We spent yesterday driving to Agra (and back!) to see the Taj Mahal. Any ambitions I'd had (foolishly spurred on by online postings) of seeing more than that in Agra were quickly shattered: from the outskirts of the town to the Taj itself took us an HOUR. The traffic was truly appalling.
The decision to hire a car was predicated on multiple accounts (different sources, some of them credible) that the trains are often HOURS late as a result of fog during this season. Besides which, the nearest train station to the Taj Mahal involved a 6-km taxi or tuk-tuk ride, and the economics of traveling with seven plus the flexibility of our own driver convinced us fairly easily...even in the face of Jeremy's disappointment at not getting to ride on the Indian train system.
Our driver showed up promptly (only 15 min after we were supposed to leave, when we were still straggling up ourselves) driving the most enormous van I'd seen to that point. It had room for 14 passengers to be seated in comfort. Based on our experiences here, I would not be surprised to see it driven with 50 inside.
After we had driven through Delhi traffic for about 30 minutes or so, we came to a screeching halt on the side of the road. The driver got out, muttering something about toll taxes, and disappeared down below the edge of the road. We entertained ourselves by speculating whether he'd gone off to take a pit stop, or whether the toll booth was carefully hidden, or what. Besides that, we had a nest of tarpaulins to occupy us: Michael posited that it was a highway-side coconut stand, based on the coconut shells. Shortly afterwards, two young men started bustling around, taking off the tarpaulins to expose: two large stacks of precariously stacked coconuts, a sofa, and a "desk" made of a sculptured wall/balcony fragment. A point to Michael!
The tarpaulin removal exposed a small, gray, temporary shack down off the edge of the road. I joked that clearly it was the tollbooth! I joked too soon. It was.
The driver emerged from said shack with some paperwork that he presented at the (recognizable) toll booth that was only a few kilometers ahead. Go figure.
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| Like how the angled parking is between the lines? |
Several hours of uneventful driving included a stop at a highway rest area. I must confess to some trepidation, but needs must, and my needs musted. So out we all got, and found ourselves at a remarkably modern complex, complete with eating area, convenience store, restrooms, and so on. Apart from an unavoidable lake of (clean) water next to the (modern, western) toilets (and the expected lack of TP, compensated for by carrying tissues everywhere), it was remarkably pleasant! We did get some fun and interesting snacks, though...to mixed reviews.
We arrived in Agra to be struck by how much more open (rural) poverty there was. It is a dusty, dirty country in any case, but the skeletal horses, cows, and (surprisingly) pigs was testament to the hard times experienced by so many in the area.
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| Decorated bus |
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| I found the metal work very interesting! |
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| Laundry day made for a beautiful view! |
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| Cows sunbathing |
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| Monkeys! |
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| Mother with baby monkey! |
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| Breakfast time in Agra |
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| Carrying firewood...about 10 women in a row |
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| Our first view of the Taj! |
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| Agra's Red Fort |
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| Roadside view in centralish Agra |
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| We thought these leaf-bowls a nifty solution! |
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| The underside really shows the texture. |
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| This was our breakfast: normal and sweet samosas |
Irritatingly, a "guide" who had been "called by the hotel" jumped on the bus at some point. When I asked if his services were already included in the price, he charmingly indicated no...but continued to talk persuasively about how helpful it would be, biggest crowd of the year, etc. We told him to scoot right back off the van and that we were going on our own.
The driver was shocked! I wonder how much kickback he would have received from this fellow...
Once there, we found (as in the Red Fort in Delhi) three separate lines at the ticket booth: men, women, and foreigners. I don't know how expensive the normal tickets were, but the expensive tickets MORE than paid for themselves: along with a complimentary bottle of water and shoe covers (woo hoo!), we also had expedited lines, both through security and through the building itself! Having seen the main entrance, we would have spent 5 hours in line just to get in...and I'm not joking. As it was, it took us about 20 minutes once we even got to the line.
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| Entry gate, with the Taj's domes visible behind |
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| Seen through the entry gate |
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| One small detail |
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| Love all the angles and curves |
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| Add caption |
We've all seen pictures of the Taj Mahal. It is just striking in its elaborate simplicity: clean lines, with ornate stone inlay. What I hadn't realized was that it is a complex of several buildings that are lovely in their own right...and as part of this campus of buildings, just spectacular. Inside the Taj Mahal, there are the sarcophagi of the builder and his wife. They are just splendid. Surrounded by a pierced and inlaid stone wall, they are heavily ornamented with floral inlays on a white marble base. Just extraordinary work.
