Being here is like total sensory overload. This weekend we have gone from seeing what some consider to be a Seventh Wonder of the World to seeing naked children running through the streets in the rain in New Delhi!
On the plane to New Delhi on Friday night I cam across an article in the in flight magazine suggesting books to read about India. In the opening paragraph to the article, the writer described a first timers visit to India akin to Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit's hole and into a world of chaos and wonder. It's exactly like that!
I honestly don't know where to begin with this weekend. Tourist India or real India? I think I will do Tourist India first, although as I write it may just mix all into one, let's see how it goes.
So we had 3 hours sleep on Friday night and were up at six to drive to Agra. The driver actually arrived just before five so we got a call from reception to say he was there-might as well not have gone to bed! Plus I had a head ache.
It took maybe 4 hours to get to Agra. Although I had wanted to get the train to Agra I was actually really glad we had opted for a driver given the sleep situation and the sweltering heat! Non stop dripping all weekend-gross! But was refreshed to see that everyone Indian and tourist were in the same boat and there was a constant whipping of foreheads with hankies!
We stopped for breakfast and I had a massala omlete-tastey! There was a variety of mango options on the menu which is why I was quite surprised when they told us there was no mango! Not a huge problem on the grand scheme of things.
Oh and we saw one of the men I had read about dressed in a sari! It was a little bizarre because he was hardly petit, in fact he/she looked quit butch and masculine even with the red lipstick. I have been told its bad luck not to give them money so was a little relieved that we only saw he/she from the car. Apparently they have also organized themselves into gangs to get money from people!
As we got into Agra the driver stopped and this guide just got into the car. He made it out that this had been organized. I texted MT's boss who had sorted the diver for us and he said that this was not part of the deal. He could have been any random just hopping in. We kept him in the end as he was somewhat useful especially the tip on seeing the Taj Mahal from the other side of the river in the evening, but I think he realized we were not that interested and left us to do most of the Taj Mahal ourselves.
I think he was probably put off us by the fact that I asked questions that were out of sync with his tourist scpheel and when he asked us about the Taj's optical illusion MT in true Mt style was able to tell him the answer. Well he does work in 3D!
On top of that and this is really silly I know but I carry this little cow around with me wherever I go. MT gave it to me one day at university so it's about ten years old and he just came up behind me one day as I was walking home and popped it in my hand. It was just meant to be a cute little gift I think.
Then when our Grandpa was in hospital I gave it to him and it sat by his bed and the same for our Grandma and I have given it to various friends when they have needed a bit of luck or have had some one they love who has been poorly. It is small enough to fit in your hand so you can play with it, a bit like worry beads.
Sometimes I hold it in my hand when I fly alone. The cow is a bit like taking our Grandpa with me, I guess its kind of a way of keeping him alive-my gosh I must sound like a real fruit loop now! It's also funny that its a cow being in India because here they are sacred! Grandpa said that he would like to go to the Taj Mahal and I said if he could not go then I would go for the both of us some day.
So when the security people looked through my bag and told me I could not take my moo-cow in as I call it, I actually cried! The fact that they seemed to laugh too really did not help the situation. What a baby! I had a headache too and last week had been a bit pants so I think this was just the cherry on the cake. Anyway the guide said he could leave it with someone and I could get it back afterwards and I did-phew and hooray!
So as I am having a grandparent moment, I was also determined to take some some great shots for our Granny to send to her. She likes to paint so I try to take pictures of things I think she would like to paint. I always have these good intentions but sometimes don't get round to printing them! In fact she even has a group of ladies who go to her house once a week and she sort of has a class-most impressive I think considering that she was not well so long ago and she is in her eighties now. She always makes us birthday cards by hand too. Must call her again and tell her where we have been this weekend.
I did wonder what I would think of the Taj Mahal, would it be as amazing as all of the literature and people say and yes it certainly was! It really is quite breathtaking and stunning and so beautifully made. To go inside they give the tourists these funny sock things to go over your shoes. I would have been happy to take my sandals off. I think its actually a secret ploy to polish the floors as you go around!!
I also worked out that it must have been built around the time of the Restoration period in England when Charles II came back to the throne. I like to know what is happening in terms of history and kings and queens so I can put it it all into some perspective and have some understanding of what was going on at that time.
Afte a sweltering few hours although well worth it, we left and went for lunch and after that to Agra Fort. Its made of red sandstone and was built around 1565 so James I was King of England and Philip II was King of Spain and I think maybe doing battle with the Ottomans. Need to check this so if any history buffs are reading then please leave a comment at the end of the blog.
From the Fort you can see the Taj Mahal and there is a bit of a sad story that goes with this that actually my friend Rose told me. Shah Jahan who had had the Taj Mahal built for for his favorite wife Mumtaz Muhal spent the last years of his life imprisoned here looking out to the mausoleum he built for his wife. There had been some conflict with his son, money spending issues and his son had said he had spent far too much money on the Taj Mahal and not enough on the people-he could have well been right!!!
It was his third son I think who had him put under house arrest at the Fort and that's where he died. His son refused to give him a state funeral and he was floated, maybe he was taken in a boat, in a sandalwood coffin to the Taj Mahal to be buried next to his wife.
History lesson over and moving on. So after the Fort we drove to a spot the guide had told us about where you can see the Taj Mahal from across the river. We wanted to see it in a different light in the evening. I was really surprised by the lack of tourists, there must have been maybe twenty of us so it was real gem of a spot. Not sure if this is correct but I think its the site where there had been an intention to build a black Taj Mahal.
We stayed for maybe half an hour and then left because I think the driver was a bit annoyed that we had wanted to stop. Plus it had been a super long day and I think we ere all feeling rather pooped!! On the way back to the car a young girl asked me if I first had any sweets, then chewing gum and then salmon! Yes salmon of all the funny things to ask for!
Then she asked me for a pen and I had one, quite a nice purple one so I gave it to her. She was joined by a few other children. I had brought a packet of pens with me to give to children and so I said we had some in the car. The children followed and when we we got to the car I gave them to the the boys to hand out. I kind of knew it would be hectic and there were not enough pens in the pack for all of them . I should have taken two packets-next time I will.
So we made the four hour drive back to New Delhi. It was busy when we got back to the city, lots of construction work going on of roads and flyovers, there were people sleeping in rickshaws, on make shift beds, on the floor, under the partly constructed overhead roads.
This is what I mean by sensory overload you just go from extremes of wonder to chaos. People everywhere, crowded into buses, onto the top of lorries. Its like a competition to see how much stuff and how many people you can get into one vehicle. Horns beeping all the time, stray dogs, make shift homes made of plastic or corrugated iron.
It was all a bit much and I found myself wanting to just close my eyes and sleep but was compelled to watch the people and the scenes as we were stuck at night time in grid lock traffic in New Delhi!
No more for now. Maybe I will do New Delhi tomorrow, maybe later. Also need to write some postcards.
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