June 17 Day 122.
The alarm went off at 4:30 and we were up and out at 5 to catch the sunrise at the Taj. There were more people than you would expect on the street. We went to the confusing ticket office, which had a "gents" line which was wrong and a card payment machine that didn't work. With admission you got a receipt and a scanned token. The receipt got you shoe covers and a bottle of water. The token was scanned for the turnstile for you by two older guys and was coded with what rate you paid as well as our gender.
There were a few security stops and then we were inside. You walk through a courtyard through an elaborate gate and then you're facing the Taj.
There were a few people there but we were able to get a few pictures that were free of humans. The light was still dim but it was nice and cool with lots of space to look around from different angles. We saw our hostel friends from the previous night and they were all dressed up in Indian garb and taking lots of pictures in front of the building. There was a slight breeze, which made the experience more enjoyable but ruined the perfect mirror effect on the water.
The place really was radiant, beyond what you see in pictures and it was great not to have the crowds. Words really don't work, see it at some point.
We walked towards the main building and put on our shoe covers before clearing one last security check ascending up the platform. Inside the false tombs are surrounded by marble intricately carved from one piece and creating a screen through which the tombs can be viewed. When we entered the chamber there was one guide talking to a couple and then it was us and the security guards, alone there for about 10 minutes. The chamber was really echoey and every time the guards spoke or a pigeon flew in it created a lot of noise with extreme reverb. The inlayed patterns with semi-precious gems were immaculate and it was always surprising to see a wall with empty shapes in it, such a contrast to everywhere else.
We walked around the building's four identical sides, finding the best light on the east with our cloudy sunrise. Our viewpoint from last night's sunset tour was visible along with the river and the red fort. Many people were posing and taking advantage of the sparse attendance and just enjoying the view.
We came down by the mirror mosque which is used for gatherings. It was built the same size and shape as the mosque for reasons of symmetry. It was closed off for renovation but gave us a great place to sit and watch the east side of the Taj. Many monkeys were here too, tipping garbage cans over, trying to climb up walls, wrestling and generally being monkeys. To walk to the mosque, you had to follow a path on the riverside that was a narrow monkey gauntlet. A few people screamed but they generally kept their distance.
The mosque was the same as its double with Islamic script decorations, a mimbar and a marble floor decorated as prayer mats. The inner chamber was closed, so not a lot to see here. On the way back a monkey was stalking a couple caught up in their selfies and made off with an empty water bottle.
Heading out, you could see more people showing up and it was nice to take our time and sit on benches, checking the place out from different angles. Another advantage of leaving is that the tour guide touts completely leave you alone.
Back at the hostel we were early for breakfast but there were lots of people to talk to. Breakfast itself was good, if crowded, but maybe the extra people kept the monkeys from stealing our bananas.
We hung out for a bit and then walked with our friend Ian to get our tickets for the Taj on the full moon. You can only get them 5 days a month and dumb luck was on our side. There were four people ahead of us in line but they just seemed to argue with the people in the office and the line didn't move much. We figured they were scalpers and might use up all of the tickets before we got our turn.
Not true! After 30 minutes we got up to the booth and it took about 15 minutes for the three of us to fill out paperwork, submit copies of our passports and visas, pay the money, have our info put into a database by someone who typed with one finger and have a customized ticket printed out for us. The line had grown behind us and we imagined how long it must take in high season.
On the walk back it was getting hot so we got some delicious, fresh-squeezed orange juice from a roadside vendor. We were getting brave!
As we continued, Meg and Ian wanted to check out the marble work in a store, Agra being one of the marble centres of the world. We were in there for over an hour. We were offered all types of beverages and probably could have had lunch if we wanted. We met our guy's father and brother, saw video of how the inlays were done, looked at dozens of smaller items before seeing a room of larger pieces. The work was gorgeous but none of us wanted to buy. Every time we were about to leave the shop, one of us would be separated from teh group over some proposal and the others would wait. We learned more than we could have imagined about marble and inlays but were completely exhausted by this point.
