Intrepid tour - Agra Red Fort and Taj Mahal

Trip Start Feb 22, 2008

Trip End Feb 21, 2009

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Where I stayed

Hotel Royale Residency Agra

(Agra hotels)

Flag of India Agra, India
Tuesday, February 26, 2008

We have to get up very early this morning to catch the 7 am train to Agra, but it is okay as we have a 3 hour journey on wich to sleep! The train is old but comfortable and airconditioned and i end up with a seat with a table so i am happy! I watch the senery for about 30 mins amazed by the number of people who walk and farm right by the train tracks. There are cows and pigs everywhere along the tracks. I manage to sleep for a couple of hours and then wake up to play cards with Nathan and Lauren.

We arrive into Agra and are taken by mini-bus to our hotel for that night the Hotel Royale Residency.
We check in and have an hour to sort ourselves out before we have to head out to the Agra Red Fort.

We are taken around the Fort by a Heritage guide who speaks very good english

Infront of the Kings Palace in Red Fort

. The fort is very beautiful and has touches of all religions in it, the king at the time was trying to combine all religions so we could live in peace. The ventilation and cooling systems for the fort are impressive and i try to imagine what it would be like to have lived in a palace like this with silk curtain and thick red carpets. But the lack of privacy would drive me mad!!

After visiting the fort we head for the Taj Mahal. Chandra has organised a hotel room for us to leave our bags in, next to the Taj Mahal (as you are not alowed bags inside the complex).We are given our tickets along with shoe covers - we are going to look very sexy in these!!
We are left on our own within the complex and Louise and i walk around together.We get pestered by a photographer who wants to take some photos of us infront of the Taj Mahal, 100 rupees per picture and he will have them ready for when we leave. I pose for 3 photos, but i also get louise to take photos with my digital camera and they come out pretty well.
We have come 30 mins before sunset, so Louise and I just wonder around the building and gardens watching the sun go down. We position ourselves for the best picture of the Taj Mahal as the sun is getting low and get some great photos, but the sunset is not that great as it is a very hazy day so it just disapears before it turns too red.
The Taj Mahal blew me away, i didn't expect it to be as great as everyone says it is, but it was so beautiful that i could have sat looking at it for ages, but it soon got dark.
As we left the complex the photographer came with our photos and Louise bought 2 of her's, but mine made me look like i had a very red, flushed face so i didn't get them.