Visiting the city of Agra was a quick trip for us. We left on a train from Jaipur at 6am, arrived in Agra by 11:30am and then left on an overnight train to Varanassi at 11pm. A quick trip, but glad we didn't spend more time here.
Our day began at the relaxed Yash Cafe where you can store your bags for the day for a small charge of 50 Rupees or $1.15. They also have a shower so you can clean up before you head out of the city. Only problem is the bathroom was absolutely disgusting and full of spiderwebs, plus it had a lattice window that you could look perfectly out onto the street below and vice versa. So, no shower for us.
The Taj Mahal looked like a mirage from far away. We entered from the South Gate, which was really quiet with no queue line or touts (people coming up to you and selling you everything from post cards, marble Tajs, peacock fans, etc, etc, etc). We heard both could be problematic in getting into the Taj, but within minutes we were walking through the gates and on to the gardens that led to the Taj. It is a huge structure and really beautiful. The walls are marble and has such intricate shell designs of flowers carved into the marble. The inside didn't consist of much, but it did serve as a great shelter as we hung out on the steps of the Taj to wait out a 15 minute rain storm. You've probably heard the story about why the Taj was built... it's a love story, basically a monument built by a maharaja (Shin Jarah) in memory of his wife who died after giving birth to their 14th child. It was built in 1635 and supposedly only took 8 years to build, but other books say it wasn't really completed until 1653. The crowds weren't bad, we came to the conclusion it was probably because of it being the off season and the fact that most people who travel here in the summer are either crazy, like hot weather, or they are teachers. :) We walked around the Taj grounds for about 2 hours. It's quite spectacular and we're so glad we came here to visit it.
Next stop was the Agra fort. A huge fort that sprawls across the hillside. The same guy who built the Taj was imprisioned here after his son overthrew him. He literally finished building the Taj and then his son screwed him over for the throne. The fort looks directly onto the Taj, so a sorry sight for the guy. Lots of monkeys at the fort. Monkeys are crazy and scary little animals. We both try to avoid them at all costs. Even if it means avoiding a monkey that's hanging out on a sidewalk, and we'll walk to the other side of the road. In Jaipur, one guy cracked up laughing at Jack as he jumped 3 feet off the sidewalk just to avoid a monkey. The guy thought we were wimps. And yes, we are!
After taking in the two main sights, we hung out at an internet cafe and then went for a rooftop dinner that looked out to the Taj Mahal. No sunset for us as it was cloudy, but still a cool experience.
The touts were pretty tame. We heard it can get pretty bad here with them harassing you everywhere. There is an expectation from people to give them a tip all the time. For instance, you negotitate a price with an auto rickshaw and then when you get to your destination, they want a tip and they actually say that to you, "You give me a tip". Riiiggghhhttt. Happens all the time, no matter what the reason.
Traveling is tough when you're constantly bombarded by people. Everywhere we go, there's staring or people want you to buy something or give them money. Even on the train rides, when you're trying to go to sleep, people will fully keep staring at you like you're an alien. When you walk down the street, you attract a crowd of people all asking you for something. Somedays after a day out in the cities, you literally throw yourself into your room for some peace and quiet. And then you meet the nicest people who just want to talk or tell you a story. We met a great local shopkeeper who found out we were from Calgary and all he wanted to talk about was Bret the Hitman Hart and WWF. So we sat for a 1/2 hour talking about Hulk Hogan, the Undertaker, The Ultimate Warrior and of course, Bret. Hilarious!!!
Here's a link for Agra with a map of where we are and some photos for your enjoyment!
Take care,
Jack and Vanessa
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