Of course, I needed something of the stonework, much of which is probably faked or otherwise an inferior product, but it is so very beautiful. Florence went into the shop with me (the only shop that didn't actively try for my custom), and she was an amazing foile for the negotiations. I was the interested one, but Florence was her eminently practical self. There was a lovely plate there. Florence pointed out that we didn't need it. He dropped the price. I admired it. Florence said that the color was all wrong. He dropped the price. I admired it. Florence reminded me (in response to my timid suggestion that we could use it as a serving dish, ardently agreed with by our salesfriend) that marble is porous and will pick up stains. He dropped the price, while assuring me that this is most high quality marble that won't absorb (yeah, right, marble won't absorb grease...). After the poor fellow had had enough of Florence's (earnestly intended) toying with him, I closed the deal. He may easily have got the better part of it, but I don't want to know. I can say, however, that it cost considerably less than the "great price" I was quoted at the Red Fort for a visibly inferior product. And at the end of the day, it wasn't a huge expense.
Some decided to hoof it back to the parking lot rather than waiting for the free shuttle bus, but I decided that a carriage ride would be completely fun. I managed to get a carriage ride for four for only a moderate ripoff rather than a complete ripoff, and absolutely enjoyed the ride back. Again, we felt terribly sorry for the horses, though, because they were all half-starved and with rheumy eyes. Perhaps we shouldn't have encouraged the trade? I don't know, because this sort of discussion can be so confusing....
Arriving back at the hotel after a dinner stop, we realized that our road was blocked off for a street party. Complete with lights and streamers and...noise. You have NO IDEA how much noise. And, yes, Michael's and my room faced that street. I was honestly tired enough (and not feeling great...coming down with a head cold) that it didn't matter....I fell asleep to boomboomboom and then awoke with a start at three becasue everything had gone quiet!
Love,
Alexandra
Several hours of uneventful driving included a stop at a highway rest area. I must confess to some trepidation, but needs must, and my needs musted. So out we all got, and found ourselves at a remarkably modern complex, complete with eating area, convenience store, restrooms, and so on. Apart from an unavoidable lake of (clean) water next to the (modern, western) toilets (and the expected lack of TP, compensated for by carrying tissues everywhere), it was remarkably pleasant! We did get some fun and interesting snacks, though...to mixed reviews.
We arrived in Agra to be struck by how much more open (rural) poverty there was. It is a dusty, dirty country in any case, but the skeletal horses, cows, and (surprisingly) pigs was testament to the hard times experienced by so many in the area.
Once there, we found (as in the Red Fort in Delhi) three separate lines at the ticket booth: men, women, and foreigners. I don't know how expensive the normal tickets were, but the expensive tickets MORE than paid for themselves: along with a complimentary bottle of water and shoe covers (woo hoo!), we also had expedited lines, both through security and through the building itself! Having seen the main entrance, we would have spent 5 hours in line just to get in...and I'm not joking. As it was, it took us about 20 minutes once we even got to the line.
We've all seen pictures of the Taj Mahal. It is just striking in its elaborate simplicity: clean lines, with ornate stone inlay. What I hadn't realized was that it is a complex of several buildings that are lovely in their own right...and as part of this campus of buildings, just spectacular. Inside the Taj Mahal, there are the sarcophagi of the builder and his wife. They are just splendid. Surrounded by a pierced and inlaid stone wall, they are heavily ornamented with floral inlays on a white marble base. Just extraordinary work.
Of course, I needed something of the stonework, much of which is probably faked or otherwise an inferior product, but it is so very beautiful. Florence went into the shop with me (the only shop that didn't actively try for my custom), and she was an amazing foile for the negotiations. I was the interested one, but Florence was her eminently practical self. There was a lovely plate there. Florence pointed out that we didn't need it. He dropped the price. I admired it. Florence said that the color was all wrong. He dropped the price. I admired it. Florence reminded me (in response to my timid suggestion that we could use it as a serving dish, ardently agreed with by our salesfriend) that marble is porous and will pick up stains. He dropped the price, while assuring me that this is most high quality marble that won't absorb (yeah, right, marble won't absorb grease...). After the poor fellow had had enough of Florence's (earnestly intended) toying with him, I closed the deal. He may easily have got the better part of it, but I don't want to know. I can say, however, that it cost considerably less than the "great price" I was quoted at the Red Fort for a visibly inferior product. And at the end of the day, it wasn't a huge expense.
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