess
3rd May 2011

Yeah at it again...
Should be at it for a few months... quit our jobs in Austin and moving back to the Bay!

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