Marble-ous

  Agra, India
Wednesday, March 26, 2008

· Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
· GMT +5:30hrs

Marble-ous

01 Taj

Itīs still 750 rupees to get into the Taj Mahal, just like it was 5 and a half years ago. Thatīs over €12, a lot of money in India. My guidebook calls the price `gallingī (good word) but it does go on to say that most foreigners donīt actually mind paying the fee once they cast their eyes on the Taj itself and see how `Marble-ousī it is (Pats play on the word marvelous... ingenious, eh?). And it is. You canīt but be impressed with its size, its beauty and the craftsmanship of the extraordinary fine inlay work in its marble. Even the vast gardens the

02 Ants

Taj stands in are awing. Yep, itīs all very impressive alright so I guess we didnīt mind paying over €12 to see it either. What we did mind however was the fact that we were frisked getting in the Taj complex and that we couldnīt bring anything besides ourselves in either. No bags, no books (we were told they could "hold a bomb") and get this, no mp3 players (no excuse given). The book thing pissed us off as we had the whole day in Agra (a city 2 hours south-east of Delhi that has the good fortune of being

03 Inlay

the site of the Taj, but little else going for it) and we intended to spend some time reading in the Taj gardens. That would have helped us kill some of the 12 hours we had in the city and would have kept us from having to deal for

04 Watching the world go by

too long with Agra itself which, even by Indian standards, is a hole (Iīm not being very complementary here, am I?). Anyway, we managed to hang around the Taj gardens, with seemingly half of India keeping us company, until 2pm by which time hunger had gotten the better of us forcing us out

05 Going in

on the streets. Killing 6 and a bit hours in Agra isnīt easy but we managed it thanks to the restaurant of Hotel Sheela, an internet café, a visit to a city park (where we were of intense interest to the locals and where Pat said it felt good to get a cricket bat back in his hands), a brief walk around the Taj Ganj area of the city and a 3 hour wait in a waiting room in Agra train station. It was then back to Delhi to get ready for tomorrows departure for the beaches of Goa. Patīs getting excited to get there, even if weīll have to spend the best part of 2 days (37 to 40 hours) and two nights on a train to get there.

"Almost Goa, Goa-ing, gone," is what he came out with today. Following hot on the heals of "Marble-ous" that makes 2 classics in the one day. As I said, sometimes heīs too much, even for me.

Day 225 Observations (March 25th 2008)

· Free

06 Reflection

They may charge foreigners 750 rupees to get into the Taj (Indians pay 20 rupees) but at least they give you a 4 rupee bottle of water for `freeī to help you on your way. Oh, and they also give you hair-net style feet coverings for walking on the raised marble platform the Taj sits on. Plus foreigners donīt have to pay to use the toilets on-site (Indians do). However, 5 rupees to visit the small on-site Taj museum was 5 rupees too much for us having forked over 750 rupees to get in. We said no on principle, of course, not because weīre tight asses.

· Train
This is the second day in a row weīve been treated to air-line style food on Indian trains. That explains why we thought the tickets were pricey when we bought them a few days back (weīre not tight asses, really). `Give foreigners the most expensive tickets because they can afford themī is obviously the line of Indian Railways staff.

07 Handsome devil

· Smile
Itīs funny seeing Indians trying to take `secretī pictures of us. It always has been. They are never subtle enough and obviously need more practice. As we were sitting outside the Taj today and watching the world go by an Indian boy sits down beside me while his mate, a few yards away, pretends to take a picture of something in our general direction.
`Itīs okay to askī I thought before throwing my arm around the guy, bringing a big smile from the photographer who then came a little closer for a better, non-secretive picture of that winning smile of mine.

· Happy Birthday
Today is my 7-months pregnant, older Sisters birthday (there's a mouthful). Donīt worry Sis, I wonīt tell everyone your age, but remember you're still, and always will be, older than me.

(singing)
'Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Sis, happy birthday to youī

And remember Sis; donīt go having that baby until I get home. Youīve been warned, now publicly. Okay?

· No offense

08 The Taj

Pat and I were standing in the central chamber of the Taj earlier today looking at the marble (what else) tombs of Shan Jahan & Mumtaz Mahal when I said to Pat,

"Here lad, no offense and all but here I am in the ultimate monument to eternal love and I have you beside me."

"Yeah well, we know whoīs to blame for that, donīt we Dave?"

"I suppose Lad. But letīs not mention her, right?"

"Right you are."

· Good call

09 All smiles

"It was a good idea not to spend the night here Dave," Pat commented as we walked the disheveled lanes of Agra. Just one of the benefits of having been here before I guess.

· Goa Express
While killing 3 hours earlier today in Agra train station I noticed the Goa Express pass through, the train weīll be on in 24 hours time. If we'd have know it'd pass though Agra we probably could have organised our travels to enable us to hop on it there and then in Agra, saving us a day (and a return trip to Delhi). Just thought Iīd pass that useless bit of information onto you all.

· Curried out

10 Batboy

We might just be reaching our limit for curry. We got talking in the gardens of the Taj today as to what we would choose to eat right now if we could have anything in the world. We both agreed roast spuds, chicken breast and cabbage would be smashing but at that moment a batch bread turkey sandwich with tons of salt and pepper washed down with a mug of tea would have been welcomed even more.