We were up at 3AM for our 3:45 meeting time for the flight to Agra. There were 147 of us going on the trip and the ship had prepared well. We were each given our passport, boarding pass and a snack bag and sent on our way. At the gangway, Bruce, the Cruise Director, and his staff of 5 or 6 others, were waiting to bid us farewell. They were all dressed in various sleeping attire: robes, pajamas, hair curlers, cold creamed faces. It was very cute and we all appreciated that they were losing sleep just like we were.
The ride to the airport was interesting because we got to see Mumbai as many people don’t see it. It was probably 2 to 3 hours before most Indians were even out of bed so the streets were practically deserted. What we did see were many many people sleeping outside on the sidewalks, the beach and the park. It was quite sad.
The Mumbai airport was very busy, even at 4:30 AM. We had to get into two separate lines, one for the women and one for the men. Everyone was scanned with metal detectors and the process was fairly long. But we got right on to our chartered flight on Jet Airlines. So far in India the people hadn’t struck me as being overly efficient. It always seemed to take 3 people to do the job that 1 person would do in the States. But
not on Jet Airlines. About 5 minutes after the plane’s wheels left the ground, the captain turned off the seatbelt sign and the flight attendants commenced cabin service. We were given a complete meal, both on the way there and the way back. The plane was still at a steep grade when we got our trays and when we put them on our tray tables they slid right off because of the angle. They didn’t fool around at all. The airline seems to still have the old US standards for flight attendants because they were all young and beautiful.
The weather was absolutely perfect in Agra. There was not a cloud in the sky. It was hot but very dry so it wasn’t too uncomfortable. We got into buses for the 30 minute drive to the Taj Mahal. This was a very different India from Mumbai and Chennai. There are 2 million people in Agra but there are no tall buildings. It has a very rural feel to it. No building is allowed to be taller than the Taj Mahal, which is 25 stories high. The streets were very narrow and full of people. The first impression is of abject poverty. This is where we saw cows and bulls and water buffalo roaming the streets. A couple of camels were on the sidelines. A common sight was a wooden cart drawn by a horse or mule and hauling wood or crates or other cargo. As in Mumbai and Chennai, the poorer people lived in shacks of tarpaper. I even saw one house made of cardboard. I’m sure the sight of a bus wasn’t anything new to the townspeople, but they looked us over and waved as if our arrival was a special event in their lives.
About 1 mile away from the entrance to the Taj we had to transfer to small electric buses. This is their attempt to keep the air around the Taj cleaner. As we neared the transfer area we saw a man riding an elephant in the middle of the road. That really got the crowd excited. Then the hawkers started on us. By this time in the trip most of us are very weary of people mobbing us and thrusting their wares in our faces, insisting we buy their stuff. We try not to be rude but sometimes that’s what it takes to get them off your back!
Fortunately, the vendors aren’t allowed inside the Taj Mahal premises so we had a respite from them for a couple of hours. Again we had to line up by sex to be frisked by security people as we entered the compound. The first place you go into is a walled garden area with the grand entrance gate, which was spectacular in itself. Then you walk through that gate and there is the Taj Mahal in all its white marbled glory. Our guide, Yogi, had us stand at the gate and just look at it from afar before actually approaching the building. He explained that as we walked closer we would start marveling at its size and may lose sight of its beauty and symmetry. Between the gate and the Taj are lovely gardens being tended by women in saris. Grass was being cut by an ancient type of mower pulled by two water buffalo. Yogi was right about the size. It was one of those buildings that overwhelms you as you get close to it. It’s built up on a platform several feet high and before you can go up there you must cover your shoes. So we all put on the shoe covers that Yogi had given us. Then we got a close look at the intricate inlaid stones in the marble. When you realize that all this was done in the 16th century, the workmanship is even more incredible. It took 22 years to build and now its one of the 7 wonders of the world. The Indians are very proud of it.
After the Taj we had a nice buffet lunch at a restaurant in town and then visited Fort Agra. We were reluctant to go because we thought “you’ve seen one fort you’ve seen ‘em all”. But this turned out to be what I would call a palace, not a fort. It was huge and beautiful and the history was fascinating. And it had a lovely view of the Taj Mahal.
That ended our day and we returned to the airport for the trip home. We had a wild ride from the Mumbai airport to the ship. It seems the Indians have no traffic laws. I think they are told only that they should try to drive on the left side of the road but most of them don’t even do that. They make a lane wherever they can find it, honk the horn continuously and just go. The streets, even the 3 or 4 lane highways, are full of bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians. It feels like the Dodge Car Ride at Coney Island. Traffic lights are few and far between and many of them just flash yellow. Pedestrians do not have the right of way so crossing the street is a perilous undertaking. Why there aren’t head-on collisions every mile or so is a mystery to us. All of us on the bus were gasping in amazement and horror for the hour ride back to the ship. We made a beeline for a glass of wine and forced ourselves to stay up to watch the ship sail out of Mumbai. We’re glad we got to see India and especially the Taj Mahal, but aren’t sorry at all to say goodbye. We’re sailing today and tomorrow in the Arabian Sea on our way to the continent of Africa and Salalah, Oman (Correction Oman is in Aisa and will be our last stop in Asia).
