India – Toad's Wild Ride

India, a Self-Drive Adventure–Agra

So here is the part of the story I haven’t told you about yet; I will be traveling the golden triangle, like a good many tourists do. But, here’s the difference; I will be driving myself from Delhi to Agra, and then to Jaipur before finally driving back to Delhi again.

The car; a Silver 2014 Hyundai Sonata, fully loaded exception being manual transmission (tricky with right hand drive, but I’ve done it before) was provided by Hyundai and left for me at the hotel. Keeping in mind, I’d been witnessing the driving and traffic in Delhi the past couple of days, and I did have to sit in the driveway of the hotel for a moment to steal my nerves to head out!

Getting out of Delhi was indeed horrific. I ended up in a traffic jam in some part of town, I’m not even certain of the name, all I know as that it took me nearly three hours to move 15 kilometers (9.3 miles). This mind you was with bus tires inches from my fenders at any given time, and scooters attempting to get through anyway.

p1040299 Finally escaping the city, the rest of the drive wasn’t too bad, but for learning HOW to drive in India. Rule number one: your horn is the ONLY thing that matters, the thing must operate! Rule number two: People do not EVER look in their mirrors; see rule number one. After my mirrors were hit for the 4^th time, I stopped and folded them in like everyone else had done, and understood, why people don’t use their mirrors. Rule number three: when you approach a car or truck or bus or goat from behind, honk your horn to let them know you are there. Rule number four: expect anyone or anything to be on the road, and to do anything and everything. Going the wrong way for a couple of miles, expect it, goats, pigs, dogs, chickens, cows, elephants, camels, people, can and will be on the road at anytime. Rule number five: Chill, you’ll get there eventually, so long as you don’t ignore rules 1-4.

Agra, is a short 210 kilometers (130 miles) from Delhi, a distance here in the states that would take you no more than 2 hours to cover. It took 5 hours to make the same trip in India. I finally arrived around 3:00 in the afternoon, and found my hotel for the next 2 nights, the 5-star ITC Mughal Agra. An absolutely beautiful property, with stunning pools, polished marble floors, tasteful décor, it was like the last five hours had evaporated.

I was greeted by a beautiful woman, who guided me to a desk, where we sat down, and refreshments were served as she checked me in. While I didn’t get a suite this time, I did get a very nice large room, with a fantastic sunken marble tub, I had every intention of soaking in that night!

But, first since I had a few hours, I decided to go explore, and find out how to get to the Taj Mahal the next morning before daybreak. The lovely lady who checked me in, was so kind to inform me that I shouldn’t walk, or take a tuk-tuk as it wouldn’t be safe, that the hotel would arrange a car with a driver for me. I explained I’d just driven myself from Delhi and asked her, what could happen? Once she recovered from the shock that I was driving in India, she said, we don’t want our guests exposed to the local conditions so intimately. Well, since the Taj Mahal was only 1.2 miles from the hotel according to google maps, I decided I could walk it.

As I walked out the gate, the guard there gave me a look like he couldn’t figure out what I was doing. I turned right, and came to a bridge crossing over a street, that led directly to the Taj Mahal. Looking down, I saw some “stairs” that were leading from the level I was on, down to the street. Simple enough, I headed down, and noticed some stairs are missing, but managed, and then at the end, there was a board crossing a ditch, which I am quite certain was the sewer. Not trusting the board, I jumped over the ditch, and headed down the street.

Street I walked to the Taj Mahal, from the hotel, as viewed from the bridge above.

I very quickly I came a across some small children on both sides of the street, and a couple of the braver ones came out to find out who I was. I smiled, and gave them the candies, I’d pocketed from the large bowl on the reception desk at the hotel, specifically for this occasion. Then they swarmed me, lol when I held up my hands to indicate it was all gone, they smiled and scampered off.

Kids walking down the street, after I'd exhausted my candy supplies. — Kids walking down the street, after I’d exhausted my candy supplies.

I kept walking and the street began to take on a market feel, vendors selling stuff for the upcoming Holi Festival, as well as food, deep fried breads, soup and tea. It all smelled quite good, once you got past the fact that all the heat for cooking was coming from fires fueled by cow dung patties. It works.

