Agra - Delhi

Sunday 24 April, 3am

(and I’m totally confused where I should be liturgically here – perhaps halfway between those who do evening vigils of the resurrection and those, such as at Stroud, who do dawn ones.)

 

Our arrival in Agra at midday the usual confusion of railways – touts, beggars, grannies with bundles of luggage, railway officials. We decided to change plans and hire a taxi for the day to take us round the planned itinerary of lunch, Taj Mahal  and Agra Fort, then drive us on to Delhi airport, rather than muck about with individual taxis, a late night bus, and the uncertainty of getting an honest taxi drived to deliver us safely from the Delhi terminal to the airport. Our taxi driver included the inevitable craft markets for inlaid marble and hand-woven rugs. Sadly we disappointed everyone, and certainly our driver who I am sure gets a commission on those sales.

 

A change of driver and car gave us air-conditioning for the 4 hour, 30 minute ride to the airport. He dropped us off at the domestic terminal – we were catching a domestic flight after all – and sped off into the distance before the security guards told us that we were in the wrong terminal. Kingfisher domestic flights go from the new international terminal. Obvious really. It’s 6km away but fortunately there was a free shuttle bus – even at 1am. So we are now checked in to the 5:20 flight right up to the far north of India, to Leh in the Ladakh region. It’ll be refreshing to be out of the 40C temperatures of the last few days; but I hope I have enough for the chilly nights.

 

Agra – well every tourist in India washes up at the Taj Mahal sooner or later and it really is worth the hassle of heat, tour guides insisting that without them you’re totally wasting your time, postcard sellers, and the purveyors of the ultimately unlike scene – the Taj in snow. It really is magnificent and nothing like the former public conveniences in downtown Wellington, nicknamed the Taj. Photos to come later when I get a better internet connection.

 

And the Agra Fort, especially round twilight, was a memorable end to the day’s sightseeing. It would have been more remarkable if the water still flowed in the fountains and cisterns, but easy enough to imagine the beauties of its former days. And of course it gives a splendid sunset view of the Taj.  

 

In a few hours I’ll be at an altitude of 3500 metres and resting and acclimatising to the thin air, no doubt marvelling that this also is part of the same India I’ve been seeing the past few days.