Indian Trip, part VI: New Year, Delhi & Agra
On New Year's Eve, Anwar and I did very little. We joined Katie, Euan & Sam for a visit to Delhi haat, where we saw a really dazzlingly colourful and pretty array of saris, cashmere and wool shawls, and all sorts of other textiles and crafts. I acquired a beautiful shawl in three shades of blue which I would have had plenty of opportunity to wear just three days before, but sadly have not since. Alas, one day.
After a short break in the hotel, Anwar and I went out again to N-block market, where we got another two copies of the ridiculously beautiful phrasebook, one (by request) for Richie, and one for Iona. Here are a few favourites, firstly, from 'dowry problems':
We hear that in India, brides are burned for dowry.
- This happens sometimes, but it is not common. It is true that sometimes the bridegroom and his parents torture the bride.
and from 'useful everyday phrases', we had kursi ki jai! - translated in the book as 'hail authority!' - and 'horsefeathers!' which Iona translated more helpfully as 'bollocks'.
After this, we went upstairs to Cafe Turtle, which was a glorious respite from, well, everything. We sat at a table by the window, listening to quiet Christmas carols played on a saxophone, and I drank hot chocolate and ordered a delicious, gooey dessert called 'In The Mood.' It promised 'moist chocolate cake, ice cream and surprises', and the surprises turned out to be nuts, which are a good and very gentle sort of surprise. (Also, delicious. OM NOM NOM.)
Since we had booked a taxi to Agra at 6am the next morning, we passed on the Sharma's New Year party, and spent the evening with Colleen and Richie sampling the hotel's room service and half watching Sherlock's 'A Scandal in Belgravia'.
On New Year's Day, we got up at 5am. ARGH. Fortunately, I slept through a large part of the three-hour cat drive to Agra, and only remember brief flashes of the morning mist out of the window before we arrived in Agra, where we were joined unexpectedly by a guide. The cat was already rather full - six passengers plus driver! - but fortunately we were a very short distance away at that point.
The road up to the Taj Mahal offers a ride in carts pulled by camels, and I think Anwar will forever be disappointed that it only occurred to him later to exclaim 'camel camel!' There were also monkeys, who were very much unafraid of humans, and thus very, very close. I stopped to take a photo of one, and was frankly a bit alarmed at the way it leaned in...
At the entrance, we were searched and thoroughly patted down by members of the Indian Army - eek! - and passed an enormous pictogram showing the numerous things which we couldn't take in with us. Fortunately, our guide had already warned us that bags weren't allowed, and told us what we could bring; just as well, as the pictogram was clear in some things (e.g. no food) but rather confusing in others (as far as I could see, they seemed to be banning hands...?!)
The Taj Mahal itself is really best described by pictures, of which I took many. In short, though: amazing, fairytale, boggling. Beautiful; especially the view from behind it across the Yamuna to the unfinished foundations of the black Taj Mahal.
(In the gardens, we also saw a HUGE FUCK OFF HORNET'S NEST. Or possibly just bees, but either way: MILLIONS OF STINGING THINGS. Zomg.)
After a super cultured lunch (KFC - look, we were stressed and short on time, OK?) we went to Agra Fort, which was ... difficult. We didn't have a guide for this, and there was some confusion over tickets, but we made it in eventually, and I'm glad we did. It was interesting and beautiful - again, a lot of photos were taken - if rather bigger than I wanted, being very tired at this point.
I slept for a lot of the journey back to Delhi, waking only occasionally with a cricked neck, and once, surreally, to people knocking on the windows as we waited at traffic lights back in Delhi...
After a short break in the hotel, Anwar and I went out again to N-block market, where we got another two copies of the ridiculously beautiful phrasebook, one (by request) for Richie, and one for Iona. Here are a few favourites, firstly, from 'dowry problems':
We hear that in India, brides are burned for dowry.
- This happens sometimes, but it is not common. It is true that sometimes the bridegroom and his parents torture the bride.
and from 'useful everyday phrases', we had kursi ki jai! - translated in the book as 'hail authority!' - and 'horsefeathers!' which Iona translated more helpfully as 'bollocks'.
After this, we went upstairs to Cafe Turtle, which was a glorious respite from, well, everything. We sat at a table by the window, listening to quiet Christmas carols played on a saxophone, and I drank hot chocolate and ordered a delicious, gooey dessert called 'In The Mood.' It promised 'moist chocolate cake, ice cream and surprises', and the surprises turned out to be nuts, which are a good and very gentle sort of surprise. (Also, delicious. OM NOM NOM.)
Since we had booked a taxi to Agra at 6am the next morning, we passed on the Sharma's New Year party, and spent the evening with Colleen and Richie sampling the hotel's room service and half watching Sherlock's 'A Scandal in Belgravia'.
On New Year's Day, we got up at 5am. ARGH. Fortunately, I slept through a large part of the three-hour cat drive to Agra, and only remember brief flashes of the morning mist out of the window before we arrived in Agra, where we were joined unexpectedly by a guide. The cat was already rather full - six passengers plus driver! - but fortunately we were a very short distance away at that point.
The road up to the Taj Mahal offers a ride in carts pulled by camels, and I think Anwar will forever be disappointed that it only occurred to him later to exclaim 'camel camel!' There were also monkeys, who were very much unafraid of humans, and thus very, very close. I stopped to take a photo of one, and was frankly a bit alarmed at the way it leaned in...
At the entrance, we were searched and thoroughly patted down by members of the Indian Army - eek! - and passed an enormous pictogram showing the numerous things which we couldn't take in with us. Fortunately, our guide had already warned us that bags weren't allowed, and told us what we could bring; just as well, as the pictogram was clear in some things (e.g. no food) but rather confusing in others (as far as I could see, they seemed to be banning hands...?!)
The Taj Mahal itself is really best described by pictures, of which I took many. In short, though: amazing, fairytale, boggling. Beautiful; especially the view from behind it across the Yamuna to the unfinished foundations of the black Taj Mahal.
(In the gardens, we also saw a HUGE FUCK OFF HORNET'S NEST. Or possibly just bees, but either way: MILLIONS OF STINGING THINGS. Zomg.)
After a super cultured lunch (KFC - look, we were stressed and short on time, OK?) we went to Agra Fort, which was ... difficult. We didn't have a guide for this, and there was some confusion over tickets, but we made it in eventually, and I'm glad we did. It was interesting and beautiful - again, a lot of photos were taken - if rather bigger than I wanted, being very tired at this point.
I slept for a lot of the journey back to Delhi, waking only occasionally with a cricked neck, and once, surreally, to people knocking on the windows as we waited at traffic lights back in Delhi...