Tuesday 28th - To Agra and the Taj Mahal

I was up at 5.15 ready to leave for our train at 6.00. We were due to arrive in Agra about 11.00 am. Unfortunately the fog was very bad and the trains were all delayed. We found out later that our train arrived in Agra about 15.00. Yaddu had organised a coach for us instead and so we set off for another mad drive. I saw a road sign on the way which said 'DO NOT DRIVE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION'. It was much needed but to no avail.

The good thing about travelling at this time of year is that it is cool. In fact some in the group had had trouble the night before because it was cold. Despite extra blankets they had suffered. I was fine as I had set off in all my cold weather clothes in case I was stuck at the airport. The people from Oz had left in their summer clothes not anticipating how cold it would be at night. During the day, in the sun, the temperature is in the low 20s centigrade but after dark dropped well below 10 centigrade. I found the fleece that I had worn to Manchester Airport was to become really useful. As the journey went on the fog cleared and it became quite warm.

The coach trip which took us into rural Rajastan for the first time was really interesting to me. We saw lots of fertile looking fields full of young wheat, yellow flowering mustard, maize and small amounts of rice. Yaddu said that this was not a good rice growing area so people just grew it for family use. The corn stooks by the side of the road covered the gleanings saved after the corn harvest which were stored under the conical thatch and then fed to the cows. There were also lots of cow pat factories. This seemed to be womens' work. The cow manure is collected and when wet shaped into discs which are slapped onto any available flat surface and left to dry.
They are then stacked ready to be used as fuel. Some of the stacks were quite artisically arranged conical towers.










We arrived at our hotel the Grand Casa and dropped off our bags. Then around the corner for lunch. The food was South Indian and I had Uttapam which is a sort of rice and lentil pancake containing coriander, onion and chopped pepper and sprinkled with spices. Very nice!

We were then off to the Taj. First in a mini-bus and then in an electric vehicle as no polluting traffic is allowed near. We used a small hotel very near the Eastern Gate as a bag drop and then through security, men one side, women the other and we were in. By this time it was 13.00 and the place was packed as this is the Christmas holiday period for Indians too. This was the disadvantage but the advantage was that for the time of year the light was very good and we got good photos. We met another tour group later who were there early and it was very quiet but difficult to get good photos as it was so misty. Swings and roundabouts-and it was nice to be in the sun.

We made our way to the main entrance and through the arch I got a glimpse of the famous outline for the first time. I was quite moved. It really is very beautiful. We slowly made our way towards the Taj. I stopped at the famous 'Diana bench' where many Indian families were having their photos taken. I persuaded one of them to take my photo. When I got up onto the main forecourt I put my shoe covers on. Many people were taking their shoes off as is done at a mosque. A large queue had formed and we slowly snaked our way around the entrance the the mausoleum. On the warm platform the smell of cheesy feet became stronger. A smell I shall always associate with the Taj!

There was more security at the entrance and we filed in past large signs saying no photographs. Once inside there was a thunderstorm of flashes as people started photographing. People surged forward to see the tombs of Mumtaz and her devoted husband Shah Jahan, just to her left. We all circled around the central area looking at the intricate stonework in the gloom. I guiltily succumbed in the end a took a few photos but without flash.

This photo conveys the beauty of the Taj up close. The white marble is inlaid with precious stones. Not just in the mausoleum but on the outside as well.

Once outside I had a gentle stroll around the outside of the mausoleum taking in the beautiful intricacy of the stonework. I then strolled through the quiet, green gardens listening to the birds chattering in the trees and watching the gardeners tidying up and putting greenery onto a bullock cart. I started to take a photo and before I knew it I was holding the cow halter and the gardener took my photo... for 10 rupees.





We then met up with our guide and went up to the Red Fort of Agra. This was the first of the Mughal Palaces we were to see. This one had a wall around the outside and then a series of courtyards and areas for public and private audience. There are also palaces for the various royal princesses, concubines etc. The thing that stayed in my mind apart from the beautiful stonework, fantastic views across the Yamuna River to the Taj as it was gradually enveloped in the evening mist, was the sense of shame at the damage done by the British by attacking and looting this palace. They were not the only ones to do this but that did not make me feel any better.


