Varanasi to Agra

We pulled away on the Overnight sleeper train headed towards Agra – city of the infamous wonder of the world – Taj Mahal 🙂 It took three of us to stuff my bag under the seat if the train and with every pocket padlocked I slept like a baby thinking that if someone managed to et the bag out they totally deserved it!!!! I slept in the Middle berth bed with no room to sit up, so i ended up Laying down for 12 hrs with the exception of two pee breaks; before bed and morning. Boarding the train was perfect time as we got on close to 1030 and ended up heading to sleep by 1130pm. The train was No drinking or smoking so no time to party….just zonk out if you can. The Rocking and shaking and swaying of the train felt very much like experiencing an earthquake so I ended up having a few dreams of being back in NZ, but otherwise slept pretty well. I had my Shoes tucked under my sheet at end of bed, backpack and ski jacket as my pillow, handbag around my wrist and sleeping silk keeping me warm…..what better comforts and security could I ask for!
I woke up around 9am with the 3 Indian local woman in our area talking as loud as they possibly could, then one of them went to put pillows up on my bed, rubbing them against my butt, which woke with a Start thinking someone had come in for a feel!!!
We Got off the train around 11am, an hour after expected arrival time but all good. The Train stopped at Agra and we had 10 mins to get all our gear and off the train, we almost left two of our group behind …. somehow they missed the memo to get off and they made it off seconds before it moved on.
Outside and on to a bus parked alongside the Agra Fort…. i was really looking forward to getting back…it was huggggge! Onwards to our hotel – Royale Residency. Our accommodations just keep getting classier!!! It’s in the new part of Agra and minutes from the Taj Mahal. A quick freshen up (shower and snack) and we were out the door onto the bus again for a tour of the Agra Fort. Our guide was a nice Indian man who loved to crack a good joke and made the experience really enjoyable. Agra Fort had its ups and downs in its history, gold and jewel Incrusted everywhere was stolen in invasions eventually. It has two security walled sections – water moat and dry section full of Bengal tigers. The marble work was incredible with intricate flower patterns cut out and inlaid with other coloured precious and semi specious stones from all around India and its surrounding countries.
We went back to the hotel for a quick lunch then out the door again heading towards one of the wonders of the world, the majestic and royal Taj Mahal. We had first glimpsed the Taj from the Agra Fort but up close seeing it for the first time was very dreamlike – I couldn’t believe I was standing in front of it. We had a quick guided tour/explanation of its history and then free to explore for the next 2 hours. I wandered with MJ, Lee and Keiri. We took many photos from different view points and the tell tale selfies, walked the gardens, wore our booties over our shoes to walk inside as we looking up to see the smaller double dome inside. We walked around the outside checking out the different marbles and stone used and the whole time I was just in awe of the size, shape, skill and coordination that went Into creating something so beautiful. We took a quick look in the taj museum where you can find layout plans of the Taj, a sword room, pictures of Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal whom he spent 22 years building the Taj Mahal for. We even saw a bowl that was found that would change colour if food was contaminated or poisoned. Afterwards we walked to the main marble platform where people stand to take photos and sat on the edge and just looked at the Taj for the next half hour as the sun set and the lighting changed from a white Taj to a grey Taj. It is said that the Taj changes colour multiple times in a day to reflect the mood or a woman’s emotions!
A quick coffee stop for the group to meet up, a postcard purchase and back to the hotel to change for dinner.
We were taken to a restaurant which was Our guides favourite place to eat…. as well as every other tour guide in town at the moment … I think there were 6 other tour groups….Intrepid and G Adventure that I spoke to.
Dinner was delicious but I have realised that the curries even when I ask for no chilli, capsicum or corriander… The three things I know that make me sick. I’m still finishing meals with the biggest stomach ache and a cement feeling that grows and expands over the next few hours. Not the most pleasant experience, so thinking there may be something new that I can’t eat now. Ill keep trying some different ones over the last 4 days left of the tour in India and see if I can crack the code!
When MJ and i arrived back at the hotel there was the Loudestttt wedding music RIGHT outside our first floor room…..feeling sick and tired and knowing it would be a few hours left of this racket we asked to change rooms. All good and no drama, we went up a floor and to the other side of the building. Still needed ear plugs but managed to get some sleep……utillllll…..the Electric socket blew up my power adapter charging my iPad and short circuited the power in the whole room….sparks and a loud bang woke me up to fi d the charger half way across the room with my iPad dangling off the table and half the power plug still in the charred black wall socket!! Next thing I knew it was 11pm and I had 2 Indian men (one with the longest pinky fingernail I have ever seen) in the room pulling apart our main wall socket try into rework the power in our room and checking the charred wall. I now have nothing to charge my iPad or iPod with now so will be borrowing from others for the next few days.
Finally made it to sleep after midnight a tired, grumpy and sick Melly.
BUT TODAY I SAW THE TAJ MAHAL!!!!!!!! So life is great!