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4:30am rise and my first experience on an Indian train to take us from Delhi to Agra. We had seats reserved which was a huge luxury here. Before that we had to enter Delhi train station where a queue of hundreds locals waited to get through the gate, there were also hundreds sleeping on the floor under blankets and i can only assume they are of the many homeless in this country, a hard thing to see. We however had to walk straight past the long queue and go staight onto the platform, another hard thing to do as it made me feel so arrogant that because we had more money we were able to walk straight through, again something i need to toughen up to. We were served breakfast on the train... Cutlets. Spicy potatoe croquet things with ketchup, not pleasant but i tried it!
We arrived in Agra after 2 hours of seeing some odd things out the train window. Cows everywhere, people just sitting on the train tracks and kids playing, also a lot of people using the train tracks as a toilet, for all purposes not caring who saw- not quite what you'd expect coming from England. And many shanti towns were people have so very little.
Once we dropped our bags off at the hostel (the bag i have already begun to loathe due to the ridiculous weight) we headed to Aga Fort. I had never heard of this before but it was amazing. HUGE. We had a guide who explained all the history of how the King lived there with his 2 wives, one who was beautiful and for giving him a family and the other who was for the house keeping, cooking etc, they each had their own ladies to help. He also lived there with 5,000 other wives who were for entertaining him, belly dancing etc. It was the biggest and most interesting building i've ever been too. A water moat once had crocodiles and vicious water creatures and there was also a land moat filled with lions and tigers etc. This Fort was never conquered.
We then had lunch on a roof top terrace, again there is no escape from the crazy honking of India drivers in cars, Tuk Tuks and mopeds. I have to be honest and saw a chinese section on the menu, vegetable chow mein it was.
Finally we got to the big event - the Taj Mahal. WOW. Utterly breath takingly beautiful. I cannot describe how magnificent it looks and the pictures don't do it justice. Inside is not as impressive at all but still nice to walk around it (i think Disney may be to blame for my lack of enthusiasm inside as it was nothing like how Jasmine lived!). We stayed for a couple hours until sunset when it becomes even more stunning. While walking around it with thousands of other people, Indian men constantly asked me and Claie to be in their photos... to the point where we were surounded by about 40 all wanting to take photos. I still don't understand how white people can be that fascinating. Even when we had group photos of our tour sneaky ones would stand on the end and get their friend to take pictures! You will see this in some of mine when i upload them!
We then went for dinner in the evening to a South Indian restaurant, very different to the previous cuisine. South Indian food is very different, almost no curries, more like crepes filled with potato stuffing and pizzas made from a rice type substance. I like this much more and will probably suvive better when i get to Goa & Kerala.
Love to my amazing family xxx
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