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The 1st A/C car was very comfortable, with 90% foreign tourists also making the journey to see the Taj Mahal. We were surprised by some of the extra perks of the 1st class, such as free newspaper, a rose, tea service, and breakfast. Too bad we had already eaten a few small bananas back at the hotel. We skipped the tea (as we are still a little worried about the water after our Egypt sicknesses) and had the cornflakes cereal with hot milk, but not the Indian breakfast. The cereal was good, but next time I think I'll go for the Indian breakfast!
We woke up 2 hours later and ventured out to get some lunch. We picked 2 places that were in walking distance from our hotel (written down from a guide book we borrowed on the train), and headed out down the street. All of the streets here look the same to us, with no street signs (or at least not in English). We were a little confused, but found our way with the help of a few locals. The problem now is that we don't really trust anyone who is trying to tell us which way to go. It turned out these guys were only trying to help - there really are a lot of nice people here, but unfortunately, the bad ones ruin it for them! The first restaurant had no one eating there, and we decided to check the 2nd one. This one had a group of 4 there, and we sat down and enjoyed another fine vegetarian meal. We even tried the lassi's here, as they restaurant had a description on the table of the strict sanitation rules they follow (dipping veggies in boiling water, and preparing drinks with purified water).
Next, he took us to the Agra Fort, an enormous red sandstone fort and palace built by Emperor Akbar in 1565. The fort was first used as a military structure, but was then turned into a palace by Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan (also the builder of the Taj Mahal). Shah Jahan met with an unfortunate fate in 1658, when his son seized control and imprisoned him in a beautiful white marble tower for 8 years before he died. We enjoyed exploring this large fort, and we got our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal from the upper level.
We stopped at a carpet weaving shop next, where they make carpets similar to those we saw being made in Egypt. We spent about 15 minutes actually shopping for a carpet, as we do need some at home. We didn't want to cramp our viewing time at Taj Mahal, and we didn't want to be pressured into any decisions, so we politely declined and left. I think we'd need at least 1/2 of a day to actually decide on a carpet that we would be happy with.
As it was getting dark, we returned to our hotel, where we had dinner in the courtyard. We paid our bill and arranged for a rickshaw to pick us up for our early morning train. Not much sleep again tonight! View Delhi and Agra Photo Gallery Day 89 - Delhi < | Index | Photo Galleries | > Day 91 - Sawai Madhopur © 2007 Blue Ocean Studios, LTD. All rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Services | About | Contact Prints | Return Policy | View Cart World Travel Galleries | World Travel Blog | Links |
We were up early today to catch our 6am train to Agra, and due to the hassle we went through yesterday, we didn't have tickets. We got there extra early at 5am so that we could purchase our tickets. Luckily, we knew our way around the train station a little bit by then and were able to book the 1st class A/C car with no problems. With time to spare, we waited for the train, and it arrived just on time. 
The train ride was a short 2 hours, and we enjoyed looking out the window at the Indian countryside. We passed many farms and small villages built along side the train tracks, with many people already up early and walking about. There were also many small brick-making factories. We arrived in Agra, and immediately went to the ticket window to see about tomorrow's train. We had heard that you can take either the bus or the train to Sawai Madhopur, and that the bus might be faster. We asked around at the ticket window and also with a local driver - it seemed there are many conflicting stories (we are getting used to that by now!), but it sounded like the bus would take just as long as the train. We decided to come back later, because we weren't completely certain what to do. 
A taxi driver took us to the Tourist Rest House ($12 per night), and of course tried to sell us on having him drive us around later in the day. We agreed to have him pick us up at 2pm, as he promised he knew with 100% certainty where we could buy a Lonely Planet Rajasthan book. OK! We decided (very tentatively) to "trust" him for now. First on our agenda was to get a little rest!
After lunch, we made our way back to the hotel and our driver showed up early at 1:45 to pick us up. Lucky for us that he was early, as we told him that we needed to go to the train station, and he informed us the train office closes at 2pm since it is Sunday! We rushed there first and purchased our tickets for tomorrow morning (another very early morning with a 5am departure). As promised, he took us to a bookstore where they really did have the book we were looking for! Bonus points for this guy, as we already had accomplished more than yesterday in only 15 minutes! 
Our driver wanted to take us to see some of the local craftsmen of Agra (probably to get a commission), so we agreed to go for a short while. First, we went to a marble shop where the workers were carefully chiseling into the green, white or black marble. Next they set polished and shaped semi-precious stones into the cuts, making beautiful patterns. We enjoyed looking through the gift shop, but didn't purchase anything to bring home (I think marble would be a little heavy in the backpack!). 
Last stop for the evening was the Taj Mahal, with just enough time to explore the grounds before sunset. The Indian residents only have to pay about 50 cents to get in, while the foreigners have to pay $17. Therefore, it was very crowded inside, but mostly Indian tourists. You can't really get a view of the Taj until you are inside and have walked a little way. The first view is through a large doorway as you pass through the sandstone gateway. The view was absolutely breathtaking and it was much bigger than we had expected, with a long reflecting pool in front of it. 
The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial and mausoleum for his second wife, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. It is known as the world's most extravagant structure dedicated to love. It took almost 20 years to complete with over 20,000 workers. It is made out of white marble, with thousands of semi-precious stones inlaid. The Taj is built in perfect symmetry, with 4 small domes around the large central dome, 4 marble minarets marking the corners, and a large red sandstone mosque on the East and West sides (although the one on the East is not a true mosque). We stayed around while the sun set and lightened up the sides of the Taj with a yellowish pink glow. 