7th Jan, 2016

OK, this is the big one, the Taj Mahal!! There is not much one can say except that Qurban, our guide, knew every angle that it is possible to take a photo from and then some more. And despite the hype, the people and the inevitable expectations, it still takes your breath away. Apologies if I have overdone it on the photos…

OK, just one more destination for this post, Fatehpur Sikri on the way to Jaipur. It is a wonderfully if slightly sad site as it was the new imperial capital of the Moghuls built between 1569 and 1585 and then abandoned in 1600 because there was not enough water – town-planners, eh? Luckily, having been deserted it is still almost perfectly preserved.

I thought that having seen some really incredible sights already, I might get a bit blase about the next one, but they just keep coming – and I am actually typing this about two days later.

On for about 3 hours non-stop to Jaipur – but now I need to change for dinner, so more, I trust, tomorrow!!

6th Jan, 2016

‘9 is fine’ it was again and off we went to Agra. Quite a long drive through a mix of city and burgeoning suburbs with lots of half-finished high-rises and the construction of a new metro, then into more agricultural areas . It was actually hard to tell as visibility was only about a few hundred yards for most of the way.

We arrived in Agra, home, of course, to the Taj Mahal. Monu very kindly drove us first to what is known as the ‘Baby Taj’. more properly called ‘Itmad-ud-Daulah, the tomb to Mirza Ghiyath Beg, an important member of Akbar’s court and father-in-law to Akbar’s son, Jahangir. It was designed by his daughter, named ‘Nur Jahan’ by Jahangir, meaning ‘Light of the World’. They could sure turn on the charm, these Moghuls!. She was in fact a very powerful member of the empire and wielded considerable power.

The Baby Taj has been described as dainty – please remember to get me  something equally dainty as my memorial when it is my turn! The first picture is the gatehouse. The inlaid marble speaks for itself.

We then went to a park, the Mehtab Garden, on the opposite bank of the Yamuna River where we could get a fantastic view of the Taj Mahal. The original plan was to build an exact copy on this side of the river, but in black and link them with a bridge, but all that remains are some foundations. But the view was fantastic – though spoiled a little by the smog (on a positive note you might say it looked ethereal??). Here is a little taster…….. (what is it with us and scaffolding when visiting any old buildings??)

It was then time to check in at the hotel before heading out to see Agra Fort. A more modern hotel, this time, the Radisson Blu. very nice and comfortable – as you can see!! It’s a tough life!

So, Agra Fort! Started in 1563, it was largely built by Akbar and his grandson, Shah Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame). It is truly stunning and Shah Jahan could see across the 2 km to the Taj Mahal – he probably had a much better view than we did as he was probably not afflicted by pollution! He died here in 1666 at the ripe old age of 74 due, according to my guide book, to an overdose of opium and aphrodisiacs, something our guide, Qurban denied vehemently!

More soon!

Dear readers, apologies for the delay in writing, but we have been having way too much of a good time to be able to even get near the computer. It has been FANTASTIC so far! So let me bring you up to date……

5th Jan, 2016

This was a full-on day in Delhi, quite a lot of it in traffic, but also dotted with some amazing visits and experiences. Our hotel is in Old Delhi and Monu, our driver, (described by Val as ‘dashing’ – his looks, I presume, rather than his driving as the adjective for the latter is more like formidable) at 9.00 (‘9 is fine’) is his mantra along with our guide for the day, Maninder. The driving and traffic does deserve a small mention here and I will draw on Val’s comments in her diary, not least because she decided to sit in front, a decision she has had seconds thoughts about since.

“What can I say – it was a dance. A dance where everyone knows the moves and dance to the music that only they were hearing. They avoided bashing into one another somehow and what I saw was hundreds of cars, bikes, pedestrians, people, tuktuks, buses, lorries, taxis, rickshaws, dogs and the odd horse-drawn cart and, of course, cows all trying to fit into last inch of road (and pavement) – including coming towards us on our side as well. This was all to the accompaniment of an almost endless variety of horns, of course.”

I concur! The astounding thing is that nobody ever seems to get angry – but then, what would be the point. To me it looked like the perfect example of a sort of Darwinian free market for space. Luckily Monu is definitely way up the food change and is superb at judging to the inch the speed and space available to him as well as having a sixth sense as to what the vehicle/person/cow in front/behind/on either side is going to do next. It is like playing a multi-boarded game of chess but with dire consequences if you get it wrong.

First stop, after passing the Red Fort, was the largest mosque in India, the Jama Masjid.

Very impressive as you can see (not least the weight I seem to have regained lately!). It was built between 1644 and 1656 (a little before St. Paul’s) by Shah Jahan and can cater to 25,000 worshipers, though you have to hope it is not raining as the building itself does not go back very far at all – very al-fresco. You can get a nice sense of the smog that was ever-prevalent in Delhi….