Farther on, and saw a police station, and walked by, they looked at me like I didn’t belong, and I just kept walking. I found the south entrance to the Taj Mahal, and noticed workers installing new stainless steel corrals (I don’t think there’s a better word) to handle the throngs of visitors every day.

I continued around the walls of the Taj Mahal, and eventually came to a river, turns out the same river that’s in Delhi running along the edge of the Red Fort. The sun was setting, and there was a boat, the scene was beautiful, despite the trash on the banks and in the water.

Seeing the Taj from this perspective of the river was pretty amazing, and at sunset, I decided to wait around for the sun to set more completely, for some photos.

I’ve run into this problem before when I want to enjoy a sunset, I forget I have to get back and now it’s dark. I did this once in the mountains around Cappadocia, Turkey and had to hike down with the light from my phone’s flash. This time it wasn’t as much the darkness, but suddenly there were a few hundred monkeys all around the road, on the east side wall of the Taj Mahal. Big monkeys and I’m not familiar enough with monkey behavior to know what they might do. For the most part they left me alone, but would run up and then suddenly around me, seeming to like to see me get nervous.

I got back to the hotel and told them of my walk, and they were amazed I’d done such a thing, I showed them the pictures, and they appreciated, that I captured and focused on the beauty, and not the poverty. I told them about the monkeys, and they said I was right to be cautious with them, they will attack apparently.

After a light meal, and a couple of beers, I relaxed in my tub, and recalled the day, and felt very content.

At 5:30 the next morning I headed out of the front gate, and decided, I’d walk across the street where I saw a bunch of auto rickshaws. One of the nice drivers there took me to the west entrance in about 5 minutes, I wanted to get in the queue as early as possible, so this worked out great.

Sunrise at West Gate entrance to the Taj Mahal

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It was pretty chilly, people were there with heavy coats, and blankets, and I just had a t-shirt on, but I’m pretty warm running, so didn’t have much trouble. At the first glimmer of sunshine the gates opened, and people began to crush their way in to put their bags through x-ray machines and walk through metal detectors, understandably so.

I got my ticket, and was accosted by several people offering to be my guide, one guy seemed pretty laid back, and I asked him how much, he said 300 Rupees, and I agreed. He was very informative, and even helped me sneak a couple photos inside the Taj. He explained we want to get to the Taj right away, to get pics before the crowds come in. He also regaled me with the story of the “Black Taj” which it is told was intended to be the resting place for Shah Jahan. While modern scholars have claimed to debunk the story as a myth, there is strong historical evidence that it can’t be entirely dismissed. Iftakhar Nadime Khan writes a blog about the evidence (most notably the asymmetrical position of Jahan’s cenotaph within the funerary chamber of the Taj) this he believes, supports the notion that the Taj Mahal is but half of the monument originally intended by Shah Jahan.

First view of the Taj Mahal, still a little dark, and foggy.

I call this one my "post card" shot of the Taj Mahal. — I call this one my “post card” shot of the Taj Mahal.

Once inside, he explained a lot of what was going on at the time the Taj Mahal was built, and the beginning of the end of the Mughal power in the region. I very much appreciated his knowledge, and also, his knowing of where at what time to be to get the best shots.

East side of the Taj at sunrise. The minarets appear to tilt inward, but it is an optical illusion, exaggerated by the lens of the camera. The towers actually, lean slight outward, as was designed by the builders to protect the monument from a falling minaret in the even of an earthquake. It is known, though that the SW minaret has increased it's tilt in the past sixty years, which is of concern. — East side of the Taj at sunrise. The minarets appear to tilt inward, but it is an optical illusion, exaggerated by the lens of the camera. The towers actually, lean slight outward, as was designed by the builders to protect the monument from a falling minaret in the even of an earthquake. It is known, though that the SW minaret has increased it’s tilt in the past sixty years, which is of concern.

Observe the size and intricate detail of the inlay work.

Snuck Shot of the Inside of the Shrine

Of course, there was a reason he was a bit cheaper than the other guys, he took me to his brother’s shop after leaving the Taj, where I don’t think I bought anything, but was very familiar with this customer acquisition tactic from other places around the world. You can get a very cheap tuk-tuk ride in Bangkok for example, but you’ll stop at three shops on the way, as they pay him to bring you there, and that’s why the ride is so cheap. It wasn’t a big deal, I actually enjoy it sometimes, as you learn something you might not have about rug weaving, or silk making, or whatever, they are selling.

