Sophie's travels 2011-2012: 28/2/2012 Jaipur to Agra, India

We had another 4am start to get to our train from Jaipur to Agra. We took tuk tuks from the hotel to the station then Hermang (our guide) gave us a briefing on the train we were catching. As part of the Gap Adventures tour they like us to be able to experience the culture as well as travel in comfort so this was our ‘cultural experience’ train ride… It was a sleeper carriage for the 5 hour trip but with no bedding etc just 3 story beds that could be folded down into bench seats. Apart from being a little grotty it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting, no kids, chickens or baggage sitting on my lap and our carriage was fairly empty for most of the way. We definitely chose the right time of year to come, the temperature was a perfect 20ish degrees and not as many tourists. Hemang said in the summer the train we caught would have been packed because the locals catch the early train to avoid the heat of the day (as the train is naturally cooled and warmed – i.e. no air con!).

We travelled past more amazing scenery – lots of cow pats drying out ready to fuel the fire, kids playing, people working the fields, animals roaming, loads of rubbish etc

When we arrived in Agra we had stretch tuk tuks which took us to the hotel where we had a quick bite before heading off to the Agra fort and finally the Taj Mahal!

The Agra fort was fairly amazing; it was part home to the royal family back in the day and the army (who are still based there). It was full of brilliant marble architecture, right down to perfectly spaced rungs on downhill parts to prevent elephants from slipping in the wet. There were numerous windows in the fort with great views out over to the Taj Mahal across the river. There were also lots of monkeys in the fort which provided extra entertainment.

We took the tuk tuks to the Taj Mahal and after an initial guided tour we had a good few hours to explore at our leisure. We wandered around the pretty gardens and then sat and admired the Taj from the ‘Diana’ seat for a while then wandered through the inside and around the side to one of the mosques. It was all amazing – more so from the outside than the inside.

We had numerous photos taken with Indians who treated us like rock stars and sat and admired the master piece and all the wild life (plenty of birds and ghastly tourists) in the sun. We all took thousands of photos then re-joined the guide for sun set before heading back to the hotel.

We all went out for dinner to an alfresco restaurant where we sat on a balcony surrounded by trees for a tasty candle lit dinner (to the sounds of the traffic below)…

Early morning train departure from Jaipur

The group waiting for the train: Ian, Amanda, random Indian lady, Dan, Rachel, Theresa, Johannes and Nora

Train station

Jenny parked on her bed...

Kids on the track from the train window

Kate and her new friend...

View from the train window

After saying he didn't want to sleep...

Inside the train

View from the train window between Jaipur and Agra

View from the train window between Jaipur and Agra - cow dung drying for fire fuel...

View from the train window between Jaipur and Agra

View from the train window between Jaipur and Agra - more piles of dung

View from the train window between Jaipur and Agra

View from the train window between Jaipur and Agra - dung drying

View from the train window between Jaipur and Agra

Hemang and Johannes on arrival in Agra

Edith and Jenny on our tuk tuk ride

Our hotel in Agra

Stretch tuk tuks!

A family outing in Agra...

Agra Fort

View of the Taj Mahal from the Agra Fort

Agra Fort

Agra Fort - view of the Taj Mahal

Agra Fort

Agra Fort - monkey

Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal behind

Agra Fort

Me at the Agra Fort

Agra Fort

Agra Fort - squirrel

Agra Fort

On our way to the Taj Mahal

Cow checking in to a hotel?

Street light...

... and switch to turn above street light on!

Entrance to the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Me at the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Jenny and I at the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Me at the Taj Mahal

Jenny and I at the Taj Mahal

Admiring the Taj Mahal...

Taj Mahal

Mosque next to the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Mosque next to the Taj Mahal

Entrance to the Taj Mahal

Mosque next to the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Entrance to the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal - garden

Taj Mahal

Inside one of the mosques next to the Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal

The group outside one of the mosques next to the Taj Mahal: Edith, Anya, Rachel, Jenny, Amanda, Nora, Dan, Me, Kate, Anne, Signe, Theresa and Johannes