The tourist trail.. Golden Triangle!

If ticked the Delhi box& was so happy to be on the road..

Agra & The Taj beckons... the time of year means that the days in the north begin with heavy fog, lifting slightly for the rare opportunity for the sun to come out, hazy sunshine followed by more fog in the afternoon & evening.. Cold mornings, cold evenings.. well it is winter, how crazy for more to think that India is always hot! Everywhere!

We were lucky on the day we visited the Taj Mahal, the sun came out ever so slightly & the fog did clear! Wow... when you approach the Taj there are many purple again trying to rip you off, tourist written all over you due to the gleaming white skin, which also means you have money! But once dodged the crowds of canal rides, rickshaw drivers, tuk-tuks you enter high security (a theme at all these sites) metal detectors, security frisking.. Then enter the ground, walk with the masses through the gate.. then there opening up in front of you is one of the most incredible sights! The Taj in all its glory! Amazing structure & on cost inspection the detail really becomes clear.. wow!

What amazed me more though was the amount of people visiting this wonder! The queue was at least a mile long.. then there were hundreds desperately trying to get the classic shot of them & the Taj! The other incredible thing was that we were amongst the only western tourists, the majority were Indian. Great to see the people have such interest & enthusiasms for their own country & history. This was something which was evident in all places we traveled until Goa, which became somewhere completely different! An island almost, full of Russians..

Agra was a fun place.. Sai Homestay, was a perfect guesthouse run by a lovely, caring & welcoming family.. home cooked meals by mum! Beautiful!

Back on the road.. this time to Jaipur... Loved it! Great prior, great atmosphere, amazing sights, many forts & the food!!! So so good... Not long enough spent exploring Jaipur, two days definitely not long enough for such a great place!

Found a real treat on our way to Amber Fort an subsequent elephant ride! Breakfast was needed & a small local "restaurant" with the best stuffed chipati's in India!!

You always get warned about the food & risks of eating street food... I ate so much food from small market stalls & loved every meal!! No problems with the bowels to report.. you'll be pleased to note! ;)

A Tiger Safari was next up...