I got back to the hotel by 9:30 am still in time for breakfast, which I enjoyed immensely, and fueled me up to go visit the Agra Fort. As I came out of the gate of the hotel this time, the rickshaw driver from this morning saw me, and zoomed over to get me, dropping me off at the Fort a quick 5 minutes later, he wanted to know how long I’d be, and I explained, I have no idea, I’ll probably just walk back it’s not that far. He smiled, and said “you’re a strange white guy man,” which I took as a compliment.

Compared to the Red Fort in Delhi, the Agra Fort is much smaller, easier to take in within a couple of hours. In fact, I found much of to be all too familiar and little wonder as they were both built by the same man.

Diwan-i-Aam, "hall of public audience"-Agra Fort — Diwan-i-Aam, “hall of public audience”-Agra Fort

Agra Fort courtyard with Moti Masjid (mosque) in background, and Diwan-i-Aam on the right.

Lookign out of Diwan-i-Khas "hall of private audience"-Agra Fort. — Lookign out of Diwan-i-Khas “hall of private audience”-Agra Fort.

As I left, my rickshaw driver wasn’t there, and I headed down the road for my 3.4 KM (2 miles) walk back to the hotel, I noticed something called the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center, and thought I’d check it out. Sadly, it was closed, but out front I saw something that kind of shocked me, a woman in a massive pile of dung, shaping it into patties, and laying them in the sun to dry. I didn’t take a picture, mostly because I didn’t want to take any chance she’d see me taking a picture, and also, I asked myself why?

When I approached the gate to the hotel, my rickshaw driver from across the street zoomed up, and gave me a bag of fried bread balls, coated in sugar. I figured, they can’t be too dangerous to eat, they’re fried after all…and thanked him, and was again rewarded with a warm smile.

Returning to the lobby, I found I had a bit of a fan club comprised of the hotel staff, waiting to hear about where I’d gone and what I’d seen today. I shared some pictures, told them of my rickshaw rides, and the driver, the treat he gave me, and walking back from Agra Fort. One of them I guess had called the bar, and they brought me a beer, and some appetizers. I asked if they do this for many guests, and one of them told me, there aren’t many who are will to do what I had done, and see the “real” India. I was, truly, humbled.

The next morning during my long leisurely breakfast I began steal up my resolve to drive again. Upon checking out, I thought my new friend was taking a while, but as she finished up and gave me the receipts, she walked beside me to the front lobby, where there were several of the staff had lined up, and presented me a gift, wrapped and everything. It was a beautiful marble with inlay of flowers, pen and note paper holder. I was so very touched, one of the ladies asked if she could apply a bindi (the red dot worn on the forehead by Hindus) I said sure, and she did, then she held her hands together, and bowed and said Namaste.

Gift from the staff of the ITC Moghul Agra hotel.

I wheeled my bags out to my waiting car, and loaded up, and got the Garmin fired up, and was on my way to Jaipur.

India a Self-Drive Adventure–Delhi

The first project of any new city is to figure out how to use the metro. Delhi’s is extensive, efficient, fast and practically free. Though, as with most things in India there’s a bit of a hidden “tourist tax” you’ll need to buy a card, and put so much credit on it, you’ll get some of that credit back, but not all of it when you turn the card in at the end.

I had basically two and a half days to explore Delhi, the first day was my arrival day, and it was mostly half over by the time I got settled. All the same, heading out of the hotel, I was only about 6 blocks from the Rajpath (Kings Way). Similar in concept to the “mall” in Washington D.C. the Rajpath is a long green field with the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the official residence of the President of India) on one end, and the National Stadium on the other end, in the middle is the India Gate. Quite different from the Mall though, is that there is a major boulevard running down it, separating the green field in half. Add to this, several cross streets some of with include a traffic circle…this would be no problem typically, but this is India, and getting across those streets as a pedestrian is very risky business. The locals seem to walk out there with a deep faith that drivers will swerve around them; I do not have such a strong faith however.

