It’s funny how after travelling for so long, you kind of forget you’re a “tourist”. You’re eating in the same places as the locals, you’re sleeping on the same trains as the locals, and yet… you’re not a local. You are a tourist… And never has that been more apparent than when I had to pay 750INR to enter the Taj Mahal as a foreigner, compared to the 30INR required for Indians.
What. A. Joke.
Luckily the Taj lives up to it’s hype of being one of the most impressive buildings on the planet… albeit a slight overkill as a gesture of ones love for his dead wife, particularly after he goes and marries her younger sister afterwards. #Truelove.
The first glimpse we had of the Taj was from the Agra Fort. It protrudes into the hazy baron landscape like a magnificent oasis; the grand structure a spectacular contrast to it’s surroundings. The red-clay fort itself was quite impressive, though our guide-cum-stalker ensured we quickly moved on from his leering gaze.
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We watched the sunset from Meta Bargh, a quiet garden paradise across the river banks from the Taj… Actually, that’s a lie. We watched it from the free, dirt road track that ran down beside Meta Bargh, riddled with ants, garbage and mangy dogs. But, it was FREE – and we all know I love a mangy pooch.
The following morning we rose in the dark and made our way to Taj for sunrise. Words would struggle to accurately describe the beauty of the Taj Mahal, so I won’t try. But to all those people who come to India and decide not to go to the Taj because “it’s too hyped up” or “it’s too touristy” – you are honestly missing out.
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It was now time to head to Rajasthan – home of palaces and forts. First stop was Jaipur, the state capital… and we saw the palace, and the fort. While both were very impressive, our visit to Raj Mandir Cinema to watch the recent Bollywood blockbuster “Mr X” topped it all. Located in an impressive theatre-like auditorium, the building in itself is an attraction. While the entire 3 hour (plus intermission) movie was in Hindi, and included some of the worst acting and plot-line I’ve ever witnessed, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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Jodhpur was the next stop, and was a complete and utter fail. After a day that can only be described as an “India kinda day”, the only landmark we saw in Jodhpur was the fort. The impressive audio-tour made the entire experience more enjoyable, and dinner with our friend from McLeod Ganj recovered the day before we piled onto an overnight train to Jaisalmer.
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We hadn’t slept well on the train, it’ had been 42 degrees for as long as I could remember, and I’d been sick for over a week now… but we didn’t let that deter us, so we booked straight onto an overnight camel safari in the Thar desert beginning in a few hours. It seemed like the logical thing to do. In theory, riding a camel off into the desert seems like a luxurious “Lawrence of Arabia” style thing to do… in reality, your legs are spread into ways your hips can’t even imagine for two bumpy hours in the searing heat
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Our guides were lovely, our camels were… camels, and we reached our overnight destination in the middle of the sand dunes. Thin blanket-like mattresses were laid out under the stars, and as the sun was setting the night started to bring a welcome cool air while we enjoyed some freshly cooked-over-the-camp-fire chapati and curry. Unfortunately the haze meant that we were denied the pleasure of the “billion shooting stars” night we were originally expecting, but perhaps the most enjoyable part of the experience was merely being out in the quiet. No honking. No shouting. No music. Just silent desert air and a clear night to send us off to sleep.
allama withabackpack 