Monday 7th February
So my train leaves Umaria at 8:50pm and it will take me about 1.5 hours to get to Umaria, so quite a long day with nothing to do. Unfortunately this can happen when you are backpacking, but i know i shouldnt really complain. I just slept in then checked out at noon. They then informed me of the 10% tax on the room which they didnt tell me about when i agreed the initial price. Quite annoyed about that but I am trying to be nice so I only complained a bit. Internet and reading and then onto the local bus to Umaria bus station, 2 samosas with the locals and then a tuk-tuk to Umaria railway station. Sat there for 5 hours, locals gathering around and just staring at me, tried not to get bothered. A few tried to talk but there English wasn't too good. Inbetween, listened to football podcast. The train eventually arrived an hour and 10 minutes late. Friendly people on the train and I got the upper berth so was able to go straight to sleep.
Tuesday 8th February
Slept in on the train, then read. Arrived at Agra at midday. I was passed around 4 tuk-tuk drivers before the oldest driver in town brought me into town, half an hour. The traffic and the hassle here is much less than I expected. The tuk-tuks were actually going slowly for a change. I like it here.
Had lunch then headed to the Taj Mahal. Of course, I was here 15 years ago but didnt really appreciate it then. The queue at the South Gate was almost non-existent so I paid my 750 rupees and approached the 30m high red sandstone gate (at $18 the Taj is by far the most expensive landmark I have visited in India, the locals pay much less, which is fair enough). Through the gate, I got my first glance of the Taj and it looks magnificent. It had a facelift in 2002 so looks whiter than I remember. It looks great from a distance, with the gardens and ponds in the foreground, and there were far fewer tourists than I expected. I walked slowly up to the Taj and looked inside, not that much to see. Walked round the outside a couple of times, the arabic script on the walls is from the Quran and there are four minarets. Quick look in the sandstone mosques on each side. Walked back away from the Taj and had my 'holiday snap' taken, of me and the Taj. A couple of hours was enough and I went exploring.
Mehtab Bagh is a park on the other side of the river from the Taj giving good views of the back of the Taj. You can get a tuk-tuk but I thought I would try to walk. I headed to Agra fort and walked most of the way around it, passing the tent city where the poverty seems to have been hidden away. I realised there was a pedrestrian path alongside the railway line on the bridge over the river so this would be a shortcut. A bit of vertigo on the long bridge brought me to the road and I walked from there to the park. The views were certainly good and it was quite peaceful. As soon as the sun goes down they kick you out. I enquired about a tuk-tuk back but the price was ridiculous so I walked back, crossing the river again.
So my train leaves Umaria at 8:50pm and it will take me about 1.5 hours to get to Umaria, so quite a long day with nothing to do. Unfortunately this can happen when you are backpacking, but i know i shouldnt really complain. I just slept in then checked out at noon. They then informed me of the 10% tax on the room which they didnt tell me about when i agreed the initial price. Quite annoyed about that but I am trying to be nice so I only complained a bit. Internet and reading and then onto the local bus to Umaria bus station, 2 samosas with the locals and then a tuk-tuk to Umaria railway station. Sat there for 5 hours, locals gathering around and just staring at me, tried not to get bothered. A few tried to talk but there English wasn't too good. Inbetween, listened to football podcast. The train eventually arrived an hour and 10 minutes late. Friendly people on the train and I got the upper berth so was able to go straight to sleep.
Tuesday 8th February
Slept in on the train, then read. Arrived at Agra at midday. I was passed around 4 tuk-tuk drivers before the oldest driver in town brought me into town, half an hour. The traffic and the hassle here is much less than I expected. The tuk-tuks were actually going slowly for a change. I like it here.
Had lunch then headed to the Taj Mahal. Of course, I was here 15 years ago but didnt really appreciate it then. The queue at the South Gate was almost non-existent so I paid my 750 rupees and approached the 30m high red sandstone gate (at $18 the Taj is by far the most expensive landmark I have visited in India, the locals pay much less, which is fair enough). Through the gate, I got my first glance of the Taj and it looks magnificent. It had a facelift in 2002 so looks whiter than I remember. It looks great from a distance, with the gardens and ponds in the foreground, and there were far fewer tourists than I expected. I walked slowly up to the Taj and looked inside, not that much to see. Walked round the outside a couple of times, the arabic script on the walls is from the Quran and there are four minarets. Quick look in the sandstone mosques on each side. Walked back away from the Taj and had my 'holiday snap' taken, of me and the Taj. A couple of hours was enough and I went exploring.
Mehtab Bagh is a park on the other side of the river from the Taj giving good views of the back of the Taj. You can get a tuk-tuk but I thought I would try to walk. I headed to Agra fort and walked most of the way around it, passing the tent city where the poverty seems to have been hidden away. I realised there was a pedrestrian path alongside the railway line on the bridge over the river so this would be a shortcut. A bit of vertigo on the long bridge brought me to the road and I walked from there to the park. The views were certainly good and it was quite peaceful. As soon as the sun goes down they kick you out. I enquired about a tuk-tuk back but the price was ridiculous so I walked back, crossing the river again.
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