The 138 (42 meter) high India Gate while resembling a triumphant arch, is actually a war memorial commissioned after the end of WW I to commemorate those killed in action. Inscribed below the word INDIA is the following: TO THE DEAD OF THE INDIAN ARMIES WHO FELL AND ARE HONOURED IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSIA EAST AFRICA GALLIPOLI AND ELSEWHERE IN THE NEAR AND THE FAR-EAST AND IN SACRED MEMORY ALSO OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE HERE RECORDED AND WHO FELL IN INDIA OR THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER AND DURING THE THIRD AFGHAN WAR. There are 13,218 names inscribed on the structure, and in 1972 the Amar Jawan Jyoti (flame of the immortal soldier) a black marble plinth with four flames was added, and has since served as India’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

India Gate from a distance away on the Rajpath.

Full Ceremonial Dress for Indian Soldiers.

Amar Jawan Jyoti, India's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. — Amar Jawan Jyoti, India’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

At the west end of the Rajpath is the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Estate), and what an estate it is. It has to be one of the largest if not possibly the largest official residences of any national leader. A monumental doomed building with 340 rooms and 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of space, that seems more likely to be a capitol building than a residence. The “house” sits on 320 acres (130-hectare) of land, most of it comprising the impressive Mughal Gardens. As the compound is closed to access to the public most of the year, I wasn’t able to get any photos, but the one seen here. However, I don’t mind linking to the Wikipedia page describing it, and its history from first having been built as the British Viceroy’s house.

Rashtrapati Bhavan, Presidential Residence.

Having explored the Rajpath which was walking distance from my hotel, the next day, I hopped on the metro which had a station very near the hotel, and took it Chandni Chowk stop. From there I walked through a maze of paths that came out to an intersection, that I had no idea how I was going to cross. It was a chaos of cars, scooters, hand carts, cows, chickens, and the occasional leper lying right in the middle of it all. I knew of such scenes, but I was still not prepared to be witness to one, and it shocked and saddened me at the same time. I tried to put it out of my mind, but honestly the image is still there to this day.

Red Fort in Delhi was built by the Mughal Emperor, Mirza Shahabuddin Baig Muhammad Khan Shah Jahan (Shah Jahan) the very same man whose contributions to architecture are much of what most tourists to India—particularly those who travel the golden triangle comprising the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur—will see. The Jama Masjid, the Wazir Khan Mosque, the Moti Masjid, the Shalimar Gardens, parts of Agra Fort and Lahore Fort, and of course his most famous building of all the Taj Mahal.

Take a good look, this is the only map you'll see of the Red Fort layout. — Take a good look, this is the only map you’ll see of the Red Fort layout.

The Red Fort was built when Shah Jahan decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Sitting on 255 acres of land, the fort is massive, and there’s little chance you’ll be able to explore all of it in day, but there’s probably not much need to explore all of it either. There are major buildings that are in good condition still but, many of the most beautiful features of the fort such as the water features are no longer working, and in fact are dug up in such a way they look worse than if they had just been left empty.

Hayat Bakhsh Bagh "Life Bestowing Garden" features a dry (and now ripped up) reservoir which at one time made the red Zafar Mahal appear to float on the water. — Hayat Bakhsh Bagh “Life Bestowing Garden” features a dry (and now ripped up) reservoir which at one time made the red Zafar Mahal appear to float on the water.

The columns and engrailed arches of Diwan-i-Aam (public audience hall), are stunning, and provide such a testament to the craftsmanship of the skilled workers. The Diwan-i-Khas (Private Audience Hall) is constructed from white marble with beautiful arches and ornate columns and a ceiling that was once covered in silver tiles (but is now wood) once housed the Peacock Throne, sat upon by Mughal rulers for decades before it was taken as a war trophy by the Persian king, Nadir Shah and has never been seen since.

The beautiful red sandstone arches of the Diwan-i-Am "hall of public audience". — The beautiful red sandstone arches of the Diwan-i-Am “hall of public audience”.

Diwan-i-Khas “hall of private audience.”

From the Red Fort it’s a short walk to the Jama Masjid, a Mosque of grand scale and I am sure at one time glamorous as well. I’ve visited mosques in Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, I know the rules and am very respectful of anyone’s religious believes. This was the first Mosque where I was made to feel completely unwelcome. Though my entire visit to India, there was a noticeable difference in the way Muslims treated me and how Hindus or Sikhs treated me. Or maybe, much of that was about how the experience at this Mosque affected my perception from then on.

