The India Chronicles 2000-2001

Continued from Page 1

In Agra, we found the very nice Hotel Sheela, built around gardens right next to the East gate of the Taj Mahal. We also made a decision to change our itinerary to avoid the $22 USD charge for the Taj, plus the $10 USD charge for Agra Fort. We would take side trips out of Agra for a few days and return to take advantage of 'Free Friday'.

We packed our small day packs, stored our larger packs at the hotel, made a reservation to return to the Sheela on Thursday and took off on another local bus Tuesday morning headed for Fatehpur Sikri. As usual, we were the only westerners for the one hour trip. We are usually the source of polite interest, especially, as we were told by one young man, that tourists like us (meaning older), usually travel in tour buses, but we have never encountered any problems. On the way, we passed by the saddest looking bears sitting by the side of the road with their owners who get them to dance for passing cars. Fatehpur Sikri is a fortified ghost city, built as the capital of the Mughal Empire in the 16th century, by the grandfather of the Taj Mahal builder. The impressive beautiful red sandstone mosque, large palace and surrounding buildings were only occupied for 14 years, abandoned when the water supply gave out. We picked up a local guide and toured for several hours. Ray's favorite was the mosque, which is still in use and attracts thousands of pilgrims during Ramadan every year.

After lunch, we boarded another local bus to Bharatpur, another hour away. Bharatput is the site of the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Joan Wilmshurst and Janet Trotter would spend a week just there. It is a famous bird sanctuary built around small lakes and home, or on the migratory path, for about 400 species of birds. We hired our Guest House manager, Veeru, a certified park guide, to take us around. Ray and I and 3 other tourists from the Guesthouse got up at 6 AM and rode bicycles over the park entrance to start the day at the same time as the birds. Although the water levels are way down this year, we were entranced with the variety we saw and identified . Ray and I went through the bird book when we finished and came up with at least 50 varieties we had seen, including owls, eagles, Siberian cranes, Egrets, Herons, Storks and lots of others. Our only no show were the pythons, who were not budging when we reached their holes. Oh, well.

We made it back to Agra on Thursday in time to find a bank that dispensed money through Visa. This is a bigger problem than we had anticipated. The banking system is not as advanced as we had expected. In fact, it is still an antiquated paper based system with intermittent phone connections to Visa & Mastercard centers. It took visits to two banks to get our money supply replenished. I also spent some time trying to get a replacement for a Rs 50 note that was ripped. None of the merchants would accept it and I was advised to exchange it at a bank. The problem was that after waiting in line at the first bank we went to, I was informed I had to go to the Bank of India. I found out from the Bank of India branch around the corner that only the main branch provided this service. An American man in line behind me advised me to forget it as the note w as only worth about $1 USD, but I got stubborn. We took a pedicab to the main branch and after being directed to 6 different wickets, I got a newer Rs 50 note. It had the usual hole in it, but it wasn't ripped through the serial number. That done, it was back to the Sheela, to retrieve our bags, relax in the garden for the afternoon, plus spend time on this episode.

Entrance to Taj Mahal

Mausoleum in Taj Mahal

Free Friday was worth it. We were wakened at 5 AM by the Muslim call to prayers. The local mosque has a good sound system. We were getting up to visit the Taj at sunrise, so I didn't have to dig out my earplugs. At 6 AM we walked next door to the entrance and joined about 100 others with the same idea. Everyone was in a good mood, especially at the thought of avoiding overpriced entrance fees, and there was lots of room for everyone. We spent quite a while at the beginning of the reflecting pools leading up to the Taj, waiting for the sun to rise above the trees, and admiring the peaceful surroundings. Lots of film was used as everyone tried to get just the right shot, but I can say we were not disappointed. The buildings are impressive and beautiful both from a distance and up close, but I have to say the price paid by the Mumtaz, the Shah's 2nd wife, was too high to have such a monument built in her honour. She died in childbirth.

After spending a few hours at the Taj, we went for breakfast and then took a pedicab to the Agra Fort. Another worthwhile visit. It is huge and even though only part of it is open to the public, the inner palaces are impressive and the gardens are lovely.

As I finished this note, Ray went off to explore the Kinari Bazaar, a market area in the old city of Agra. He had a hard time convincing a pedicab driver that that is where he wanted to go, not some other more touristy bazaar. Since the area is very busy, one driver took him part way and said "I am not crazy. I do not drive into that part of town. I park here." The only option was to walk the rest of the way. He did say it was very crowded but interesting.

Just before sunset, we walked down to the river next to the Taj and shared the local commuter boat, a flat bottom affair, that the driver poled across to the sandy shore on the other side. From there we had an excellent reflection in the river of the Taj as the sun went down.

Tomorrow we leave Agra by bus, heading for Jaipur. We have made a decision to pass up Delhi. It was going to be a hassle we decided we didn't need to make the side trip up, brave the pollution and then head out for Rajasthan. We are looking forward to experiences the colour and excitement of the desert areas of Rajasthan. I'm sure we will have more tales to tell.

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