Agra 3/3/09 - 5/3/09

We were dubious about leaving Alwar to head for Agra, thinking that it would be very much like Delhi in terms of hustle and bustle, hassle and dirt. Although all these things could be found there, it was nothing compared to our first few crazy days in Delhi.

We got a car to take us from Alwar to Agra. It's quite a comfortable way to travel, with the windows down, although this driver did insist on blasting out the Bhangra which got a little tiresome. Halfway through the journey we stopped so the driver could get out and buy some water. While we were waiting for him to return, an old man came over with a long stick and two monkeys on leads, one of them was wearing a dress. The male monkey did some backflips and jumped up and balanced on top of the stick. It sounds more impressive than it actually was. The man's head then appeared close to the gap in the window - he clearly had a very limited grasp of English - "Money...monkey.....money....monkey?" That turned out to be one of Jane's favourite quotes of the trip so far. I felt a bit bad winding the window up in his face but I was really worried that the monkey was going to jump in!

The driver clearly had no idea where he was going when we got to Agra, but this turned out to be a blessing. After stopping to ask directions around ten times, we were directed down another road - and there, right next to a Costa Coffee (which was the first western chain we'd seen in India aside from McD's and TGI's) there was a Pizza Hut! Our hearts leaped in joy! We knew where we'd be eating that night. We went to our hotel for a nap and then went straight back to Pizza Hut - it was just like English Pizza Hut and we loved it. The waiter was very friendly too - "Do you want some extra cheese to make it even more delicious?"

The only initial downside to our hotel room was that we had a squat toilet. Up until now, we had avoided having to use one - we hadn't even got the SheWees out! But it was good to have one, because I can now safely say that I can use a squat toilet without weeing in my trousers - one of my greatest achievements to date. It's a skill which I've already made use of since - on the train, for example, I came back telling Jane that there was a squat toilet but it was OK, only for her to go and find the toilet and tell me that there was a western one right opposite it! Never mind. It's all good practice.

On our first full day in Agra we got a cycle rickshaw to the Red Fort. Our driver was really friendly and advised us to buy a combination ticket which would incorporate a visit to the Taj Mahal because it would save us 50Rs in the long run. We got to the fort and bought the combo ticket - (it was good that he had told us since it didn't appear on any of the signs - insider info!). It was so hot when we were walking round. The Red Fort in Agra is more impressive than the Delhi Red Fort, although I preferred the gardens in Delhi. There were good views of the Taj from the Fort too.

After the Fort, the same cycle rickshaw driver took us to a cash point and then for lunch, which, dare I say it, was in Pizza Hut. They have such cheap deals! Jane and I got a pizza each, garlic bread and two drinks for 100Rs each (around 1 pound 50). After lunch he cycled us across the river to I'timadud-Daulah, which is another tomb. We sat and looked at the river. There were lots of herds of cows wading through - some up to their necks! It's very dry at the moment and in the middle of the river there are bits of land which we could see women farming on. The river looked so filthy, but there were women washing their saris in there which we couldn't understand!

After looking at the river we went to sit in the shade and Jane fed some of the chipmunks with her Pizza Hut garlic bread - it went down well, understandably. A small child then came over to ask us for some money, but we said we didn't have any. We weren't sure whether it was a boy or a girl. I gave him/her some Foxes Fruits which he/she stuffed into his/her pocket. Jane then gave him/her some garlic bread to feed to the chipmunks, but we think we saw them eat it. This made us feel bad wasting the food on the chipmunks so we gave the child the rest of the bread and some more Foxes Fruits. It would be nice to give them money but you can't hand it out to everyone.

After looking at this tomb and its very nice gardens, the same rickshaw driver took us to Mehtab Bagh - which is a Taj Mahal viewpoint from across the river. He gave us the tip that if we went into the gardens to see it, we'd have to pay, but if we walked down the path he pointed out, then we'd get just as good a view for free. We took this option.

Finally, at around 4pm we decided to head for the Taj Mahal. Although you can see it from across the river and from the fort, when you're actually near it it's totally obscured from view. We left our rickshaw driver at the Eastern Gate, paying him 350Rs for a whole day of cycling us round (around 5 pounds). He seemed pleased with it.