We walked back and remembered a restaurant along the way where we were promised beer for 90 rupees. All of us were up for a cold beer so we headed into his place and went up to the rooftop patio. He seemed far too glad to see us and was laughing and calling us family while we perused the dirty, torn menus.
After ordering he left us and it started to rain so we switched tables. The rain started to come down harder and teh wind changed direction, so our new table was getting soaked. It continued to pour and the wind changed direction one more time, blowing at the tarp behind us until it started to give way and so we ate downstairs, where it was dry.
We shared a table with an Israeli couple who were travelling after their military service. We talked about their experience and the hummous trail and it was refreshing that their politics was leftist and tehy were quite critical of the current government. The conversation came easily and our food was slowly delivered by a soggy boy. The restaurant didn't have a kitchen so he sent the boy out to the beer shop and then to where ever the food was cooked. The food was good and the beer excellent, but it all had a garnish of rainwater.
We lingered for a bit until the rain tapered off and the river that the road had become settled down. The owner promised all discounts if we came back and talked about how low his prices were. We just wanted to get back to the hostel to nap so we said goodbye to our Israeli friends and that's what we did.
After waking up we booked the full day tour for the next day and met Ian and another guy to head out to dinner. It was back to Mama's Chicken and we had more delicious bird, knowing to order less. Everyone was impressed and that night's tour group from the hostel showed up beside us and all was friendly and well-fed.
We looked for the ice cream place we passed up the night before and found it. They took fruit and a frozen table, scraped ice and added thick cream. Then they chopped it with the performance of a top sushi chef, working it over and over on the frozen table until it was mixed and solid. It tasted pretty good, but the making of was the real highlight.
Ian picked up a mixed dessert with kulfi. I always though kulfi was mango ice cream but in his it was little gulab jamon-like things. All was good and we took a tuktuk back to the hostel. Meg challenged Ian to a few games of chess before bedtime and you could see he was hankering for the
marble chess board we looked at that afternoon.
The alarm went off at 4:30 and we were up and out at 5 to catch the sunrise at the Taj. There were more people than you would expect on the street. We went to the confusing ticket office, which had a "gents" line which was wrong and a card payment machine that didn't work. With admission you got a receipt and a scanned token. The receipt got you shoe covers and a bottle of water. The token was scanned for the turnstile for you by two older guys and was coded with what rate you paid as well as our gender.
There were a few security stops and then we were inside. You walk through a courtyard through an elaborate gate and then you're facing the Taj.
There were a few people there but we were able to get a few pictures that were free of humans. The light was still dim but it was nice and cool with lots of space to look around from different angles. We saw our hostel friends from the previous night and they were all dressed up in Indian garb and taking lots of pictures in front of the building. There was a slight breeze, which made the experience more enjoyable but ruined the perfect mirror effect on the water.
The place really was radiant, beyond what you see in pictures and it was great not to have the crowds. Words really don't work, see it at some point.
We walked towards the main building and put on our shoe covers before clearing one last security check ascending up the platform. Inside the false tombs are surrounded by marble intricately carved from one piece and creating a screen through which the tombs can be viewed. When we entered the chamber there was one guide talking to a couple and then it was us and the security guards, alone there for about 10 minutes. The chamber was really echoey and every time the guards spoke or a pigeon flew in it created a lot of noise with extreme reverb. The inlayed patterns with semi-precious gems were immaculate and it was always surprising to see a wall with empty shapes in it, such a contrast to everywhere else.
We walked around the building's four identical sides, finding the best light on the east with our cloudy sunrise. Our viewpoint from last night's sunset tour was visible along with the river and the red fort. Many people were posing and taking advantage of the sparse attendance and just enjoying the view.
We came down by the mirror mosque which is used for gatherings. It was built the same size and shape as the mosque for reasons of symmetry. It was closed off for renovation but gave us a great place to sit and watch the east side of the Taj. Many monkeys were here too, tipping garbage cans over, trying to climb up walls, wrestling and generally being monkeys. To walk to the mosque, you had to follow a path on the riverside that was a narrow monkey gauntlet. A few people screamed but they generally kept their distance.