The ride to the airport was interesting because we got to see Mumbai as many people don’t see it. It was probably 2 to 3 hours before most Indians were even out of bed so the streets were practically deserted. What we did see were many many people sleeping outside on the sidewalks, the beach and the park. It was quite sad.
The Mumbai airport was very busy, even at 4:30 AM. We had to get into two separate lines, one for the women and one for the men. Everyone was scanned with metal detectors and the process was fairly long. But we got right on to our chartered flight on Jet Airlines. So far in India the people hadn’t struck me as being overly efficient. It always seemed to take 3 people to do the job that 1 person would do in the States. But
not on Jet Airlines. About 5 minutes after the plane’s wheels left the ground, the captain turned off the seatbelt sign and the flight attendants commenced cabin service. We were given a complete meal, both on the way there and the way back. The plane was still at a steep grade when we got our trays and when we put them on our tray tables they slid right off because of the angle. They didn’t fool around at all. The airline seems to still have the old US standards for flight attendants because they were all young and beautiful.
The weather was absolutely perfect in Agra. There was not a cloud in the sky. It was hot but very dry so it wasn’t too uncomfortable. We got into buses for the 30 minute drive to the Taj Mahal. This was a very different India from Mumbai and Chennai. There are 2 million people in Agra but there are no tall buildings. It has a very rural feel to it. No building is allowed to be taller than the Taj Mahal, which is 25 stories high. The streets were very narrow and full of people. The first impression is of abject poverty. This is where we saw cows and bulls and water buffalo roaming the streets. A couple of camels were on the sidelines. A common sight was a wooden cart drawn by a horse or mule and hauling wood or crates or other cargo. As in Mumbai and Chennai, the poorer people lived in shacks of tarpaper. I even saw one house made of cardboard. I’m sure the sight of a bus wasn’t anything new to the townspeople, but they looked us over and waved as if our arrival was a special event in their lives.
About 1 mile away from the entrance to the Taj we had to transfer to small electric buses. This is their attempt to keep the air around the Taj cleaner. As we neared the transfer area we saw a man riding an elephant in the middle of the road. That really got the crowd excited. Then the hawkers started on us. By this time in the trip most of us are very weary of people mobbing us and thrusting their wares in our faces, insisting we buy their stuff. We try not to be rude but sometimes that’s what it takes to get them off your back!
Fortunately, the vendors aren’t allowed inside the Taj Mahal premises so we had a respite from them for a couple of hours. Again we had to line up by sex to be frisked by security people as we entered the compound. The first place you go into is a walled garden area with the grand entrance gate, which was spectacular in itself. Then you walk through that gate and there is the Taj Mahal in all its white marbled glory. Our guide, Yogi, had us stand at the gate and just look at it from afar before actually approaching the building. He explained that as we walked closer we would start marveling at its size and may lose sight of its beauty and symmetry. Between the gate and the Taj are lovely gardens being tended by women in saris. Grass was being cut by an ancient type of mower pulled by two water buffalo. Yogi was right about the size. It was one of those buildings that overwhelms you as you get close to it. It’s built up on a platform several feet high and before you can go up there you must cover your shoes. So we all put on the shoe covers that Yogi had given us. Then we got a close look at the intricate inlaid stones in the marble. When you realize that all this was done in the 16th century, the workmanship is even more incredible. It took 22 years to build and now its one of the 7 wonders of the world. The Indians are very proud of it.
After the Taj we had a nice buffet lunch at a restaurant in town and then visited Fort Agra. We were reluctant to go because we thought “you’ve seen one fort you’ve seen ‘em all”. But this turned out to be what I would call a palace, not a fort. It was huge and beautiful and the history was fascinating. And it had a lovely view of the Taj Mahal.
That ended our day and we returned to the airport for the trip home. We had a wild ride from the Mumbai airport to the ship. It seems the Indians have no traffic laws. I think they are told only that they should try to drive on the left side of the road but most of them don’t even do that. They make a lane wherever they can find it, honk the horn continuously and just go. The streets, even the 3 or 4 lane highways, are full of bicycles, motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians. It feels like the Dodge Car Ride at Coney Island. Traffic lights are few and far between and many of them just flash yellow. Pedestrians do not have the right of way so crossing the street is a perilous undertaking. Why there aren’t head-on collisions every mile or so is a mystery to us. All of us on the bus were gasping in amazement and horror for the hour ride back to the ship. We made a beeline for a glass of wine and forced ourselves to stay up to watch the ship sail out of Mumbai. We’re glad we got to see India and especially the Taj Mahal, but aren’t sorry at all to say goodbye. We’re sailing today and tomorrow in the Arabian Sea on our way to the continent of Africa and Salalah, Oman (Correction Oman is in Aisa and will be our last stop in Asia).
1 comment:
Hot and dry in Agra...cold and very rainy in Cincinnati. We have flood warnings, constant rain, and no Taj Mahal.
Your blog helps me "appreciate" our traffic here. Mike
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