February 22nd Agra to Dehli
We decided to check out the gift shops at our hotel in Agra and managed to get some good deals, we are expert negotiators now and quite jagged compared to our first few days. It is funny how you know you have gotten a good price when the storekeepers are grumpy when you leave LOL. Most of us have had it with the beggars and pedlars crowding our bus when we get on and off the bus - it seems to have ramped up since we got to Jaipur, again in Agra and Dehli as well - likely since these are the largest cities. Dehli's population is 19 million! The city is so large and has so many tall apartment buildings in new Dehli...the old part of Dehli is apparently the slums area now. I was surprised at how much foliage they have here lining the streets even as filthy and polluted it is here, I was honestly expecting no trees and flowers, but they are everywhere!
This morning we went bright and early to Taj Mahal, and thank god we did as it was insanely busy by the time we left. It was busy enough when we arrived, I couldn't imagine if it had been a nicer day out. It was super foggy from the rain the day before and we weren't sure we would get any decent pictures, so we were pleased with how it turned out. It is quite astonishing to see in person, it is so symmetrical that you almost can't believe your eyes. We were discussing how amazing the project managers and craftsman must have been to have everything built as precisely as it is and for it to have lasted so long, they really don't build things like they used to! The guide was telling us that back when it was built it cost $40 million rupees. At that time 10 oz. of gold cost $11 rupees and today the same weight in gold is approx $823,000 rupees to give you some context.
After the Taj Mahal we went to Agra fort where the king that built the Taj Mahal lived. Our guide told us that the eldest son who was successor for the throne was killed by his younger brother and then the king was held hostage by him in the fort for 8 years until he died. He apparently lost his vision as well in his old age so he couldn't see his Taj Mahal from his rooms so he used a small mirror to see its reflection. The king built the Taj Mahal to house the tomb of his third and favourite wife and it took 22 years to be built (20,000 paid workers - not slaves, and 5,000 elephants and I can't remember the rest but I am sure it can be googled LOL) and then he moved her there.
Also at the fort we were told about another king that ruled there and he had 20 wives (apparently there is a book about her called "the twentieth wife") and he had 300 concubines! As a wedding gift to his 20th wife, he gave her a large bowl (5 ft high, 8ft wide and 25 ft in circumference) made of granite filled with gold coins and jewels which she later used as a bath. It took two elephants to carry the load to the palace. Crazy to even think about what that would have been like in real life.
After the fort we made our way to Delhi, where we said goodbye to Tia, Greg, Amy and Troy and the rest of us headed to the hotel. Our hotel is super swanky and lovely! Eva and I decided to get 90 minute massages since we didn't have time to get them anywhere else since we arrived! We also decided to order room service instead of getting ready again to eat in the restaurant.
We are ready to come home, we were joking today with some of our group about what we will enjoy the most when we get home:
-brushing your teeth using tap water instead of bottled water
-sitting on clean toilets even when you go out in public for the most part
-having toilet paper in any washroom you go into
-not having to be hassled for a tip to provide you with toilet paper or napkins to dry your hands with
-not having to lug around bottled water everywhere you go
- not being harassed constantly to buy things
- people being nice to you without expecting money in return
- not feeling everyone is trying to rip you off all the time and having to haggle every price for everything you buy (including snacks and drinks as well)
- having good food that you can trust and enjoy without having to say a Hail Mary or cross your fingers that you won't get sick!
-BEEF and PORK!!!!
Miranda
We decided to check out the gift shops at our hotel in Agra and managed to get some good deals, we are expert negotiators now and quite jagged compared to our first few days. It is funny how you know you have gotten a good price when the storekeepers are grumpy when you leave LOL. Most of us have had it with the beggars and pedlars crowding our bus when we get on and off the bus - it seems to have ramped up since we got to Jaipur, again in Agra and Dehli as well - likely since these are the largest cities. Dehli's population is 19 million! The city is so large and has so many tall apartment buildings in new Dehli...the old part of Dehli is apparently the slums area now. I was surprised at how much foliage they have here lining the streets even as filthy and polluted it is here, I was honestly expecting no trees and flowers, but they are everywhere!
This morning we went bright and early to Taj Mahal, and thank god we did as it was insanely busy by the time we left. It was busy enough when we arrived, I couldn't imagine if it had been a nicer day out. It was super foggy from the rain the day before and we weren't sure we would get any decent pictures, so we were pleased with how it turned out. It is quite astonishing to see in person, it is so symmetrical that you almost can't believe your eyes. We were discussing how amazing the project managers and craftsman must have been to have everything built as precisely as it is and for it to have lasted so long, they really don't build things like they used to! The guide was telling us that back when it was built it cost $40 million rupees. At that time 10 oz. of gold cost $11 rupees and today the same weight in gold is approx $823,000 rupees to give you some context.
After the Taj Mahal we went to Agra fort where the king that built the Taj Mahal lived. Our guide told us that the eldest son who was successor for the throne was killed by his younger brother and then the king was held hostage by him in the fort for 8 years until he died. He apparently lost his vision as well in his old age so he couldn't see his Taj Mahal from his rooms so he used a small mirror to see its reflection. The king built the Taj Mahal to house the tomb of his third and favourite wife and it took 22 years to be built (20,000 paid workers - not slaves, and 5,000 elephants and I can't remember the rest but I am sure it can be googled LOL) and then he moved her there.
Also at the fort we were told about another king that ruled there and he had 20 wives (apparently there is a book about her called "the twentieth wife") and he had 300 concubines! As a wedding gift to his 20th wife, he gave her a large bowl (5 ft high, 8ft wide and 25 ft in circumference) made of granite filled with gold coins and jewels which she later used as a bath. It took two elephants to carry the load to the palace. Crazy to even think about what that would have been like in real life.
After the fort we made our way to Delhi, where we said goodbye to Tia, Greg, Amy and Troy and the rest of us headed to the hotel. Our hotel is super swanky and lovely! Eva and I decided to get 90 minute massages since we didn't have time to get them anywhere else since we arrived! We also decided to order room service instead of getting ready again to eat in the restaurant.
We are ready to come home, we were joking today with some of our group about what we will enjoy the most when we get home:
-brushing your teeth using tap water instead of bottled water
-sitting on clean toilets even when you go out in public for the most part
-having toilet paper in any washroom you go into
-not having to be hassled for a tip to provide you with toilet paper or napkins to dry your hands with
-not having to lug around bottled water everywhere you go
- not being harassed constantly to buy things
- people being nice to you without expecting money in return
- not feeling everyone is trying to rip you off all the time and having to haggle every price for everything you buy (including snacks and drinks as well)
- having good food that you can trust and enjoy without having to say a Hail Mary or cross your fingers that you won't get sick!
-BEEF and PORK!!!!
Miranda
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