Agra 12/31 - 01/01

The next morning we searched for better accommodation nearby, but everything looked pretty horrible. So, we stayed at the same hotel but upgraded to a nicer, more fragrant “deluxe” room. It wasn't too bad considering that the entire shanty town smelled like a sewer. We even had a trickle of slightly warm water from the shower. We really were living it up. Only the best to ring in the New Year! Peter wasn't feeling so good that morning (the traveller's disease finally got him), so after we settled in I left him to rest and went to explore Agra Fort which was quite spectacular. It's a huge fort with very well preserved palaces inside, views of the Taj Mahal in the distance, and an alligator moat (currently green slime, no alligators).

In the evening we went up to the rooftop restaurant of our hotel for their New Years Eve Party, met a couple from Australia and another from Germany. We exchanged travel recommendations and had some beer. But, our party didn't last long. Peter was feeling even worse by then so we went back to the room where I watched as he laid in bed with violent chills and a high fever. I thought we would have to go to the hospital, but the chills subsided quickly and by morning the fever was gone. So since Peter was able to walk without pooping or puking, we finally went to visit the Taj Mahal...the sole reason for which we had come to Agra in the first place. Taj Mahal is huge! I didn't expect it to be so big. From a distance it looks like something out of Star Wars and from up close...yeah it still looks like something out of Star Wars. It's just so massive and white. Set up high with the only backdrop being sky, it has a very magical surreal quality. The detail is amazing as well....all the pietra dura and marble work is beautiful. You can feel the blood and sweat that went into constructing this massive shrine.

Shanty town where we stayed right outside of the Taj.

Inside one of the palaces of Agra Fort.

New Year's Eve (Chicago Time)

Long lines to enter Taj Mahal.

More long lines.

Those little dots on top of the base are people.

The moat at the Fort.

We were supposed to leave Agra that evening, but because our train was 5 hours late again, it would mean that we wouldn't leave until midnight, arriving in Jaipur at 4 am. Unacceptable. We were too tired and Peter was too sick for that. We opted to stay another night and take an early morning train instead. This one originated in Agra, so there was a good chance for it to be on time. But, we really needed to change hotels so that we could finally wash. So, for the rest of the day we searched for better accommodation and we found a nice, clean hotel with hot water away from the craziness of the Taj. We also went back to the Fort (I didn't want Peter to miss out on that) and walked around like celebrities. People stared at us, whispered, and there were at least three occasions where we were asked to take pictures. Very strange. When we were in the South, people didn't seem quite so shocked by us, but since arriving in the north we seem to cause quite a stir wherever we go. I would think that somewhere like Agra, where there are many tourists, people would be used to them. But, I guess not. The requests for photos all seem to occur when Peter is around though. When I am by myself people leave me alone....except for young men who stare at me and snicker and follow me around.

Early the next morning we arrived at the train station in the dark. There were a group of commuters, all men, wrapped in blankets in the waiting area. When they saw us, the came out in awe, encircled us and proceeded to stare and smile. One man asked Peter if I was his wife. I was very creeped out. But they were harmless, just curious, and we boarded the train finally making it out of Agra.