The alarm was set for 5:15 and with the Taj Mahal being only 500 meters away we stood a good chance of being the first to arrive for the worlds most famous building. The Taj sunrise was as spectacular as they say, we gently floated around with the hundred or so equally eager happy snappers. The Agra fort was the next stop in which we found what seemed like a thousand tourists being cooked in a 34 degree oven, a shady spot with a view of the distant Taj was the most that we could endure.

The consent requests from Indian tourists to take pictures with Emily began to get tiresome in the midday heat so we sought refuge in the Mehtab Bank Park, it offered stunning views of the Taj from the opposing river bank. Despite the ever charismatic children the tranquility of the park was broken by the consent attention of overly inquisitive groups of men who proceeded to play hid a seek with us all around the park. Luckily we found a hidden spot and managed to have a relatively undisturbed travellers picnic (almonds, crisps & biscuits!)

We were dropped off at the train station at 6 awaiting the departure of the 8:20 train to Varanasi, Waterloo it was not. Men stood and starred while we sat covered in filth baking in 35 degree heat whilst being constantly attacked by every bug known to man, a game or two of sevens just about distracted us from what was vastly becoming a day we wanted to end fast. Luckily there were no major delays and the joys of 2AC sleeper trains came into there own, so much so that we slept soundly for over twelve hours right passed our stop, 2 hours passed in fact! Country folk were even more enamoured with Emily and we soon drew a crowd, our luck was in however and we snuck onto the next train as stowaways hiding in a compartment all the way back to Varanasi! Never has the sight of two cows and a hotel entrance been more welcome. Our travelling virginity had truly been taken.