
Getting some gas as we travel onward to Agra
After a day of rest in Delhi and a quick visit to one of the fanciest malls in the city, Rajiv Chowk- Connaught Place, we were off to Agra. Sonam helped get a taxi driver to take us on the 5 hour journey to Agra. There was a bit of drama because we were promised one taxi driver and we ended up with another guy in a different car by our departure time. In any event, we hit to the road to Agra around 6 in the morning.
The taxi did have decent Air Conditioning; however, the driver was not a fan of using it. The early part of the morning didn’t really require AC, although it would have been appreciated, but by the time we approached our destination the AC was definitely needed. The driver turned it on for some time, and then turned it off, and back on and so forth. The drive was long but the road wasn’t too bad. Some parts of the road were up to Western standards, but before long it was back to big pot holes and the occasional cow.
We stopped at one store to get a drink along the way. The food looked sketchy there, so we ended up with an Miranda Orange Soda.
Finally we approached Agra and stopped at our first tourist destination. Sikandra is the tomb
of one of the famous Moughal emperor, Akbar. There was a large garden area and the architecture was very reminiscent of that found at the Taj Mahal. The taxi driver took us there without really explaining what it was or even the name of the place. We managed to figure out some of the basics without a guide. We walked around the complex. There were absolutely no informational signs anywhere. We mostly took in the sights and later on checked out the guidebook for more information. The place was beautiful, but after the drive and the heat, I was pretty exhausted.
As we drove into Agra proper we decided to visit a restaurant and take a rest. The restaurant had very good AC which I was quite grateful for. We decided it was a good time to eat lunch and it turned out to be a very good decision. The food was delicious and we finally got the rest we needed.
After this refreshing break we ventured onward to the Agra Fort. This massive complex built by Akbar from 1565 and 1573 is heavily fortified and served for much of the royal business of the empire. A massive moat surrounded the whole of the fort which was once filled with water from the Yamuna river and was home to many crocodiles. This is also where Shah Jahan, the man who built the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife, was imprisoned. He was locked up in one of the towers of the complex and was permitted to worship in his own private mosque.
In our exploration of the massive Agra Fort we were discovered by two individuals. At first I thought they wanted me to take a picture of the two of them, they looked to be a happy couple, but it turns out they wanted to take a picture with me. Sonam and I stood next to each of them in turn as they took the photo. I was really confused by this. I felt like I had become a celebrity and I didn’t know it. After puzzling for some time about why they wanted me and Sonam to pose for the picture, I decided no harm could come from it. Sonam suggested that they could have been tourists from a more rural part of India and they were excited to see some people who looked very different.
We took a bunch of pictures and caught our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal. After so much exploring, it was time to take a rest. We headed off to our hotel and decided to call it a night. The Taj Mahal would have to wait until morning.