Agro in Agra but nothing fancy in Jhansi December 9, 2007

Taj Mahal, Agra

Originally uploaded by chris.warn

Well we finally got away from the shops of Jaipur and took the train to Agra and the Taj Mahal, 5 hour journey in a more crowded carriage. Spent time showing people the card trick the Frenchman Gerrard showed us in Madagascar and in return some kids showed us a real live Indian rope trick, great fun. Arrived late at Agra and straight to Hotel Sheela Inn (not run by an Australian), it fully lived up to its’ 7 pound 50 a night price tag. Bugs in bathroom, damp peeling walls and packs of ferociuos dogs fighting in the streets. Our newly purchased silk bed covers saved the night. Up very early the next morning to catch the Taj at sunrise, along with only 300 other people who had read the Lonely Planet guide! That said it was quieter then than later so glad we did it. Taj itself was beautiful, the sun didn’t really struggle through the mist and cloud cover so the temple itslef wasn’t showed in the best pinky light. The phot shows it looking a bit flat and muted, but still good. Got the obligatory front of Taj shot (like Princess Di) and also one with me wearing Sammy Fel-squared’s rugby top, very well travelled! We wondered around the nicely kept grounds for a while, getting requests from Indian school kids to have our phots taken with them, very bizarre that they should ask the 2 most unphotogenic people in Plymouth for this, but still. Taj was built over 22 years using 22,000 skilled labourers all had their hands chopped off at the end so the building could never be replicated. It was a gift of love though so the guy who did this wasn’t all bad. We decided that return to our lovely hotel room was a no-no and that afte the Taj we wanted to get the hell out of dodge city. On return to check out we noticed that our hotel stood opposite the Indian Institute for Leprosy (where you go to learn to be a Leper presumably) this decided it for us. Quickly to the station and bought 3rd class tickets from Agra to Jhansi, no other type available so this was to be our first experience of cattle class. Long wait at the station for 2 hour late train and we were ready for the big heave ho onto the train, but in the event we just couldn’t do it, far to British and polite to join the scrum so left on the platform. As the train started to pull off, we ahd a snap decision to make another night in Agra or dive onto a moving train…we started running. I bravely threw my wife through a bunch of people saying cheerio to a passenger and pushed her onto the moving traina nd managed to squeeze up beside her. We were just starting to congratulate ourselves on our bravey when someone else calmly stepped past us and off the train, in the words of Dave Mazz ‘unbelievable’. HSort rip and on to the town of Jhansi. NOt much to say, certainly nothing fancy when we got there even the taxi drivers said, why are you staying 2 nights?? Soph was ill though and we wanted to recoup after Agra so stay we did. Off in a mini bus to Khajuraho the next day. Relative luxury with just us, 3 indians and their exceptionally loud music for company (am I getting old or what?). Trip through back roads and remote villages, small communities every couple of kilometres ust shops lining the road and all of them selling tat, who on earth buys it? Stopped off at a small post office to post some cards and as i was queuing (only guy in the place yet still queuing) a uniformed man came and stood so close to me we were touching from shoulder to knee. Visions of the film, midnight express passed through my mind, but he was just being nosy apparently. Never seen a tourist buying stamps before mate? The only other thing to note is that we saw large numbers of people defecating by the side of the road, whatever we did it seemed we couldn’t avoid there steely gaze. Khajuraho was lovely, a backwater with a laid back feel and some lovely temples. Phots don’t do them justice and the level of skill in making them was magnificent. Famous for their erotic sandstone carvings, it’s more than that the temples are well maintained in lovely gardens and you get a real sense of the history, originally 85 they now number 23 and these were only saved from Muslim destruction by the remoteness of the village. Not much else to it apart from ridiculous numbers of hawkers, but they were the politeness we’ve met. We’ve not included any of the rude photos here to save the blushes of Julie Gannon, you know she’s shy. We went to see a light show in the temples which was very professional and a local dance show which wasn’t. The dancing was hilarious and we left literally speechless. The high point was seeing an extremely camp transvestite, with a disturbing smile, painted gold and green standing one legged on a small bed of rusty nails, with 3 pots on his head, miming badly to indian tribal music – priceless! We stayed 3 nights in this place and it was the most relaxing time so far in India.