India - Day Five
We met our guide Raj at our hotel at 5.15am and he and Anil took us on the short drive to the Taj Mahal.
There were crowds of people waiting and as the gates opened we were let in. Access was controlled, men through one section and women through another. After the security scanner check and bag search we were inside the main grounds.
The sun was still below the horizon and the sky had a wonderful pink radiance. The air was humid and heavy with anticipation. After all, it's not every day that you get to visit one of the wonders of the world.
I'm not going to describe what the Taj Mahal is because countless words have been written about it. Countless photographs have also been taken so it's almost impossible to get a fresh view on this most iconic of buildings.
As we walk through the main gate the Taj comes into sight and it does literally take your breath away. The pure white of the marble structure against the hazy early morning light is hard to describe. It gives the Taj an almost ethereal quality. The central dome sits atop a perfect octagonal structure. The 4 pillars have been built to lean outwards slightly so that in the event of an earthquake, they will fall away from the main building.
The foundations are built on 60 boreholes each filled with wood that expands to make a natural earthquake proof structure. The beauty of the Taj is the main reason for visiting. If you go you will not be disappointed.
After another shower and breakfast, we visited the Red Fort at Agra. This is partly a tourist destination and also is a base of the Indian army. It's built of red sandstone which gives it its name. From here we visited the ‘baby Taj’ built a few years before the Taj Mahal and said to have been the influence of many features. When we visited it had few visitors so we had plenty of room to move around and enjoy the scenery of this lovely place.
After lunch we took the train back to Delhi.
Agra station was an experience in itself. Beggars with limbs missing and various disfigurements tugged at your clothing. The worst were the children, some as young as 5 or 6 whose eyes just pierced right into your soul. Everyone tells you never to give to beggars otherwise you'll be surrounded and unable to move. That's probably good advice but it's a hard to just ignore them and walk away.
Arriving back in Delhi was like being thrust into a cauldron of humanity, all jostling to get out of the station. It made rush hour in London look like a quiet stroll in the park. It was hot, humid, smelly and the traffic was absolutely crazy. How anyone can drive in this city is beyond me.
It took us an hour to get back to the hotel Siddarth where we arrived back at around 8.30. After dumping our bags we had dinner, showered and organised our travel bag for the flight up to Ladakh. By the time this was all done, it was 11pm and we’d been up for close to 19 hours. Our flight leaves at 6.45 tomorrow morning and the alarm call is set for 3am. It's a short turn around after a very busy week and tonight we feel it. It's been great doing so much and seeing so many things. It's also been exhausting as well as exhilarating.
Tomorrow really will be different as we head to the Himalayas. It’s an adventure of a different kind that we are all looking forward to. We’ll be at between 12,000 to 14,000 feet so acclimatising to the altitude will be a factor for us.
We have a few days to do that then we go trekking where we'll sleep under canvas. Can't wait!