We then set off to a restaurant for another delicious Indian meal. Again I went for the chicken tikka and had mixed vegetables as well as another naan all washed down with Kingfisher beer. Then it was back to the hotel. A guide from the hotel walked me around to the ATM. What a relief, I has become desperate for cash. Then off to bed for some much needed sleep after a long but memorable day.

Monday 27th December - Arrival in Delhi

One again I was lucky. Many flights were delayed coming into Delhi because of fog. My flight was due to land at 11.30 and it was more like 12.30 following the Heathrow delay so the fog had cleared. The first thing that I noticed was that there was an acrid smog smell in the air. I think Delhi is polluted at the best of times but this fog and the calm high pressure weather conditions, which are a regular winter feature, made it worse and the pollution, in its turn, made the fog worse.

From the plane I proceeded to the passport control hall which was packed. There were really long queues at all the desks and they moved very slowly largely because some passengers had not filled in their landing cards and we had to wait while they filled them in at the desk. Once through, next was baggage claim. This involved another long wait but my trusty little bag turned up, no problem. Whilst waiting I was very aware of the smog which seemed to invade the airport halls and made the back of my nose and throat prickle and my eyes sting. I could also hear a cacophony of horns blaring outside. There was no customs check so then I was straight through to the arrivals hall. I headed straight for the cash machine as you are not allowed to buy rupees outside India. There was a 10 minute wait in the queue and then I was at the machine. I worked my way through the menu choices and ordered 6000 Rupees which is about 89 pounds. The machine promptly rejected my card. There was a Money Change Bureau but the queue was long so this was when I was very glad I had taken impromptu action and smuggled some Rupees. Only about 20 pounds which I had bought at Manchester. They had warned me they could be confiscated but it was worth it. I then joined another queue at the Government pre-pay taxi stand. I has the government crest on it and also the word 'police'. This was reassuring as I had read in my Lonely Planet guide that there were plenty of taxi touts ready to part you from large amounts of your money.

Once having paid for my taxi (320 IRP/£5.00) to my hotel I went outside to the taxi rank. I found the security guards were very helpful when I was not sure where to go. I gave the green slip to the driver and kept the pink one. Then into the black and

yellow taxi. This was an old vehicle, very sturdy in constuction with lots of duct tape repairs to torn upholstery and broken fittings. Then we took off for my first drive in India. I knew it would be mad and it was. We took off at break neck speed and headed straight towards the back of the vehicle in front of us with a blaring of our horn. We swerved at the last minute missing this car by cms and then forced our way between the car in front and another car which was over taking us to our right. We squeezed through and repeated this manoeuvre all the way to the hotel. Some times we over took on the inside meeting vehicles coming the other way on the hard shoulder. We jostled with motorbikes and cycles, auto rickshaws, pedestrians, coaches, lorries, horses and carts. Sometimes we straddled two lanes. There was no seat belt or head restraint on the seat in front, so in a crash I would have been catapulted forward through the windscreen. All I could do was wedge my ruck sack in front of me to try and brace myself against the seat in front. I kept thinking of Jimmy Saville and the 'Belt Up' campaign and how horrified he would be. Strangely I was not frightened but instead rather detacted. The mad sytem of driving seems to work and there was no crash.

Along the roadside I could sometimes see shanty settlements of makeshift homes. Often they were bits of wood and tarpaulin or plastic sheeting. Frequently they were leaning again a brick wall. People who looked really dirty and poor were sitting around wood fires trying to keep warm or were cooking their lunch.

I felt intrusive taking photos but found these two on Google Images.

