Ep4- Agra and the Taj

  Agra, India
Thursday, January 11, 2007

Vlogabond Home | Connections | Map | Forum | FAQ | About



Watch this episode here.
Exiting the railway platform in Agra was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Dozens of bodies were strewn across the station floor, completely covered in wool blankets. There was barely room to walk through the exit. The smell of opium smoke and incense hovered over the sleeping people. Outside of the station, unaware of the early hour, about 30 women worked sorting piles of green plants that looked like parsley and auto rickshaw drivers lined the driveway. We were instantly harangued by half a dozen drivers, all wanting to take us to "very nice place." We began a conversation and explained our destination of choice to one driver, who was respectful to our space. Minutes later, he told us his "friend" would take us instead. We saw him were pretty sure he received a baggy of drugs in-turn for our business.

The new driver was awful. It was freezing cold out and he took us to probably 7 or 8 hotels, even after we told him we already had reservations. He barely spoke any english, and the garish scenes of nighttime in Agra were making me more and more alarmed. Dan was calm as usual, even after I threatened to jump out of the auto rickshaw and leave him AND the driver.

The streets were hellish. Emaciated people warmed themselves next to small fires in the streets, mangy dogs barked and yelped loudly, and rats lined the dirty roads. A thick, stinking fog covered the streets casting erie shadows and making everything look ghostly. Electricity is not the norm for Agra, so the only light came from sparsely placed generators and street fires. Many people were out at 4 am, covered almost completely with blankets and rags. In many cases the only visible part were the eyes that looked at us at every chance. Cows, horses and who knows what else lurked in the shadows. Finally, after almost an hour of trying to direct our driver, we arrived at Shanti Lodge. Not our original destination, but a second best that we were more than thankful to get to. Luckily the lobby boy was awake, and by 5-am we were sound asleep awaiting a 7-am "wake-up call" which is basically the lobby boy banging on the door.

At 7 we reluctantly rose, and ventured up to the rooftop terrace for the sunrise. Expecting little, we were amazed at the sight of the Taj Mahal slowly and perfectly coming into view with the dawn. Shrouded in mist, the enormous monument looked surreal in the early morning light. The white marble and perfect symmetry is even more striking in contrast to the chaotic streets of Agra. After tea and toast, and many long minutes gazing at the Taj, we began to look around us. Hundreds of big, brown monkeys played along the rooftops, and huge birds swooped around us. The Islamic call to prayer played from loudspeakers around the neighborhood and the narrow dirt roads of the town were teeming with cows, camels, rickshaws and other peddlers.

After breakfast, we hired a cycle rickshaw driver to bring us to the rail station to buy tickets to Jaipur. His name was Buna. He was probably over 70 years old, and he moved at an bumbling pace and made us get out and walk during uphill parts of the trip. He was a funny, trustworthy man though, so we stayed with him after the station to bring us to the south entrance of the Taj. We ate some fried samosas and dal from before paying the exorbitant price of 750 rupees to enter the Taj complex.

A tomb built by the ruler Shah Jahan to house the body of his favorite wife, The Taj Mahal is a symbol of romantic imagery and paradise. The gardens are divided by four "rivers," representing water, milk, wine and honey. As Dan said, it must have sucked to be the second favorite wife.

The Taj is indescribable. It's even more perfect and beautiful than one can imagine. None of the many travelers I talked to were disappointed, including Dan and I. We stayed in the gardens for almost 4 hours, taking every picture imaginable and each time remarking on the ridiculous beauty of the Taj. Each time I would look away, and then turn back to it, I would get goosebumps. No picture or description can evenly slightly do it justice. As much as the Taj is built up, it exceeds everyones expectations. Go see it.

We went for a walk around the hotel at dusk, stopping in a street-stand for dinner, and eating our curry in the dark because the city generator had quit. Walking around in the dark, we could very well have been living in the 3rd century. Agra is unlike anything you can imagine. We cashed in after midnight, expectant of another wake-up call at 5 am the next day so that we could catch our train to Jaipur in the northern province of Rajasthan.