Delhi was to be the final stop on our country-crossing tour. A base for getting first to the Taj Mahal and, then, back home. And, as a reward for the hard work of traveling in a foreign land, we were booked into the luxurious Taj Palace hotel for two nights.
After some initial trepidation about the warnings of violence around Independence Day (and a chat with the director of security for the US Embassy there), we decided to stick with the plan, but lay a little lower while in Delhi. After almost two weeks and four cities, we were grateful for the opportunity to recharge the batteries.
After enjoying the extravagant Sunday brunch in the hotel (not since the Leela back in Bangalore...), we set out for a little Delhi sightseeing. The India Arch was was practically inaccessible due to the heightened security, as, literally, was Red Fort. But we enjoyed Humayan's tomb - a preview of what waited in Agra both chronologically for us and historically. We also walked in a throng of pilgrims and gawkers towards the beautifully styled Baha'i temple.
The next days was given over to Agra and the Taj Mahal. And it proved to be a magnificent site. Despite the squalor and crowding of Agra, the Taj Mahal is magnificent. Walls and beautiful gateways hide it from view until you are right upon it. And when it bursts into view, all the pictures you have seen fail to do it justice. All white marble pillars and domes reaching skyward. A humbling monument to love and faith. Though the guidebooks suggest arriving at dawn or dusk, I quite liked the puffy-cloud mid-day viewing we were treated to. We passed the rest of our time in Agra visiting a different Red Fort (complete with warring packs of monkeys), where Shah Jahan spent the last years of his life imprisoned and gazing across the river at his architectural masterpiece.
Our transit to and from Agra was as hellish as the sightseeing was wonderful. I had booked train tickets a month earlier (2nd class a/c), but we found ourselves departing Delhi in an un-airconditioned and overcrowded car. After too many confusing discussions with unhelpful railway and ticket agents (all of whom, conveniently, spoke only a very little English), one of our fellow passengers explained that the particular car we were all supposed to ride had broken and was replaced with this significantly less comfortable substitute (how a single car in the middle of a train breaks was never fully explained). We were, of course, entitled to a refund of the cost difference between our original tickets and the class we ended up taking. It would be well spent on non-sweat-soaked clothes when we arrived.
Wary now, of the vagaries of the Indian rail system, we arrived an hour early for our return trip...to deal with any car substitutions. Instead, our train was delayed. And then delayed further. And then again. Until we had spent four hours on a platform being continually harassed by beggars, unruly children, and rats. Without an end to the waiting in sight, and with Independence Day and its threatened violence fast approaching, we convinced the tourist office to wake up a taxi driver to drive us the four hours back to Delhi on the more reliable highways.
After the excitement and terror of Agra, we spent our last day in India relaxing. Each of us took advantage of the hotel spa to enjoy some massage therapy, a cool swim in the pool, to lounge around in bathrobes, reflect on the journey, and pack for the long flight back to California.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
India Gate
Our tour of Delhi started off at the India Gate. Security was very high, in anticipation of the Independence Day celebration on Aug 15.
Humayan's Tomb
Constructed earlier than the Taj Mahal, this tomb for the Mughal emperor, Humayan, in Delhi shows some of the architectural elements that would later be refined in the Taj.
Patterned Windows
The windows of the mausoleum were intricately styled. I had to play around with a photo.
Baha'i Lotus Temple
A fairly new addition to the stable of religious sites in Delhi, the Baha'i temple is shaped like a lotus blossom. Or like the Sydney Opera House, depending on who you ask. It was getting into the evening, so we didn't go inside.
Taj Mahal Gateway
The Taj is secluded in its inner courtyard, surrounded by a wall and this gateway. Impressive in its own right, built from white marble and local red sandstone and also inscribed in Persian, the gateway prevents you from seeing the palace until you have made it into the courtyard. This adds to the sense of awe and wonder.
Inlaid Marble
All of the detail work on the Taj is done with carved semiprecious stones that are inlaid into the marble. The amount of work that went into this palace is mind boggling.
Taj Mahal and Gardens
It's so magnificent that I have to post another photo. All the photographs from all the tourists and professionals can't do it justice.
Red Fort Arches
While most of the fort is constructed from red sandstone, this platform of arches and a few other parts of the fort are made from white marble.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Jaipur
Jaipur, to us, was a city of forts, palaces, pink walls, friendly people, gems, carpets, and animals.
Driving from the airport early in the morning, we turned a corner and saw a camel pulling a cart. Around the next corner, there was an elephant lumbering down the middle of the road! We also saw monkeys, donkeys, peacocks, and - of course - cows. We even got to ride elephants up to the Amber Palace on our second day in Jaipur.
The first day, though, we took in the splendid weather to visit the Jai Mahal - a palace built on a lake and located (conveniently) across the road from our hotel. We also walked around the City Palace (which is still owned and operated by the Maharaja of Jaipur) and see its museum, including caligraphed and illuminated Hindu and Muslim texts. After that, we ventured up into the hills to the Jaigarh Fort for breathtaking views of the valley, beautiful architecture, and a traditional Rajasthani puppet show. D and K even got to ride a camel around the Fort.
We spent the evening shopping - Jaipur is known for gems and carpets. And we were able to find a restaurant that everyone could agree on in the hotel. By then, we were exhausted - a 5:45am flight can do that to you.
So we got an early start the second day and rode a pair of elephants up to the Amber Palace, just outside of Jaipur city. To make the India experience that much more complete, a man was charming a black cobra in the parking lot. Carved of marble, and built out over the course of three generations, the palace was very impressive.
Towards dusk, we braved the mosquitos and headed out to the Tiger fort, for beautiful views of the city all lit up.
Rajasthan was a place I'd definitely want to explore more of. The trip is winding to a close, with Delhi as our last stop before we cross the Pacific again.
Driving from the airport early in the morning, we turned a corner and saw a camel pulling a cart. Around the next corner, there was an elephant lumbering down the middle of the road! We also saw monkeys, donkeys, peacocks, and - of course - cows. We even got to ride elephants up to the Amber Palace on our second day in Jaipur.
The first day, though, we took in the splendid weather to visit the Jai Mahal - a palace built on a lake and located (conveniently) across the road from our hotel. We also walked around the City Palace (which is still owned and operated by the Maharaja of Jaipur) and see its museum, including caligraphed and illuminated Hindu and Muslim texts. After that, we ventured up into the hills to the Jaigarh Fort for breathtaking views of the valley, beautiful architecture, and a traditional Rajasthani puppet show. D and K even got to ride a camel around the Fort.
We spent the evening shopping - Jaipur is known for gems and carpets. And we were able to find a restaurant that everyone could agree on in the hotel. By then, we were exhausted - a 5:45am flight can do that to you.
So we got an early start the second day and rode a pair of elephants up to the Amber Palace, just outside of Jaipur city. To make the India experience that much more complete, a man was charming a black cobra in the parking lot. Carved of marble, and built out over the course of three generations, the palace was very impressive.
Towards dusk, we braved the mosquitos and headed out to the Tiger fort, for beautiful views of the city all lit up.
Rajasthan was a place I'd definitely want to explore more of. The trip is winding to a close, with Delhi as our last stop before we cross the Pacific again.
Water Palace
The Jai Mahal, or Water Palace, sits outside of the old city of Jaipur, on the road to the Amber Palace. The lake is now part of a resivoir with a dam behind it. Our hotel was situated nicely right across the street from this palace.
Gates of the Pink City
They don't call it the Pink City for nothing. Almost all of the buildings in old Jaipur are painted this salmon-pink color, a tradition that dates from 1876 when the Maharaja welcomed the Prince of Wales.
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