The Taj

Dec 11 and 12  Now for some sightseeing after a long week.  Sat began quietly with me doing some grading and trying to figure out how to get to Connaught Circle where some tourism companies including the govt tourism office were.   I spent a fair amount of time trying to find a company that had a bus to take people to the Taj Mahal and decide the best way to find one was to go where they were Connaught Circle.  I took a motorized rickshaw there which was quite exhilarating because it was a tad cool, may be in the mid 60s.  These motorized open air three wheelers are thrilling no matter what as they meander in the traffic.  I knew there had to be some bus trips but it turns out to be difficult to find in New Delhi.  Every cab driver (including the driver that I have had regularly accompany me) and every tourism company will provide you with a personal driver, but being by myself I wanted to go with others.
So I took a rickshaw and began to walk around.  The center of the circle is filled with shops as are the spokes out from the circle.  As I walked through one of the bazaars, of course, people want to befriend you and have you come to their stall.  I said, no and more nos and one enterprising individual asked me what I was looking for.  He directed me to an office.  It's an approved office, but again it was to set you up with a driver.  I consented at first and as I walked with one of the tourist office people to a bank machine to pay, I decided that I was being pressured into something I want.

I next found the government tourism office and asked for another place that I thought had tour buses but I never found it and ended back at the govt tourism office.  I was befriended by an Indian travel writer sitting there and he told one of the people there could set me up with exactly what I wanted .  Yea! But I was exhausted.  After making arrangements--back to the bank machine--I returned to the circle.

On a side note, one of the problems with Rupees is that the denominations are larger so I was never getting enough money. And I have chosen probably the most expensive driver there is in Delhi, but since I started with him, Ghandi, and he cleans the car inside and out, holds the door, accompanies when necessary I stuck with him, and waits for me at appts).  In the end, my Dad would say, you won't remember you spent what you deemed was too much.

I returned to the circle and got some 7-up and some sort of fried pastry.  Good.  Then back to another rickshaw and home.

I was so exhausted that I didn't hear my alarm that was to get me up at 6 o'clock to go catch what turned out to be 20 seater bus.  That is not me! Ghandi waited for me and I made it in plenty of time.  When I got there I was unsure whether I was really in the right place but Ghandi assured me it was right. It turns out that on Sundays early morning is the flower market.  Imagine how beautiful and chaotic to get to the depot.

You would think that the road would be fairly good going to the Taj but part of it was dirt and there was a huge traffic jam.   After a couple of hours we stopped for the tea and a snack/breakfast. Very nice.  There are tourist restaurants, dhabas, along the way. This one happened to be indoors and there were nice looking brick or some form of cement cabins, a lawn, a horse for the kids to have rides on and a decent bathroom. I talked to four from a North Carolina university attending some sort of special undergraduate conference, two professors and two students.

We first went to Agra Fort.  I can't tell you too much about it. The guide was not the most clear. It is a World Heritage site and right across from the Taj.  It was built during the Mughal Empire days, built mostly during the 16th century by Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal.


After the fort we had lunch at a restaurant where we purchased our own food and I sat with an Indian family up from Chennai.  He was an engineer and she was a teacher and there 14 year old daughter was with them.  I asked her if she spoke a little English and she said yes and all her schooling is in English. She was shy as kids are that age. I told her she was very pretty and she was, of course, embarrassing her, but her Dad was very proud.

The Taj is all that you might think it is. It is breathtaking.  I had my photo taken in front of it. It just seemed like the right thing to do.  All I can tell you is that 22 is the magic number.  The Chennai family and I stood in line to go inside the Taj, but unfortunately it was getting too late so we had to drop out of line. I figured out why our guide was rushing us to get through Agra Fort.  No matter it was beautiful and the sky was blue.  I figured it would be nice and hazy or polluted like Delhi, but it was just a beautiful day.

Stopped at a road stop on our way home.  Had some peanuts that were roasting.  Not so good.  Later stopped at a dhabas. The Indian engineer asked me how I knew what to order (you go up to the counter and they bring it to you).  I had to admit that right in Bangor, Maine there is an Indian restaurant and a Pakistani Restaurant. And I've been to Pakistan

Got back around 11:30  The bus was dropping off a couple so at the suggestion of my North Carolina friends
I asked whether we were going to be anywhere near where I am staying.  He said right there so the other person on the bus walked out with me and we went over to the rickshaws.  All of them were clamoring for me. The winner was the one who knew the colony (called colonies, enclaves, sectors for neighborhoods) I was staying in.  So another exhilarating ride into the night.

Now on to Bangladesh.