Agra Fort

Annu appeared in our section this morning. I was already up and ready. He asked me to wake the others and then he kept popping back to make sure we were OK. I hadn't slept well, but I think I did better than the other night.

There was a hold-up before we got in to the station, so we finally arrived at around 6.45am. Annu then led us to an Intrepid minibus which took us to our hotel, an hour's drive away. Once there, we were given the keys to a couple of dayrooms to freshen up in, and then we went for breakfast which was already being served in the hotel restaurant. We had a final group photo with Meriy, who was going home to Delhi, and we met our new leader, Tusher. Immediately, the vibe was different. He was open and friendly, very smiley, and he gave us all the information we needed about today and tomorrow. As Rachael and Rick said, 'this is Intrepid'! After me singing the company's praises for years, I was glad that Fiona was seeing what a group leader should be like!

We left on an optional visit to Agra Fort in the minibus at 10.30am. Everyone except Mira and Hisa chose to do it. The price of 1210 rupees per person included the transport, entrance fees, and the services of Amol, an excellent local guide. Tusher came with us, too. He is from Agra, and was able to add lots of details and personal stories to Amol's already comprehensive information. 

Within the first few seconds of getting off the minibus at the entrance to Agra Fort, I'd been offered a chess set, the Taj Mahal in a snow globe, and a whip! Random! 😀

The Agra Fort (Qila Agra) is a historical Mughal fort in, also known as Agra's Red Fort. Mughal emperor Humayun was crowned at this fort in 1530. It was later renovated by the Mughal emperor Akbar from 1565 and the present-day structure was completed in 1573. It served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Before being captured by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas. In 1983, the Agra fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its importance during Mughal rule. It is about 2.5 kilometers northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city.Baca lagi