The driver got me to the Karol Bargh district where my hotel The Pooja Palace was located. Mission accomplished. I was really pleased as I had arrived a little late but on time to link up with my tour. I gave the taxi driver a tip and the pink slip and then went to check in. At the hotel there was a man to open the door, a man sweeping the floor, several men ready to carry my bag and someone to get me refreshments if I should want. I was taken to my room which was fine. Clean spacious with and suite bathroom.

The rest of the tour group had gone out for an orientation walk. I went out into the market area for a stroll. I was immediately approached by two young men who asked me where I was from. I suspiciously shoo'd them away. The one took me to task and explained that they were not touts or crooks and simply wanted to talk English. So I chatted for a few minutes and then went on my way. I walked up and down the same strip several times to get used to it but really wanting something to eat and drink. I eventually bought a bottle of water and then plucked up the courage to go to the street food stall which was selling fried potato cakes. I looked at what people were eating and then liking the look of one couple's food I asked them the name. They said Aloo Tikki so I ordered one for 30 rupees (50p). It was delicious, broken up on a little metal plate and accompanied with 3 different sauces, mint, yoghurt and tamarind.







Then back to the hotel where people from my tour started gathering. I spent quite a bit of time phoning Lloyds TSB to sort out my cards. No luck at first as they were very busy with bank holiday shoppers maxing out on their cards but eventually I got it sorted. Meanwhile our tour leader Yaddu arrived and talked about the arrangements for the next day. We then went round the corner to a restaurant and ate the most delicious meal. The Chicken Tikka was the best I have ever eaten. Tender and juicy with tasty spices and the smell of charcoal barbecue. I had Aloo Kashmiri for vegetables and a naan bread. Thinner and smaller than at home. All was washed down with Kingfisher beer. The whole meal cost 484 INR about £7.00. Back to the hotel for a good night's sleep ready to be on my way early in the morning.

Sun 26th December - Boxing Day

After a fantastic Christmas Day with the family I set off across the Pennines to Manchester Airport. This was with some trepidation as the weather had been so bad but it turned out to be clear of snow, if very cold. In fact it was very scenic as the snow covered moors at the highest point looked lovely. My son Michael was my chauffeur this time and he did a great job 'Driving Miss Daisy' - I am normally a very nervous car passenger.

Once at Manchester I felt that I could relax as I had done my bit getting to the airport and it was now the job of the air company to get me to India and if they failed my insurance would kick in. I had spend quite a bit of the last week worrying about getting to the airport if it should snow heavily again. I was also worrying about my flight being delayed so I missed the beginning of the tour and was stuck in Delhi on my own.

For some reason I thought I was flying with BA and when I got to their desk the people in front of me were promptly told that their flight to New York was cancelled and that they had to join a long queue at another desk in order to rebook. My heart sank! I stepped forward and the clerk looked at my documents and told me I was booked with Virgin not BA. What a twit! How could I have not known that. I think I looked at booking with BA but changed to Virgin at the last minute. Anyway the rest was plain sailing. I was moved back an earlier connecting flight to Heathrow as so many flights were delayed by snow in Europe. I arrived at Heathrow in plenty of time for my Delhi flight. The shops in Terminal 3 were fantastic. It was like being in Knightsbridge. I had a tasty light supper in Yo Sushi and then killed the time strolling around, knowing that I was going to spend a long time sitting on the plane.

The plane was ready to leave at 22.00 and would have taken off on time except for one missing passenger! It took ages to find his bags and get them off. This is such a frequent occurrence. Where do people get to! I sat next to an Indian family of three women. Aunty and two daughters. They came from London and were going to Delhi to visit family and buy saris. The older daughter was getting married and wanted a special wedding sari. Small world - the younger daughter is a second year medical student at Leeds University and I said I thought I would see her at reception, where I work in Health Sciences, in the near future.

The flight was fine except I started to feel unwell. Luckily I did not bother with the meal on the plane and tried to sleep. My gut started churning more and more and in the end I had to go to the toilet with and attack of diarrhoea. I felt very faint and wobbly but luckily after that I slept a bit and by the time we landed I was OK.