Passage to India

19th September 2018 We went down for breakfast this morning at just before 8 am, and the restaurant was full. It seems quite of few tour groups stayed last night and must all have decided to have breakfast at once. There was a bit of a queue up, but within 10 minutes we had a table. Our guide for today was waiting in the foyer for us at 9 am, and our new driver was also on time. So we headed out from the hotel as planned. There are a few sites to see today, and our guide advised that we are going to start at the Southern most attraction, then to the most Northern and finish in the middle of town, near where our hotel is located. The first visit is to the oldest monument in New Delhi, Qutub Minar, the tallest minaret in the World made of bricks. It was completed around 1192 Ad, and was built by Qutab -ud-din Aibak,  the First Ruler of the Delhi Sutanate. At 240 feet tall, it is the centrepiece of a larger complex including the ruins of a mosque and many other buildings. It wa...

18th September 2018 We have a last look out our bedroom window in Agra before checking out and driving to New Delhi the is morning. The sights and sounds of India are very nearby. The cows are off on their morning pilgrimage to get some free food Meanwhile the construction industry needs raw material This morning we are heading away from the countryside, and although Agra has a population of 2.8 million, it is a blend of city and country. Once out of Agra, we are on a newish tollway, and the ride to New Delhi will be mostly along this road. There is a lot less traffic and other obstacles (cows, donkeys, goats, antelope etc), so it is a comfortable ride and reasonable speeds. The countryside is very fertile and flat and we see lots of cropping. Rice paddies start to dominate as we move further along the road, and solid stone construction materials are replaced by brick factories. We cross back over the Yumani River, which is the source of much of the wate...

17th September 2018 It is an early start for our trip to the Taj Mahal, which only about 10 minutes away, because it is best viewed at sunrise or sunset. We agreed on a 6.30am start from the hotel and got there in plenty of time. The crowd was also a lot less than we expected. Once you arrive at the carpark, you then have to catch an electric golf buggy to the ticket office and mani gate. I think it is to make room for all of the souvenir stores, restaurants and annoying hawkers near the gate rather than use the area as a car park. We had the same experience at Fateh Sikri yesterday, although the golf carts here were considerably more comfortable than the beaten up buses yesterday. As soon as you see the main gate you can tell this place is special. Main Entry gate Built on the South bank of the Yamuna River, the Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace) is an ivory white mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. ...