The mosque was the same as its double with Islamic script decorations, a mimbar and a marble floor decorated as prayer mats. The inner chamber was closed, so not a lot to see here. On the way back a monkey was stalking a couple caught up in their selfies and made off with an empty water bottle.
Heading out, you could see more people showing up and it was nice to take our time and sit on benches, checking the place out from different angles. Another advantage of leaving is that the tour guide touts completely leave you alone.
Back at the hostel we were early for breakfast but there were lots of people to talk to. Breakfast itself was good, if crowded, but maybe the extra people kept the monkeys from stealing our bananas.
We hung out for a bit and then walked with our friend Ian to get our tickets for the Taj on the full moon. You can only get them 5 days a month and dumb luck was on our side. There were four people ahead of us in line but they just seemed to argue with the people in the office and the line didn't move much. We figured they were scalpers and might use up all of the tickets before we got our turn.
Not true! After 30 minutes we got up to the booth and it took about 15 minutes for the three of us to fill out paperwork, submit copies of our passports and visas, pay the money, have our info put into a database by someone who typed with one finger and have a customized ticket printed out for us. The line had grown behind us and we imagined how long it must take in high season.
On the walk back it was getting hot so we got some delicious, fresh-squeezed orange juice from a roadside vendor. We were getting brave!
As we continued, Meg and Ian wanted to check out the marble work in a store, Agra being one of the marble centres of the world. We were in there for over an hour. We were offered all types of beverages and probably could have had lunch if we wanted. We met our guy's father and brother, saw video of how the inlays were done, looked at dozens of smaller items before seeing a room of larger pieces. The work was gorgeous but none of us wanted to buy. Every time we were about to leave the shop, one of us would be separated from teh group over some proposal and the others would wait. We learned more than we could have imagined about marble and inlays but were completely exhausted by this point.
We walked back and remembered a restaurant along the way where we were promised beer for 90 rupees. All of us were up for a cold beer so we headed into his place and went up to the rooftop patio. He seemed far too glad to see us and was laughing and calling us family while we perused the dirty, torn menus.
After ordering he left us and it started to rain so we switched tables. The rain started to come down harder and teh wind changed direction, so our new table was getting soaked. It continued to pour and the wind changed direction one more time, blowing at the tarp behind us until it started to give way and so we ate downstairs, where it was dry.
We shared a table with an Israeli couple who were travelling after their military service. We talked about their experience and the hummous trail and it was refreshing that their politics was leftist and tehy were quite critical of the current government. The conversation came easily and our food was slowly delivered by a soggy boy. The restaurant didn't have a kitchen so he sent the boy out to the beer shop and then to where ever the food was cooked. The food was good and the beer excellent, but it all had a garnish of rainwater.
We lingered for a bit until the rain tapered off and the river that the road had become settled down. The owner promised all discounts if we came back and talked about how low his prices were. We just wanted to get back to the hostel to nap so we said goodbye to our Israeli friends and that's what we did.
After waking up we booked the full day tour for the next day and met Ian and another guy to head out to dinner. It was back to Mama's Chicken and we had more delicious bird, knowing to order less. Everyone was impressed and that night's tour group from the hostel showed up beside us and all was friendly and well-fed.
We looked for the ice cream place we passed up the night before and found it. They took fruit and a frozen table, scraped ice and added thick cream. Then they chopped it with the performance of a top sushi chef, working it over and over on the frozen table until it was mixed and solid. It tasted pretty good, but the making of was the real highlight.
Ian picked up a mixed dessert with kulfi. I always though kulfi was mango ice cream but in his it was little gulab jamon-like things. All was good and we took a tuktuk back to the hostel. Meg challenged Ian to a few games of chess before bedtime and you could see he was hankering for the
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| An artsy pose in an artsy place. |
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| The view back from the Taj. |
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| The closest we got to capturing the morning light. |
Wow, great experiences. Sounds like you really did Agra the right way.
ReplyDeleteWe liked the place, great sights but too much heat in June.
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