We had booked a 'waitlisted train' on CLEARTRIP (Indian Rail website) some days before and were Waitlist 1&2 (ie. awaiting cancellations) - luckily around 11am I received a text on my Indian Airtel SIM to say we were booked A1 seats 7/8 confimed! relief! were due to take the 14hr 1000Rp each 16:45 sleeper 2AC train (Air conditioned 2 beds one above another in compartments of 4 with a curtain across!) from Varanasi to Agra. We sped in tuktuk across a very busy city in 105 degree plus dusty heat. As we waited at the station at 14:20 we were stared at like we had 2 heads. There were thousands of people many walking, some standing, others resting/sleeping on the floors. No seats here! Only a handful of europeans were there. The modern electronic Departure board did not show our train at all. We each wandered trying to find info. when I was directed to the'tourist' office - and there was me thinking I blended in! I was informed later the platform would be advised. We noted the board at 16:20 showing platform 4 and raced over. No sign when we got there.. Sheryl checked and was told the platforms often change! We thankfully overheard a tannoy redirecting us to Platform 5 (not like a UK platfom - but covered with sleeping/waiting people!) We eventually spotted our names on the Chart (a printed passenger sheet attached near the entrance door to each carriage!) We dragged our bags in and squeezed them beneath our seat (Sheryl's lower bunk!) I attached them together using our chain/padlock (as sometimes bags disappear) Air con was on as was a fan... sweet! Opposite us were two girls from outside Tokyo on a 5 day India Lightning tour. We all received our (clean-ish) bedding and booked a Biryani Train meal for 8pm. Sheryl was a little put off seeing a couple of small-ish Cockroachs scuttling across the floor and walls... Anyhow. Tickets (e-ticket for us) checked we started off, slowly. Dinner came while Sheryl was Kindle-ing and I was killing some 'Angry Birds' (a game..) Biryani was Ok (for 50Rp) and we had a fresh 5Rp Chai each, then it was lights off and bedtime. The gentle rocking of the train helped us get some sleep, but not much. We arrived in Agra 6:50 am - as we rolled in it was 'poo-time' with a constant stream (as it were) of bums out all taking care of morning business in bushes/tracks/wasteland etc. or anywhere there was space! Some with the obligatory water pot/bottle for the wipe up - or down... or not? A 20min tuktuk with 20mins of 'selling' ensued then arrival at the Taj Plaza - at £7 a night (fan/no breakfast) we were pleasantly surprised. Clean and professional. A poori breakfast on the upstairs restaurant was a true pleasure with a surprising and lovely clear view of the Taj Mahal - around 1km away!! A real treat as it is the same view as our neighbouring Oberoi Hotel at £300-£1600 a night. See photos. We relaxed then I collected Taj tickets and sussed out the process for tomorrow's 6am visit. At 750Rp (£10) each they are costly but worth it. Later on we went to see the entrance gates at the Taj and grabbed a pleasant curry/fruit salad lunch - again with awesome closer views of the Taj. After some rest and playing with the photos we took an evening stroll into town and walked to the River - where I got some great shots of the Taj from the waterline, then off for drinks and dinner... yet again we chose a rooftop restaurant with fantastic Taj views. On the way we saw a crowd around a police checkpoint and 2 guys (early 20s) facing each other. The policeman was saying something in Indian to them and seated in front of the two guys - with the police acting as some sort of referee guy 1 slaps guy 2 across the face several times (hard!) after first missing!? Then guys 2 does the same back to guy 1... happy slapping Indian stylee, who knows? Anyhow - back at the restaurant the food too was excellent. Some young pratt was commenting on my camera to a diner saying he didn't understand why anyone would bring such a large camera to India.. etc. etc. I was ready to sort him when around sunset a storm kicked up. After some beautiful lightning and thunder it rained torrentially. The wind was wild and we retreated from al fresco to under-roof dining. With strong winds and intense rain we were stranded until it subsided and we walked home the 1km or so in a cool-ish top 20s (80s) breeze down from the earlier sweltering 40s (100+). Early night.
Next morning up at 05:30 then off to Taj via the lockers (no phones etc.) and shuttle cart. Fast, short queues and in we went 750Rp each lighter (with Indians paying 20Rp...) it was pretty darn amazing and still plenty of folks there (independents - tours come around 8/9am) It was just sunrise with some smog/cloud, but soon the sun crept through and side lit the Taj. It is enormous as you will see from the few pics where I left people in! I got some beautiful shots and have loaded a few. Remember the young pratt last night at dinner? Well I bumped into him in the Taj and said 'Do you remember me? The guy with the huge camera..' I almost heard his sphincter clench echo in the corridors. I made it clear that it isn't about size.. It is about ensuring a camera lasts 5 months in one of the hottest, dustiest places - where compacts will die in weeks. And I did not want a camera of mine dying as I enter the Taj. He was apologetic and admitted to Camera Size envy and with job done I left him and his sphincter to relax. After a relaxing 2 hours or so Sheryl and I took to people watching; first the touts who lead westerners by the hand with camera and take staged pics at all the same places, then screw cash for the privilege!; next are the 'I want a pic where I am holding the top of the Taj' (or 'I am in mid air infront of the Taj'....) etc. Most amusing - I wanted to drop my pants and do a 'I just pinched a poo that looks like the Taj' - but Shery held me back! We wandered off for a rooftop breakfast then relaxed. We also sorted out a Jaipur Hotel and our Bus (AC!) to Jaipur on 12th April. Then more relaxing in the sweltering 40+ heat. Tonight ate on the roof terrace at our hotel, simple tasty curry/rice/naan and milkshakes! We were treated to a cool wind courtesy of a lovely distant thunderstorm with sheet and forked lightning which sometimes lit up the Taj, truly beautiful. Off tomorrow tuktuk then bus to Jaipur... see you all then. Keep up the messages, please. And Happy Birthday Dad - enjoy the card!