Next up was a rickshaw ride through some of Old Delhi. As you can see, they are not built for comfort and space and we (well, ok, I) filled it up quite successfully. The road was dotted with potholes, which all added to the fun and you have to ensure you keep your elbows inside (see traffic – above). I have included a few street scenes – and excuse the slightly out of focus ones – see potholes, above!

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Right, on we go or this blog will never be finished – that is always assuming you have read this far! Next stop was the Raj Ghat park where there was a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Impressively simple and very much in marked contrast to some of the efforts of the Moghul predecessors in India – see below! Also with their remains or with memorials to them in the park are Indira Ghandhi, her son Rajiv and that Old Harrovian, Nehru.

We were driven further south towards New Delhi to Humayun’s tomb. Humayun was the second Moghul emperor (Akbar was the first) and was built by his widow after he died in 1564. It is something of a prototype for the Taj Mahal, as you no doubt were thinking as you glanced down at the photos just now. His barber is also buried nearby – he must have been good!

On we then went, further south to our next destination – the Qutb Minar complex. This was considered on of the “Wonders of the East” in times past, though a more recent historian commented that it had “an unfortunate hint of the factory chimney and the brick kiln; a wisp of white smoke trailing from its summit would not seem out of place. I will let you decide – but note that the Minar (minaret) or tower is 72 metres high and was higher still, but the top two bits fell off in an earthquake. It is more impressive that the photos suggest, all the more so as it was started in 1199. The rest of the site is made up by a number of ruined buildings in a variety of Islamic and Hindu styles. That is Haninder, our guide, by thee way.

The plan for the rest of the day (and note that we had not had much sleep the night before due to jet lag) was to drive past Lutyens’s and other British architects’ masterpieces, ie the Parliament building and the President’s Residence as well as India Gate and some of the impressive bungalows that were set up when it was decided that Delhi would be the new capital of the Raj after 1911. Unfortunately the government was taking no chances and had blocked all the roads anywhere near the main building, but we did manage to see India Gate from afar and drive down the much roundabouted boulevards that make up New Delhi, marveling at the still very attractive government bungalows.

That was about it – but, inevitably, there was still time for the stop at the Kashmir carpet shop. I regret to advise that we succumbed – but I won’t tell you the result, just in case it never actually manages to make its way home. Our fingers are crossed.

Back to the hotel, who, I would add have been superb, even going to the extent of providing Val with satin sheets to make it easier for her to turn over at night. As you can see, we are not exactly slumming it down at the hostel!

Well done to get this far – assuming you have. I am now only 3 days behind schedule – more tomorrow if I can! Cheers.

Well, here we are in India. We had a good flight with Virgin, thanks largely to the fact that it was barely a third full, which meant a row each and the chance to sort of lie down (though not that brilliant when I am 6 foot and the three seats come to about 4 feet, but better than nothing). Good food – I do love airline grub!

We landed at Delhi Airport and were advised by the cabin crew that it was a bit ‘misty’. This is a euphemism for polluted!  It was so ‘misty’ that we could not see the other end of the runway and even the airport terminal was a bit murky. Still it was pleasantly warm, though rather dusty to the taste.

We dutifully queued for immigration and were then told we were in the wrong queue, so started again in a new one. After photographs and electronic fingerprinting we collected our luggage and were met by our driver, Monu, who seems very nice. We then set off for the car, which proved to be a bit of a walk due to security matters to do with impending Independence Day celebrations, I think.

It was then off into the traffic. It is amazing how many cars you can fit into 4 lanes! Lots of honking and jostling and darting motorbikes and nippy tuktuks, but we were assured by Monu  that things have actually improved due to an odd and even number plate days for private cars on alternate days. I can only imagine that we would still be trying to get to the hotel if this trial had not been put into place.

The hotel is the Oberoi Maidens, built in 1903 and very colonial in style. I feel I should have regrown my moustache! Nice room and really lovely staff. Now for some shuteye before a day of sightseeing of Delhi tomorrow.

So, a few more hours and we will be off. The bags have been packed – indeed, they have been packed several times! Lists have been checked, paperwork is all in order and we can now relax – and you can believe that if you like!

We are flying with Virgin Atlantic (hope they appreciate that India is in the other direction). First stop is Delhi where we arrive midday tomorrow (India time). We have a tour company (Ecstatic India Tours) picking us up from the airport and they will drive us round Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan for the next two weeks. They sound good – good rating on Trip Advisor and Manohar from the company (possibly the owner?), with whom we have been in email correspondence, is now a friend on Facebook!

More from INDIA!