In total, the ticket for the Taj Mahal cost us 750Rs each. There's a 500Rs tax which is levied each time you visit the Taj, but this is included in the entrance fee. When you go through the gate, you enter into a kind of courtyard whose focal point is a large gateway. This gateway itself is very attractive but it is soon eclipsed by the magnificence of the Taj Mahal. When you're standing in the courtyard, you can't see the Taj at all and you wonder where it can actually be hidden. Then you glimpse through the gateway and that's when you get your first glance of the Taj - you can't see all of it, just the middle section - but it's enough to make you think "Oh my god, I'm actually going to see the Taj Mahal!"

When you walk through the gateway, it does actually take your breath away. It's not just the beauty of the Taj Mahal, but also the fact that it's such an iconic view. Everyone has seen countless pictures of the Taj Mahal and you kind of forget that it's a real place, so when you're actually there, seeing the sight for yourself, it's pretty unbelievable. Of course, you're not the only person there trying to drink in the view. It's hard to take a good photo because there are so many other people trying to do the same, but it doesn't ruin it at all.

We went up to the Taj to have a look. It's all made of white marble with the four pillars round the outside which lean slightly outwards. Apparently this is so that, if there's ever an earthquake, the pillars will fall away from the tomb rather than onto it. Inside it's really dark and cool, and you're not allowed to take photos. You can just make out the tomb in the middle.

I think I've already mentioned how the Indians like to take photos of us. Well, in front of arguably the most beautiful monument in the world, eighteen people wanted their photos taking with us!!! Most of them didn't even have the Taj Mahal in the background! We couldn't believe it! Jane said that we should definitely take that as a compliment! The best one was when I got to hold a little Indian baby because her parents wanted her to have her photo taken with us - it really is bizarre!

In the evening, we avoided Pizza Hut and had tea at our hotel. After that we watched 'When Harry met Sally' on TV in our room. I hadn't seen it before - it's quite good, but Meg Ryan is quite annoying.

The next day, we had time to kill because our overnight train to Udaipur wasn't leaving until 18.20. We went to the Internet place for a bit to update our blogs and then, I'm slightly ashamed to say, went to Pizza Hut for a third time! You can't blame us though! We're so scared of getting ill!

In the afternoon, we let a cycle rickshaw driver take us round various shops. He gets commission just by taking us there. Up until now, we've refused to let anyone take us to the shops, but because we had time to spare we didn't mind. We got to see how Persian rugs are made and Jane even had a go at tying a knot. After that we had to sit in a sales room while the man laid out over 40 rugs (I lost count at 40) on the floor so that we could view them and sample them with our bare feet. It was quite hard to get out of there, because the man had an answer to each of our excuses - 'It's too big to carry' - 'We have smaller ones!" 'They're still too heavy to carry for six months' - "We can send them home for you!" 'We can't afford it' - "I can make you a much better offer. What are you willing to pay?" In the end, Jane settled for "I just don't like the designs." He couldn't argue with that one seeing as it took months to create a new rug, so finally we were free to leave.

After leaving here, I was accosted for a second time by a young boy selling minature Taj Mahal snowstorm keyrings. He really was most persistant salesman and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

"Hello, Madam. Taj Mahal snowstorm keyring - 100Rs?" - "No, thanks." "Ok, two Taj Mahal snowstorm keyrings 100Rs?" - "No, thanks, I don't want one." "Ok, three Taj Mahal snowstorm keyrings for 80Rs?" "No, thanks. I really don't want one." "Ok, five Taj Mahal snowstorm keyrings..." - "What am I going to do with five Taj Mahal snowstorm keyrings?" - "You can give them to your friends, madam. It's a great gift." "I really don't think they'd want one either." "OK, seven Taj Mahal snowstorm keyrings for 60Rs... your friends would really like them!" (Jane - "We haven't got any friends") "They're too heavy!" "They're very small.... Ok, eight Taj Mahal snowstorm keyrings for 50Rs!" - "I really really don't want one. Has it ever even snowed at the Taj Mahal?" At that point our cycle rickshaw driver drove us away, otherwise I don't know how long that might have gone on for. Still, it was my most successful piece of bartering to date - it had gone from 100Rs for one to 50Rs for eight - and I hadn't even wanted one!

That night we got our overnight train to Udaipur and it really wasn't the "harrowing yet rewarding experience" which we'd been promised!

I'll write more about Udaipur another time. We're in Udaipur now and are heading to Jodhpur tomorrow.

Lots of love, xxxxxx