Wonders of the world

Our next stop was Agra. So we ended up waiting for the last train until 4am..from 10pm. We were hoping to arrive at 6am to Agra but this was 3pm which ate into our time here. Luckily we still managed to fit in the best parts and do some shopping!

We treated ourself to a nice hotel this time. I think it cost about 25 pounds including breakfast. It was a good choice, walking distance to taj mahal and a rooftop view too. A nice pool also provided a well needed swim from the heat, even if we didn't make it until 7.30pm!

Our first stop was agra fort. We bargained a tuktuk who spoke suspiciously good English. Always be wary of a tuktuk talking perfect English...this would usually mean 1) he wants to be your guide 2) he wants you in his shop 3) both of the above.
We managed to get a deal for £3.50 for the afternoon to include the fort and going to see sunset at a park overlooking the taj.

The fort was nice and peaceful from the chaos outside it. A mughal fort built by the Muslims as unlike most of the rest of India Agra is a Muslim part of India mainly. Meaning they eat cows, and not pork! It was nice and lots of birds, chipmunks and cheeky monkeys! After this we braved the street food for the first time and had samosas 4 for 50p cooked by children! They were different from our samosas and more like a savory doughnut than a pastry. And survived to tell the tale, so far...

We then went to the gardens for sunset at the taj. This was a lovely peaceful gardens with a beautiful view over the rear of the taj. Took some nice photos through the trees different to the usual tourist photos full of people in the shots! Great.

Finished the day with a swim and a roof top paneer cashew curry and a veg jal frezy with delicious naan and the sounds of a sitar player. The huge bed was a welcome rest after the late night train the day before!

This was short lived however as this morning we were up at 4.30am to get to the taj for opening time. Massive smugness when we were the first people on the princess Diana bench today meaning we had the whole place in peace and quiet to ourself for uninterrupted photos! Wasn't expecting that. Even found a nice guy to take a photo of us together without money which is rare in India. The taj is beautiful despite being under cleaning so some of it is scaffolded but this is quite discrete and certainly did not distract from it's beauty. As it changed with the sunrise it was certainly a sight.

Of course the tuktuk as expected tried his hardest to get us to detour via his friends shop for his commission. We succeeded in avoiding this as we were expecting it and a polite decline or 12 was enough to shut him up.

Now we are at the station waiting for the next stop. A 4 hour daytime journey to Ranthambore national park to hopefully spot an elusive bengal tiger. Of course...that is why I am writing this. Another 5 hour train delay and 5 hours of people watching at the station (which is never dull!)

Staying at a 5 star hotel tonight for 2 nights as a treat. Can't wait for my bed.Read more