Gibbering Wreck: Taj Me Baby One More Time

Taj Mahal at Sunset
So, my Indian adventure continued this past weekend with a day trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal - something I had not managed to do on my previous visit to India, and which was looking in doubt on account of a lively bottom, right up until the morning of departure.

The lack of repeated trips to the lavatory through Friday night, which I attributed to the wonder pills prescribed to be me by the doctor, and my tactic of not eating (nothing going in means nothing to come out again) meant I was fairly confident that I would be OK. And without going into unnecessary details, I was proven to be largely correct.

Departing an hour later than planned (for no discernible reason other than the cat-herding that seems unavoidable with a group of 12 people) we soon found ourselves in the thick of thickest Indian Saturday traffic. I have absolutely no idea where the multitude were heading, but they were doing so with much determination, noise and characteristic disrespect for any sort of traffic laws.

The journey ended up taking nearly 5 hours - only 3 of which were on roads of a standard fit for speeds over 50kph - and was surprisingly devoid of topographical features. Not that it was without interest. As well as the sights of ridiculous numbers of people squeezed into an auto-rickshaw (I think 11 was pretty standard - driver sandwiched between 2, 6 in the middle seats which would comfortably seat 2, and 2 hanging off the back corners), the main sights were a beautiful Royal Enfield motorcycle (they still make them here apparently), the remains of 3 truck crashes, an enormous and elaborately painted statue of one of the Indian gods (I forget which multi-limbed, lion-bestraddling one it was), and abject poverty.

Bonkers Temple type thing viewed from side of the road to Agra

It goes without saying that India is a poor country, 'emerging' though it may be in crude economic terms. Yet living in our Swiss bubble, and not having ventured out of Europe for a while means I hadn't seen such poverty for a few years now. Mere glimpses of 'camps' of assorted mud-walled, tin-roofed improvised shacks, cannot provide one with a true understanding of what life must be like for the inhabitants - we see the poverty, but only fleetingly and on the surface without appreciating its depth or persistence.

Seeing a young boy of perhaps 4 years sorting through litter on the central reservation of a dual-carriageway really brought home how fortunate The Bug - as well as I - have been to have had the pure, random good fortune to have been born into the privilege we so often take for granted.

Yet, as noted in my previous post, India is a country of contrasts as opposite where this child was squatting was one of India's shining new petrol stations which seem to be the most modern buildings, all ablaze with white lighting and corporate cleanliness - perhaps an interesting indication of where India is heading, while also posing the question of whether it's the best route, or how many of its people will be taken along on the journey.

Anyway, I digress.

Eventually arriving into the (now de rigeur) chaos of Agra, we had our first sighting of the Taj Mahal at a distance of a few kilometers, while weaving our way along in the shadow of the ramparts of Agra's fort. Arriving at the hotel where some of our groups would stay the night, we were provided with other tantalising glimpses of the famous dome and towers. In fact, if I am honest, such views were somewhat underwhelming - expecting to be agape in wonderment and the merest sight of Taj marble, my immediate thoughts were, "oh right, so that looks like it's the Taj - hmm, I guess it looks better from the other angle...". But our proper visit to the Taj Mahal was to be at the end of the day, following a trip to Agra Fort.

First Glimpse of the Taj Mahal, Agra

Agra Fort used to be the seat of the Mughal emperors of India and is an imposing red sandstone structure. And as if the whole of Agra is all about one place, it also provides views across the Yamuna river of the Taj Mahal, like it's constantly beckoning you, like it knows it's the real reason you have come all this way.

Still, having spent a decent amount of time at the Fort, and in view of not wanting to push my luck with my toilet troubles on another 5 hour journey back to Delhi, I decided to investigate the fast train back to Delhi for myself and another member of our group who was so ill that he saw no more of Agra than the inside of a dingy hotel room.

While passing polite queue conversation with some young Korean tourists at the train station, I made an off-hand comment that I was aiming to get out of Agra station within the next 5 minutes to go and join my friends to see the Taj Mahal. At which point I hear, "it'll SOOOO take longer than 5 minutes to to get out of here" from some foppish young British traveller-twat at the front of the queue. I judge him, perhaps cruelly, on account of a number of things I observed while waiting in line, not least his obvious disdain for the ticket clerk, and his attire of drain-pipe pink jeans, a shirt of such unfeasibly brilliant-white crispness that it is surely the envy of every man between Agra and Jermyn Street (in either direction of circumnavigation), and crimson neck scarf. At least when I was a foppish young British traveller-twat, I had the decency to dress more as traveller than twat. I also thought it a bit much that he insisted on getting his 50 rupees change (about 80 pence) ...but then again, maybe he was on a budget - that might explain the clothing, at least.

Of course, when I finally got to the head of the queue after a further 15 minutes queuing, I was told that tickets that were entirely sold out. Bugger.

And so quickly back to the Taj on an auto-rickshaw before sun-down to find out whether it is better when seen 'properly'. And, oh! - how much better it is...

In its full landscaped setting, and when guided to the most breathtaking vantage point from which to view the Taj, one cannot fail to be awed by the simplicity of the architectural proportions, irridescence of the marble, and beauty of the colour detail around the arches.