Our Holiday: Agra - Taj Mahal

Saturday 16 December 2006

We were picked up by DC (Duni Chand) at 8 am and driven to Agra stopping at a hotel for tea on the way. We saw Sikandra where we picked up our guide Arif. We then went to our hotel in Agra, the Howard Park Plaza, very upmarket, to drop off our luggage. Then it was onto the Taj, hugely more impressive than the photos show. We finished at the Agra Fort on the Yamuna River the palace of the Mugal Emperors.

Entrance to Sikandra

Road to Akbhar's Tomb

Opposite Gate

Deer in Sikandra Gardens

Entrance to the Taj

Views of the Taj

The Yamuna River from the Taj

The Taj from Agra Fort

Agra Fort

Funeral Procession on the way to cremate a body at the Crematorium
near the Taj on the Yamuna

The Lobby at the Howard Park Plaza in Agra

Rajput Doorman at Howard Park Plaza (ex-Indian Army)

The Palace at Fatehpur Sikri (The Abandoned City)

Sunday 17 December 2006

Picked up by DC and Arif and taken to the Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned city. This was established as a new town by Akbar but ran out of WATER, someone should tell Howard! There was an impressive palace that was being restored. Akbar had three "mini-palaces" built within its walls for his three wives, one Hindu, one Muslim and one Christian. This was part of his quest for harmony between religions. A 5 hour death drive followed with DC to Jaipur. Only the fact that we have a picture of the Hindu Elephant God, the God of good luck, hanging from the mirror ensured our survival! We put up in the Shapura House Hotel again upmarket and very "Rajastan".

Patsy in our room at Shapura House Hotel, Jaipur

Poolside Dinner at Shapura House Hotel, Jaipur

Monday 18 December 2006

Picked up by DC and our new guide Abhi. We took in the Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort - all the way up on the back of an elephant. We scored a smallish elephant but he turned out to be a sports model, younger and stronger than the big fat ones and tore up the hill at a cracking pace, passing all the plodders. Jantar Matar and the City Palace Complex including the museums. Patsy did some shopping, Sandy went for a walk along a long dusty road (Malawi with millions of people) to get money from an ATM and got on the hotel internet.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), Jaipur