Agra Sunday 9th Feb 2020

We are up early so that we were packed, breakfasted and travelling off with Vikram by 8am.

Leaving Dehli, we see the India Gate which is a War Memorial

We head off on a very straight road (apparently instigated by a map, a pencil and a ruler) in the misty early morning pollution. The flat, rural landscape is dotted with small temples, and distinctive haystacks - probably made from the plants of chick peas, peas or beans.

Duncan has a grand nap

Pleasant pastoral scenes

The haze starts to lift

The road is dotted with toll gates - probably to keep the drivers awake on the straight road.

Most of the toll gates are beautifully decorated

Clarks Shiraz  is a lovely Hotel and wedding venue

If you look very closely you can see the Taj from our room.

Co-incidentally, if you follow the point on out bedhead up to the photo above, you may be able to discern the Taj

 After bananas and grapes for lunch we get our new guide, Emca, who despite being billed as a senior guide, and having a huge store of knowledge, is dour and disengaged. Which is not the best when you are heading to a romantic hotspot like the Taj Mahal.

The Main Gate

Very poor light as we pass through. We could see the Taj above the crowds

Again the foreground has bleached the sky

Suddenly the sky lightens, the crowds thin and I get a good shot.

Selfie

The photo that Emca took - which turned out to be on video.

The marble quarried in India is very tough and white

 The Taj Mahal was built over a period of 22 years by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. He was later also put in the mausoleum when he died. We had to put shoe covers on to be able to go into the temple, and no photos are allowed inside.

Because it is a Sunday, there are many family groups here.

 The Taj has walls and gates on three sides and the River Yamuna on the fourth

 It gives me great pleasure to sit in a courtyard between the Taj and the west gate and admire the exquisite workmanship. Wonderful symmetry, and some lovely mathematical features.

West gate and wall

On the other side is the Taj

 Signs throughout tell us to "Keep Quite". I smile and remember Duncan's Tree Egg Omlette, and the instruction to "Follow directions bellow"
Agra is redoing its drainage system. As with most Indian projects, there seems to be a high degree of inefficiency - much standing around.

Toot your horn as you approach this one!!

The town is dirty and dusty

Family of three - two of the women side-saddle!!

 Our next destination is the Red Fort.

You can see our inhospitable guide striding off in the pale blue shirt.

The Red fort is mainly built out of red sandstone. I really like the moats - the wet one is filled with crocodiles and the dry one is filled with tigers. I later think about the practicality of this and decide it might just be a legend!

They are constructing a viewing platform over the moats.

Then you go through a gate where they could hurl boiling over you, and then there is a zigzag maze to the main fort to slow the attackers down.

It truly is magnificent.

View from the fort out over the landscape Can you see the Taj Mahal in the distance?

Inside there is marble and semi precious stone inlay, some of which is being restored.

Intriguing gardens

The Judicial courts where audiences were held We see this pattern is several other structures.

We are very impressed with this structure and wonder at the lack of construction skills  shown in the squalid slums and markets.
Emca takes us to a marble inlay factory. We are not interested in buying a little marble table. Whilst very pretty it wouldn't suit our house.

They young guy smiling tries to sell us a pendant while the boss man is away.

OK here we are - four on a motorcycle. Only the driver with a helmet!!

Lobby of the Clark Shiraz

We decide to go to the posh restaurant tonight. I am wearing the kimono which goes with my togs. Unfortunately I never get to wear the togs because they tend to have their weddings around the pool, and of course we don't gert to go on the cruise.

Set up for the wedding

The groom arrives on horseback with drums, a parade of towers of lights and the crowd of supporters behind.. This starts at about 10pm at night. Fortunately we are far enough away to get a good nights sleep.

More on Rua's Painting

We interrupt the Indian broadcast to update you on Rua's painting.

Having to correct some mistakes

Unlike other paintings, Rua's will have a silver trim on the side

Close -up of brick wall: getting a bit jackie Anderson here!

All areas defined

Getting nervous about putting the pelicans on the plinths

Delhi Day two

We drove past the parliament which has over 500 representatives - there are seven from Delhi and that is who they are voting for today.

There is heightened security and we cannot go and have a close look.

Next we head for a Sikh temple, and we have a chai marsala in a cute little clay pot. We pass the "Turban Training School" and the "Turban-Borrowing Bank" We enter the temple suitably garbed, but photography is not allowed, which is a shame as there is so much colour, and also loud chanting.

Grounds to the Sikh temple look lovely

Waru has a few pieces to eat as well

Duncan was not a fan of Chai Marsala - I quite liked it.

Our turban substitute

Gosh that look takes me back to chemo days.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is at the side of the temple and they feed 10,000 people a day, with three sittings, morning, afternoon and night. The food and the labour is all voluntary. Anyone can volunteer, and anyone can eat here as the Sikhs believe that to serve another human being is to serve God.

Not sure if this guy was blind, but he seemed to be chopping up a whole bag of onions by himself without looking

These ladies were chopping eggplant

The mats are laid out over the marble floor

Lunch is nearly ready

Huge pots! a slightly smaller one for the rice.

In the distance of this next photo you can see some volunteers helping to roll the roti. This required you to sit cross-legged, so I think I could have possibly managed to roll one before getting cramp.

The man in the purple turban cooks side one 

The next lady flips them over

The lady in blue flicks them into a basket when they are cooked.

Waru is a bit frustrated that all the shops and some of the attractions are closed due to the elections - so the only thing to do was to alter the tour to include the elections. each person has an identity card, and a residential card to say which district they can vote in. Schools are closed for the day, and schoolteachers are required to man the booths and check the cards. Voting is electronic and as you leave the booth they draw an indelible purple mark on your thumbnail so that you cannot vote twice.

These ladies are teachers

Security is very high

Waru tricks me into asking the guard who he voted for - of course he is not allowed to say. There is much laughter!! (??) Next we head off to the markets.  We got on board our rickshaw and he pedalled off to the street which specialises in firecrackers - needless to say they are not allowed to sell fire crackers during the election.

Fire cracker street - also went down the bridal street (shut, but some pretty window displays

Still selling vegetables though

Think this was Nehru - but the pigeon on his head made a full identification impossible

Waru organised for us to drive down the Optical Market Strret. Variety Optics was closed for the day.

We have a terrifying ride through the lanes and alleys of Chandi Chowk as the rickshaw does not have a horn, so he just shouts Halloo, Halloo as he weaves amongst motorbikes, pedestrians, tuk tuks and cars

Once back at the hotel, we eye up Jantar Mantar across the road. Because it is a quiet day we think we might attempt to cross the road. Yes!! we make it across. There is some hold-up at the ticket office as it cannot accept Duncan's card. We must pay cash - but the cash price is more expensive than the card price. Duncan's got this though and insists we just pay the cheaper price. A "wobble" of the head, and we get our tickets. This is an astronomical observatory built in 1723 and there are 5 more spread throughout India.

The gnomon of the sundial 

This is the other side of the gnomen.

Loved this! It is a Yantra It has 30 sectors and the stars could be recorded in each sector throughout the year

Eclipses, planets and comets could also be tracked

The Misra Yanta told the shortest and longest day of the year, and the time of noon. Not quite sure how this works.

That night we go to a restaurant not far from the hotel. It purports to be the home of Butter Chicken. I know we have only been here a few days, but already I am very sceptical about the Indian tendency to stretch the truth. Thank goodness for Google. Yes Butter Chicken was invented in Dehli - just not at this restaurant. Yes we can get a glass of wine after 6pm - just not at this restaurant.

We were surprised that the green stuff, while minty, was also incredibly hot. Limited the picked onion intake!