You know that feeling when you're traveling, right? That touch of adrenaline laced with anxiety, and colored slightly by wonder at all the new things you are seeing. It is off of this travel high and between forced power outages by the Telegana that I am finally updating my blog. So bear with me if I wax nostalgic or go on at length about something that really doesn't interest you. Because as they say, travel changes you and how you look at the world, even if just for a split second.
The trip started too early for me to want to think about it. Awake by 4:30, on a plane to Delhi by 6:30, fighting with the traffic by 8AM. We were fairly certain we'd have no trouble getting a bus straight away to Agra to see the Taj Mahal in the evening, as we didn't really want to linger in Delhi if we could help it. Of course, by the time we reached the bus station, all of the rickshaw drivers were telling us we were at the wrong station and had to go to another one. We finally gave in and the five of us crammed into one rickshaw, swaying through the dusty streets in an intense heat. But of course, we had fallen for a classic scam and the rickshaw deposited us at one of the many half-baked "travel agencies" in the city, despite having just read a warning about this very tactic ten minutes before.
At this point, we did something I'm not entirely proud of. We gave up. With some hard-core negotiating, we ended up hiring a private car to drive us the few hours to Agra, having been unable to find a bus, train, or even donkey cart to take us there otherwise. So, after two hours of waiting by the bus station, eating street food, weaving in and out of beggars and commuters alike, and cursing Delhi all the while, we hopped in the car to Agra, hopeful that things would get back on track for the rest of the trip.
We arrived in the teeming streets of Agra at sunset, a mere six hours later than we had planned. It made sense to go straight to our hostel and try and replan our whole trip than do anything else. At the rooftop restaurant and bar where you could just barely see the dim outline of the Taj Mahal in the dusky distance, the prospect of actually seeing the most beautiful building in the world finally got us a bit excited and helped wash the taste of Delhi out of our mouths. So we set our alarms for 6AM and made an effort to put on a more positive attitude for the morning.
Dawn in Agra and already it was warm out. At least most of the other tourists were still asleep. We met a guide along the way, Sunny, and decided he was probably worth the 400 rupee price so we could actually appreciate our time there. And before I knew it or had time to prepare myself, we were walking into the East entrance of the complex. And then I saw it, through the red door of the main entrace, glimmering white and huge in the hazy sunlight. To say I got chills when I first saw the Taj or had a bit of an emotional experience really isn't a lie. And every one of my friends felt the same way. It's grand, overwhelming and decidedly delicate at the same time.
The moment didn't last long though as tourists were shoving each other out of the way to get the best pictures and darting with their guides from one patch of shade to another as he explained about the building. Yet as Sunny proceeded on his tour, discussing the optical illusions of the Taj and the history of the ulimate monument to love, the crowd didn't really diminish the experience. Instead, it seemed to add importance to the moment, even if I had to try my best to avert my eyes at the tiles missing from inside the masoleum because tourists had stolen them.
Soon, the sun became too hot and it was time to leave the growing hoard of photographers in the complex. After the Taj, reality in the streets of Agra seemed a bit surreal. I was pulled back in before long though as we rushed to the bus station to grab the first bus out to Jaipur, wanting to escape the hustlers of Agra. Of course, as luck would have it, the only bus available was non A/C, full, and not the cleanest thing in the world. The four of us girls were shoved up to the top deck where there was a sort of double person bed above the normal seats. At least we had a fairly nice breeze blowing on us for the next five hours but I could definitely do without the being unable to completely sit up or the stench or the reststop too terrible to mention that followed. No matter, because we arrived in Jaipur in the evening and life again started to look up.
First of all, our hostel was gorgeous and light and airy, with an amazing rooftoop bar and restaurant overlooking the whole city. And it was incredibly cheap, always a plus. Secondly, Jaipur just felt friendly, in a way that you can't really describe, but that you just know it is. People said hello, were curious about us without being pushy, and seemed concerned that we enjoy ourselves. We were also lucky enough to have a friend in the city who showed us around a bit and fed us dinner and wine so we had no reason to complain.
In the morning we awoke after a bit less sleep than we had planned on but we were determined to cram the sights the city had to offer in one day, which was all we had. So we hired a driver/ tour guide for the day and set out into the sun to explore the royal pink city. Now Jaipur is a special place. It was once one of the wealthiest cities in India, is now the capital of Rajasthan, and is the seat of a royal Maharaja. Oh yeah, and it houses palaces beyond imagine and the whole old city is painted a distinct shade of pink. There was a lot to do and see in a short amount of time.
First stop was the museum which dominated the center of town and was an architectural gem. Having only budgeted about 30 minutes, we blew through the galleries of pottery, statues, royal armor, mummies, and ivory carved sculptures but I got the idea that Jaipur is just a bit important... Then it was back in the car to see the Hawal Mahal, an ornately carved palace towering over the old city built just so the ladies of the royal family could observe life in the streets without being seen themselves. It was one of my favorite places and reminded me a bit of a honey comb and gingerbread house all rolled into one. But it was the views over the city and the scrubby mountains in the distance that made it incredible.
Next up was the nearby Jantar Mantar, the royal observatory housing centuries-old sundials and astrological calculators to help the king decide on his plan of action. I felt like I was in Alice in Wonderland or an Escher painting amongst the stairs leading to nowhere. This surreal experience was made more complete as I almost tripped over a snake charmer and his cobras on the way out. I definitely made a fast exit after that!
After lunch at a roadside cafe, we made the trek up to the Amber Fort, the historic palace that saw many a Maharaja and his queens over the centuries. On the hillside overhead was a 10 foot thick wall surrounding the current home of the 13 year old Prince of Jaipur. I realized I needed to make some friends pretty quickly if I wanted to live this royal lifestyle. And after entering the fort and walking through the ornately colored and decorated Ganesh portal, I was more and more certain I should have been born royalty. That is until I saw the carved windows that the Queen used to watch the people below without being seen herself. Being a woman, even in the royal household, seemed to mean you were hidden away from everyone. Maybe not the best way to live. But anyway, the palace itself was massive and beautiful, with the winter rooms lined with thousands of tiny mirrors that would reflect the color of it tapestries in the light, giving the rooms a hue of blue or green or red depending on your mood. Also interesting were the separate rooms, jacuzzis and secret passageways to each of the multiple wives' compounds so the King could roam between them in peace. But of course, once again, the best part of the whole thing was the view down below. From the rooftop where there was a dance floor for private perfomances, one could see way into the distant mountains and down below to the lake and ornately manicured garden.
After that, we were overwhelmed with sightseeing and I realized that there was probably little in this world that could impress me anymore. So, shopping time it was. And despite getting hassled a bit more than we were used to given our tourist status, I managed to hold my own and am now an expert at the classic haggle and walk-away. I'll teach you sometime. But too soon, the sun was going down and we staggered back to the hostel for one last night in Jaipur and prepared to face the road again.
To be continued...
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