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CROUCHING SCULPTURES, HIDDEN TIGERS!
We left the odours of Varanasi behind us and drove on to Bandhavgarh National Park where we set up camp for a couple of nights. It felt strange to be back in overland tents again and we couldn't help but think of all our friends we made back in Africa. The campsite was full of very photogenic, deceptively cute little monkeys however once one bared its teeth and ran at me I decided to keep a distance!
We were up early in the morning for a game drive through the national park in search of tigers but disappointingly we didn't see any. We chose to do another game drive later in the afternoon in search of the elusive beast but again had no luck. We did hear a female growling in the forest beside us but she was reluctant to reveal herself! The other jeep that went out managed to spend about 20 minutes with an enormous male tiger, only metres from their vehicle! Absolutely gutted!!!!!!
From Bandhavgarh we headed up to the erotic temples of Khajuraho. On the way, we came across a horrifying accident involving a truck, mini-van and car with close to 1000 people at the scene watching and even photographing the victims. It was one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen and we read in the paper the following day that 21 people were killed!
On a brighter note, the temples of Khajuraho were absolutely incredible and completely surpassed our expectations. The detail in the carvings really has to be seen to be believed and of course, the erotic figures make for some very "interesting" viewing. Our local guide was brilliant and was able to explain (in detail) the significance of the very 'acrobatic' positions of the figures with a completely straight face (shame about the rest of us!). The Khajuraho complex itself is a beautiful haven where you can escape from the hundreds of little men outside the gates who are trying to sell you their 'in-y-out-y in-y-out-y' erotic key-rings, among other things!
The drive from Khajuraho to Agra was up there with some of the bumpiest roads we've ever experienced but the city itself made the journey completely worth it. Agra has some amazing history, spectacular architecture and of course the famed tomb, the Taj Mahal! We got up early to visit the Taj at sunrise but naturally nothing ever quite goes to plan here in India and by the time the gates were finally opened and we'd been through security, the sun had well and truly risen! Nevertheless, we were still able to see the magnificent marble changing colour in the early morning light and take some beautiful photos of the Taj & the anterior reflection pool. Like Khajuraho, the pristine grounds of the Taj Mahal act as a sanctuary from the madness and mayhem of the streets outside and the splendour and serenity makes it easy to forget you're in India!
After absorbing the atmosphere of the Taj, we went to our tuk-tuk driver's house for a traditional breakfast cooked for us by his lovely wife and then continued on with our sight-seeing. We visited a marble factory where we watched men work their magic with beautiful stones and gems, explored the enormous Agra Fort complex, did a little Christmas/birthday shopping and visited the "Baby Taj" temple. Joel and I, at Dad's request, also went to the Saghami Bagh temple which has been under construction since 1904 and was supposedly being built using only traditional tools and methods. Mum and Dad visited this temple 30 years ago and wanted us to get a few snaps of its progress. We arrived there and (surprise surprise) were told photography at the temple is now forbidden - Doh! We took a few sneaky shots when the security guards weren't looking but were disappointed to see (and hear) electric grinders being used to cut the marble - I guess after 108 years of construction, a 'short-cut' here and there is understandable! The temple (if/when it's complete) will certainly give the Taj Mahal a run for its money in terms of the intricate marble carvings and attention to detail.
Our last stop, just outside of Agra, was the Ancient City of Fathipur and Sikri where the royal family used to live. The king had three wives (all from different religious backgrounds) and elements of Hindu, Islam and Christianity can be found intertwined throughout the palace architecture and surrounding temples.
Our next destination was the Pink City of Jaipur. Jaipur was once a predominantly yellow city but was given a pink makeover as a welcome gesture to Prince Albert when he paid a visit many years ago. Here, we wandered through the ornate palace grounds, visited the City of Winds, explored Janta Manta - an impressive outdoor observatory and visited the Amber Palace fortress. A low point in Jaipur was when a few of us decided to go for a wander and were followed by a small group of children which rapidly swarmed into a mob of more than 50 feral kids who proceeded to push, pinch and grope us until I managed to catch one and give them a serious wallop! It was definitely disturbing to see 'mob mentality' alive and well amongst 6 & 7 year old children!!!
High: Ticking the beautiful Taj Mahal off our bucket-list!
Low: Missing out on seeing the tiger! Waaaaaaaaah!
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