The Taj Mahal and other memorable sights

Agra Transport
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Day 4 Delhi 8.00am   (97 Hours down 791 to go)

After experiencing the worst train trip ever back to Delhi, we were very happy to be back in some sort of civilization. Train was delayed, we had no idea which carriage we were supposed to be in so we jumped on one just to get aboard, found two seats with our numbers, told the lady that was sitting there that she was in our seats, she moved. It was then we noticed no glass in windows, just bars, no air-conditioning, no other European folks anywhere. What the hell, we are on the train and going in the right direction and it is only 3 hours. At another stop another guy gets on and says we are in his seat, told him the same and told him to find another seat which he did and proceeded to give us the stare of death for the next hour. We were 30 min out of Delhi and the conductor comes along and tells us that we are in the wrong carriage as this one is for lower classes and ours is air conditioned, comfortable seats, etc. By this time we couldn’t be stuffed moving.

Julie with faithful friend 9010 Tuk Tuk
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We decided to spend our last day in Delhi looking around Connaught Place, which is the centre of New Delhi designed like Piccadilly Circus. Found a tuk tuk driver that had previously befriended us and negotiated “one stop only” on the way up there. Bought a couple of trinkets then on to Jantar Mantar, which is an Astronomical observatory built in  1724 by one smart guy and consists of all these huge weird structures to measure time, seasons, observing movements of planets and stars. It is reported to have the world’s largest sundial that is accurate to within 2 seconds.

At this time it is getting bloody hot, 45c, and the driver suggests he swaps the tuk tuk for his air conditioned car which is close by, good move Rakkeesh. Julie wanted to go to a Cottage Industries Emporium close by, but Rakkeesh said it was no good and had the same things as the previous shop he had taken us to, so across the city to see the Qutub Minar complex housing the Astha Dhatu Pillar otherwise known as the big tower, which is some 250 meters high, geometrically perfect and built in the 4^th century. Very impressive.

As we are outside the New Delhi area where prices are high Rakkeesh offers to take us to another emporium where every thing will be cheap, of course we welcomed with open arms, offered cardomund tea, cooled camel urine, anything to make us happy and obliged to buy something. We are taken downstairs to the rug department and we are given a presentation of Kashmir rugs by a guy that looks like he smoked dope with George Harrison in Kashmir. Anyway his name is Professor Bott and he turns out to be the best salesman in the world, yes you guessed it we bought a rug. He was showing us all the usual intricate designs that took two women six months to make tying 600 knots per square inch and we were showing no interest, then he pulls this one design and we were gone, Julie pulls out her notebook with the measurements that it needed to be (she is always prepared) and it was within 4mm. Bingo the only trouble is it is nearly 4 times the price that Julie thinks it is. We thank him for the camel urine and prepare to make our way out and now comes the fun part, he knows we want it, we know we want it, just we don’t want to pay his price. But we eventually agreed on price and we agreed to send a photo of in our house so that he can show the two women in Kashmir who made it how happy we are.

On the way back to Delhi we stop at a huge building surrounded by magnificent gardens that is shaped like lotus and is built in a similar structure to the Sydney Opera House. When we get there we find out that it is the Bah’i House of Worship and was inspired by the lotus a symbol of purity. We did a quick lap inside and of course on the way out the recruiting team are waiting for you, sorry no sale this time.

By this time I am hanging out for a cold beer so back to Delhi and we get dropped off at Claridges Hotel which is close by our Hotel and is reputed have some good restaurants. Had a couple of refreshments and made booking for dinner at a Indian restaurant called Dafhir which was very good and their food was as good as Curry Away down the corner on Frederick Road.

We reminisced over Dinner that we had totally enjoyed our visit in India and that it was far more enjoyable than we had expected and is country of total contrasts.