Yesterday was our visit to the Taj Mahal. On a cultural level, it was a quite a day! Getting there was a long 4 hour coach ride. En route we got to see the streets and people in this huge city, then in Agra. I added pix below & have no idea why they’re placed in the middle, but too bad. No time to correct that.
The chaos of the streets is something to behold. Very noisy, people driving/riding with no regard to lanes—-whether cars, busses, motorbikes, carts and bicycles—and of course, cows—-all merging together! I have no idea why hundreds of people aren’t hit every day.
Once at Agra, we visited the Fort Agra, which was not for military but rather what we’d call a compound. We then had lunch at a very nice hotel (but unfortunately we had to rush), then went to the Taj.
Our RS group of about 45 is broken into 2 groups for the whole trip, so we we usually are about 22-24 as a group; more manageable. We had our local guide with us all th
e while, and it’s a good thing because just getting inside the Taj property was quite complicated!
Unfortunately the air quality is extremely unhealthy at present, so the visit was very negatively affected. I wasn’t impressed with the Taj very much because of the awful air. As Merle said, you couldn’t see the building as white because it all looked just like the smog around it—no distinct lines. Very sad to see. I find in such air that my voice gets husky. We kept on our masks most of the time, though I doubt it made much difference.
Most visitors there looked Indian and their very colorful clothes were fun to see.
Returning to New Delhi was another adventure! RS arranged it so we’d take a train back, which only took 1.5 hours. But the station!! Wow!! We were a bit of a spectacle for the locals, marching in our line of foreigners, many with blond or white hair! Beggars, people lying on the ground, business men and women commuting to work, animals.... a real anthropological picture. Again, very glad to have local guide! Would Not want to try that alone. And the tremendous contrast of poverty and opulence could not be ignored.
We returned to our FIVE star hotel—-the MOST luxurious one I’ve ever seen—-for our gourmet dinner.
Nov 7
Today Merle & I decided to take the day to relax & catch our breath! (Turns our a number of others did too). We slept in (8 hours for the first time), had a Yummy breakfast—-their buffets are not to be believed, then we had our second massage of the trip! Amazingly the price was only around $100–and for this expensive hotel, we were shocked! Ahhh...feeling much better!
Originally were were scheduled to stay 1 more night at this great hotel, but there was a change of plans. The previous RS trip that finished a week before us, had been turned away by the Chinese government. RS was determined not to let that happen again, so they arranged for us to fly at night---tonight to Xi’an where we will stay 1-2 nights. Then we’ll leave our plane there & take a Chinese plane to see the sights In Beijing. Government won’t let our foreign plane make domestic flights within their border.
So we’ll leave the hotel around 6 tonight to get on our plane for China. Will try to sleep some on the 5 hr trip. Then how things go in China will remain to be seen.
Whenever we get back on board, it’s always like being home again—-familiar and comfortable, and a lovely flight crew. We have 6 flight attendants, who are South African, as is the Captain.
I thought traveling business class was the bomb——but it’s nothing compared to having your own plane & crew!! Of course we’re being thoroughly spoiled!
Will post again sometime from China.
The chaos of the streets is something to behold. Very noisy, people driving/riding with no regard to lanes—-whether cars, busses, motorbikes, carts and bicycles—and of course, cows—-all merging together! I have no idea why hundreds of people aren’t hit every day.
Once at Agra, we visited the Fort Agra, which was not for military but rather what we’d call a compound. We then had lunch at a very nice hotel (but unfortunately we had to rush), then went to the Taj.
Our RS group of about 45 is broken into 2 groups for the whole trip, so we we usually are about 22-24 as a group; more manageable. We had our local guide with us all th
Unfortunately the air quality is extremely unhealthy at present, so the visit was very negatively affected. I wasn’t impressed with the Taj very much because of the awful air. As Merle said, you couldn’t see the building as white because it all looked just like the smog around it—no distinct lines. Very sad to see. I find in such air that my voice gets husky. We kept on our masks most of the time, though I doubt it made much difference.
Most visitors there looked Indian and their very colorful clothes were fun to see.
Returning to New Delhi was another adventure! RS arranged it so we’d take a train back, which only took 1.5 hours. But the station!! Wow!! We were a bit of a spectacle for the locals, marching in our line of foreigners, many with blond or white hair! Beggars, people lying on the ground, business men and women commuting to work, animals.... a real anthropological picture. Again, very glad to have local guide! Would Not want to try that alone. And the tremendous contrast of poverty and opulence could not be ignored.
We returned to our FIVE star hotel—-the MOST luxurious one I’ve ever seen—-for our gourmet dinner.
Nov 7
Today Merle & I decided to take the day to relax & catch our breath! (Turns our a number of others did too). We slept in (8 hours for the first time), had a Yummy breakfast—-their buffets are not to be believed, then we had our second massage of the trip! Amazingly the price was only around $100–and for this expensive hotel, we were shocked! Ahhh...feeling much better!
Originally were were scheduled to stay 1 more night at this great hotel, but there was a change of plans. The previous RS trip that finished a week before us, had been turned away by the Chinese government. RS was determined not to let that happen again, so they arranged for us to fly at night---tonight to Xi’an where we will stay 1-2 nights. Then we’ll leave our plane there & take a Chinese plane to see the sights In Beijing. Government won’t let our foreign plane make domestic flights within their border.
So we’ll leave the hotel around 6 tonight to get on our plane for China. Will try to sleep some on the 5 hr trip. Then how things go in China will remain to be seen.
Whenever we get back on board, it’s always like being home again—-familiar and comfortable, and a lovely flight crew. We have 6 flight attendants, who are South African, as is the Captain.
I thought traveling business class was the bomb——but it’s nothing compared to having your own plane & crew!! Of course we’re being thoroughly spoiled!
Will post again sometime from China.
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