I went to the entrance, with my shoes off, and in my bag and observed people walking in, even though I did see there was a man there watching the entrance. As I approached, he stopped me and said it would be 300 Rupees ($5) for me to enter. I asked why, other’s don’t have to pay, and he flat out told me it was because I was white. Even more insulting was that fact that later that, I pulled up Jama Masjid on the official tourism website for the government of Delhi, and notice under entry fee that it is free. It’s not about the money, I’ll never quibble over five bucks to see something I will never have the chance to see again, it was the in-hospitality. From this moment I simply called the place the “hostile Mosque”. As a sad consequence, I apologize for not putting in much effort to capture the architectural splendor of this building.

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Jama Masjid Courtyard Viewed from outer walls.

Inside court yard of Jama Masjid looking back at entrance gate.

I spent my final day in Delhi exploring markets, neighborhoods, and simply wandering around the city. Some of the highlights were the spice market, if you are remotely a cook at all, this place will boggle the mind with spices you’ve never even heard of, and amazing prices on those you know and use all the time.

Shop I bought some spices, including "tail pepper" yes, black pepper with a tail on it, more mild with a brighter flavor than regular black pepper. — Shop I bought some spices, including “tail pepper” yes, black pepper with a tail on it, more mild with a brighter flavor than regular black pepper.

The street leading to the spice market, talk about total grid lock and chaos.

If the colors of the dresses women wear are as dazzling to your eye as they are to mine, you’ll need to visit a few of the fabric shops. I was soooooo, very glad my sister was not with me when I found these stores, we’d probably still be in India.

Get your car fixed or find parts for it, your hair cut, buy color paint powder for the upcoming Holi Festival, or get new tires for your bicycle the street shops of Delhi, or even if there is no shop, and it’s directly on the street, it’s all available.

A smile from someone in India is never far away.

Electrician's Nightmare — Electrician’s Nightmare

Mechanic's Row-Dehli — Mechanic’s Row-Dehli

Hey, there's a clutch for a 1998 Maruiti. — Hey, there’s a clutch for a 1998 Maruiti.

Hindustan Ambassador, the ubiquitous "official" government car for decades. — Hindustan Ambassador, the ubiquitous “official” government car for decades.

India-Getting There

India. Just the name conjures many images that are often in conflict with one another. Bright/Despair, Colorful/Somber, Rich/Poor, Cheerful/Bitter, Delicious Food/Hunger, Calmly Peaceful/Chaotic Noise–it is a land of contradiction.

From the west coast of the USA, it’s a long trip no matter how you do it, so I decided I’d go when I was already in Europe for other business. I flew from Munich to New Delhi on Lufthansa, using United miles on an award ticket in first class (before United began charging a King’s ransom for these awards). The Lufthansa service in first class it as you’d expect it, superb! But, even more impressive is the first class lounge at the airport. Full service dining, passport control service inside the lounge, escort to your plane when it’s time to board, not just showers to refresh, but even soaking tubs…the place exudes luxury. If you ever have the opportunity, cash in those miles and do it!

Upon arrival in Delhi, the service continued, but was somewhat hampered by the logistics or lack thereof surrounding the immigration process. Once through you are on your own, and I would have thought there would be ground transportation provided, as even Virgin Atlantic does this, with just business class service. Oh…the tortures of luxury travel.

I used a pre-booked car service for transport from the airport to the hotel, as at the time I didn’t want to mess with the unknowns of taxis. After hearing the horror story of couple of Ukrainian travelers I met later in my trip, I was very glad I spent the extra $30. Viator.com is an excellent choice. The driver was great; he even stopped at a Citibank office so I could withdraw cash on the way to the Le Meridien Hotel.

Upon check-in at the hotel front desk, I was informed that as a SPG Platinum member my room had been upgraded to a suite…which is always a nice thing to hear, though even better when you are with someone special and not traveling solo. The suite was beautiful, with soaking tub, huge separate rain shower, large bedroom, and good sized living room.

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Business-Suite---Living-room — Suite living room, comfortable and relaxing.

There was also, a great lounge that I was given access to, complete with evening hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and I got some tastes my first true Indian food…and King Fisher beer (which I quite liked). I found this lounge to be the perfect respite each evening, to bring my computer and send emails, go though the pictures I took that day, and catch up with people on Skype, all, while having some nice snacks and that very tasty beer.