Day 15: JAIPUR - ABHANERI - FATHEPUR SIKRI - AGRA
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Today we met at 7.30 in the morning with Mahendra. When we go down to the reception of the Umaid Mahal - Heritage Style Hotel after breakfast, he tells us that for a problem he will not be able to continue with us these 3 days left until we take the train to Varanasi just today that is the day we are going to Agra, stopping at Baori de Abhaneri and Fatehpur Sikri.
After making sure that everything is fine, we say goodbye to him to Delhi and get in the car with the driver that we will have these days in our trip to india.
He is a driver he has hired and who will accompany us during these days.
After 1 hour and peak of trip from Jaipur to Agra , this time on roads in better condition, or maybe I see it that way for being much better and I see everything of another color, we get to Abhaneri.
This is one of the stops we were looking forward to.
We have seen this Abhaneri's baori Many times in photos, but it must be said that until you really see it, you don't realize how impressive it is.
Like many of the things we are seeing in India… Awesome!
Baori of Abhaneri
Baori of Abhaneri
We do not pay entry in the Abhaneri's baori and a man who is at the entrance makes us a little guide, until he gets tired to see that we don't pay much attention to him.
We are sad to be uninterested in them, but we really want to enjoy this alone and we know that afterwards he will ask us for money and we really don't want to go back to the bargaining routine in India or the discussion ...
Details of the Baori de Abhaneri
Baori of Abhaneri
Cleaning at the Baori de Abhaneri
Baori of Abhaneri
Baori of Abhaneri
We are delighted to visit Abhaneri's baori, even after, seeing the photos we have taken in the car, this well seems incredible to us ... it is much better than the photos we had seen.
Our next stop is Fathepur Sikri where we arrived at 11.30 in the morning.
The truth is that it is the worst time because of the heat, but we have no choice but to get out of the car, charge ourselves with water and start the visit to the Fathepur Sikri.
We know that we are going to "have a bad time", but it is an essential visit ... so we go there without thinking much more!
Before arriving at the bus, which for 5 rupees per person takes you to the city that is about 2 km away, we begin to see what the tonic of this visit will be. They won't leave us a second alone.
We have to literally get rid of children and men who try to sell us something in every way possible, whatever!
This starts to get “hot” hahaha. On the one hand we understand that they have to make a living, but on the other hand, with 40 degrees in the shade, we don't feel like at all being surrounded by people who don't pay attention to us when we say we don't want to Nothing and being surrounded do not give us room for maneuver to leave.
Once in the area of the Palace we see that there are few people and we walk quietly protecting ourselves from the sun of India when we can.
This action that we are repeating in almost all visits, reminds us of last year, in Marrakech when in the Badi Palace, we were looking for the shadow in the rarest places.
Fathepur Sikri views
Fathepur Sikri
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Fathepur Sikri
The truth is that we are liking Fathepur Sikri, but not as much as we expected. Maybe too empty, too well preserved ... I don't know, but it just doesn't convince us.
I don't know how to give you exactly an explanation, but it's not surprising us as much as we had thought.
Fathepur Sikri
Resting in Fathepur Sikri
From here we go to the part of the Mosque and really here we are left with our mouths open.
It is impressive, although it is also true that we have to get rid of people from being sometimes even rude.
We feel very overwhelmed and seeing ourselves surrounded by so many people who want to sell us things doesn't help us.
And when they make us barefoot, things don't improve. The temperature exceeds 40 degrees and the ground can not imagine how it is. The idea of putting our feet without any protection at that temperature makes us totally discouraged.
So we try to tour the entire enclosure of Fathepur Sikri in a quick way, although it is impressive.
Fathepur Sikri
Awesome Fathepur Sikri
Posing in Fathepur Sikri
Photographing Fathepur Sikri
Fathepur Sikri
Every few steps we take, we regret having been nervous and not having enjoyed this impressive part of the city, but we can only keep turning and looking down on some occasions to say no more than "no" to people who keep on trying to sell us something.
Fathepur Sikri
Amazing Fathepur Sikri
Fathepur Sikri
Fathepur Sikri
Fathepur Sikri
Fathepur Sikri
Fathepur Sikri
It's a little after 1 pm and we have a little more than an hour to reach Agra, so we stop at a roadside restaurant where we eat a plate of fried rice and a thali for about 500 rupees. It shows that it is a passing and tourist site 🙂
We get back on our way, this time half asleep until we arrive at the Jaypee Palace Hotel at 16.30 in the afternoon and we meet our driver at 17.30 to go to see the sunset on the banks of the Yamuna River.
We already want to see the Taj Mahal up close and we have a few hours left to fulfill one of the dreams of this Travel to India.
But for now we settle for seeing it at sunset, in front of the Yamuna River.
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We rest for a while and at the agreed time we set off to the other side of the Yamuna River, from where we will see the sunset.
It took us a little more than 20 minutes, facing the chaotic city of Agra and more at this time that traffic is hellish.
Once we arrived we decided not to enter the gardens, where 50 rupees are paid per person, but to go directly along the parallel path, where we have been told that there are better views.
After walking less than 5 minutes, we meet him face to face, without warning ... and we can do nothing but stand in front of him and admire him.
And this is where we decide it is impressive. And where we understand why it has been chosen as one of the wonders of the world. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful monument we have ever seen. As topical as it sounds.
Sunset around the Taj Mahal in Agra
Sunset with the Taj Mahal in the background
We cannot cross the boundaries marked by fences that seem to protect very little, although in any case, there are quite a few agents “guarding” the site and it does not even occur to us to try to jump the fence.
More and more tourists are arriving, this part shows that we all come for free and in the garden area we see the organized groups ...
Posing in a sunset in front of the Taj Mahal
Black and white sunset around the Taj Mahal
Details from a distance. Taj Mahal
Details from a distance
Taj Mahal details
After almost two hours, we think that it is enough for today and that we can be satisfied 🙂
But before we go, we can't do it if we look back ... it's impossible not to do it!
Sunset. Taj Mahal
Saying goodbye to Taj Mahal
It starts to get dark in front of the Taj Mahal
It's a little less than 8 in the afternoon, so we tell Om, who is our new driver, to take us to a McDonals that we've seen near the hotel Agra... yes, I know, it is not appropriate to be in India... but it seemed to me! hahaha And more now that I'm already recovered.
So I will not leave without trying the McChiken Majarahá of which we talked so much!
We eat 2 of these more potatoes and drinks for 300 rupees and we can say that it is not too good. It is edible, but not to shoot rockets!
After dinner, we lower the food a little while walking around the mall where the fast food is located and return to the hotel to connect to the internet for a while, send some emails and above all rest in our room at the Jaypee Palace Hotel.
Tomorrow we have met at 5.30 in the morning to go see the Taj Mahal at dawn!
Tomorrow will be a great day of our trip to india!!
A wonder of the world at sunset ...
Day 16AGRA - GWALIOR
