Agra and the Taj Mahal

And so to India’s most iconic and most photographed site. Before that, I must just mention that on our last day in Varanasi, we were taking an early morning stroll along the Ganges and we saw not one, but two, dead bodies floating along the river. Perhaps not that surprising given this is a holy place to die. What I found quite astounding was that no one cared. Families washing continued without even looking up as if it is in some way normal to wash in a river with dead bodies floating just feet away from you. Clearly in India, this is normality! After all, they are washing to remove their sins rather than to get physically clean. Death is viewed differently here and Hindus believe that dying in the Ganges allows you to escape the constant cycle of life and re-birth.

Anyway, the following morning was infinitely more pleasant. After the overnight train journey from Varanasi to Agra, we found our first clean budget hotel of the trip. I certainly did not expect to end up staying in a hotel with such a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal. It was quite a treat to have breakfast in the roof top restaurant overlooking the Taj.

Having been told that it is best to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise, we devoted the rest of the morning to sorting out our onward travel plans. By necessity, this seems to have become our routine. As soon as we arrive in a place, we figure out how we can leave and get to the next place. We have to do this simply because the trains are overbooked and, in fact, we are actually taking a bus to get to our next stop, Jaipur.

Bus sorted, we then took a walk around Agra and visited the Fort. Walking in India is not relaxing. You are constantly harassed by rickshaw drivers as they want business and don’t want you walking. Agra, being such a touristy place, is particularly bad for hassle from all angles – shopkeepers, restaurant owners, taxi drivers. Apparently, Indians no longer view foreigners as guests in their country but simply as a means to make money. Hardly surprising that they try and rip you off when they see how much money foreigners have in comparison to them. The cost of a ticket to enter the Taj Mahal for a foreigner is 750 rupees compared to 20 rupees for an Indian. To put this into context, the fine for pulling the emergency stop chord on the train is 1000 rupees or prison. 1000 rupees – which is not even £15 – is so much money for many Indians that they might have to accept prison as the alternative punishment.

The Taj Mahal did not disappoint. It genuinely is the most beautiful building I have ever seen. The different shades of white and cream marble changing colour as the sun came up. You can tell that this building was created purely for love. The signs inside amused me greatly stating “Please be Quite”. Considering the Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the seven new wonders of the world, they could at least spell “quiet” correctly!!

So Taj visit complete, we are now waiting for our bus this afternoon. Time for more lemon ginger tea, more wifi, and more sorting out photos. By the way, I have not eaten meat for over a week now which I feel must be a record as I can’t think of any other time in my life when I have not had meat for more than a few days. I was rather dreading the food in India, but I have been pleasantly surprised so far. Most of the dishes you would find in an Indian curry house in the UK are nowhere to be found on the menus here! There is a lot of really tasty veggie food that isn't hot and spicy. Don’t worry, I have not decided to become veggie (I could murder a medium rare fillet steak), I am just trying to avoid getting “Delhi belly”. Whilst I have been successful so far, I have instead succumbed to a really bad cold which just goes to show that being veggie isn’t good for you!