Saturday – Very early start after all the noises of India through the night!

We nearly stretched Christine’s patience to the limit getting us all out to the station and onto the right train and carriages, but get there we did and the head count complete!

Delhi to Agra took about 3 hours and having been shocked by the plethora of fascinating and somewhat startling sights viewed from the train, (naked children playing in the dust, men squatting in full view of the railway line, and a variety of buildings from shacks created out of polythene and corrugated iron, to dilapidated old brick structures), we were then ushered into the contrasting grandeur and coolness of the trident Hotel on our arrival.

We felt it was important to sample all that Agra had to offer, so coffee on the terrace was a delightful and welcome break before we ran the gauntlet of hawkers and beggars who lined the road up to the Taj.

So what can we say – the Taj did not disappoint and was every bit as we imagined and more. The fine detail of the marble carvings and the mosaic insets in so many beautiful and varied designs and colours took our breath away. The Red Fort if anything was historically even more interesting, especially the stories of the Moghul Emperor with the three wives – one Hindu, one Muslim and one Christian from Portugal! Ecumenism was alive and well even back then.

We survived the madly chaotic traffic with the hordes of motor bikes (some with kids and granny aboard) the three-wheeled autos bulging with passengers (were more like dodgems that real vehicles) the camels, monkeys, mangy dogs, rats, elephants and many cows and made it back to the hotel – pretty whacked but having thoroughly enjoyed an amazing day. Thanks Christine – your organisational skills and patience are amazing!