Roadtrip to Agra

Friday, June 9, 2017

Have you ever woken up knowing it was from a very deep sleep? That's how I felt when I woke up that morning. Since we didn't have to be ready until 9, we took our time packing up and eating the hotel's continental breakfast. 

Our morning and early afternoon consisted of a car ride from Jaipur to Agra. The ride took about five hours to our first stop, Fatehpur Sikri, and then another hour to Agra. 

The ride itself was pleasant, especially in an air conditioned car. At first we mostly just looked out the windows. The views here do not tire quickly because everything is so different from what I am accustomed to— like watching a camel take a cart of bricks down the street. Speaking of animals, we also had to avoid cows and dogs in the street on several occasions. 

City turned to desert country. Plenty of green trees fill the flat dirt landscape. An occasional hill made of dirt and rock rises in the distance. Although we were in the country, we didn't drive far without seeing a building, village, or small market. Some people were hard at work while others were just sitting or laying down in the shade. Children ran around, often without an adult in sight, and sometimes you'd see men or boys bathing in outdoor pools or showers in their underwear.

W: Lots of tiny villages. Hoping they have electricity for their desktops so they can adequately use whatever the Indian version of Facebook is. Would be sad to know they don't have proper access to digital social networking to keep up with family and friends.

We passed several toll booths, but before one particular toll booth, just as Walt and I were hoping to find a restroom sometime soon (there aren't exactly gas stations lining the road, and I don't think I want to use what facilities they have), our driver pulled the car over, grabbed an orange folder, got out of the car, and disappeared inside an old building—all without saying a word. He also doesn't speak English so it wouldn't have helped much if he did. 

Walt got out to inspect one of the old buildings and found a toilet. Well, one room had a toilet but no door, and the other had a door with a squatty potty. I opted for the second option and was thankful I had brought tissues. We roamed around the area for awhile and Walt started talking to the guys who were also there. They had asked if we wanted to eat at their restaurant but after seeing the kitchen, which was right next to the bathrooms, and frequented by flies, we didn't think that would be a good idea. Walt ended up buying a water bottle and four tin cups. At first the guy didn't want to sell the cups, but then he did. Walt has always wanted tin cups and now he has some. I thought that was hilarious. 

We also found out that the reason for the stop was to pay a tax that is required for entering a new state. It took about twenty minutes and then we were back on the road. 

We napped, snacked on bread rolls I had saved from a flight and a packet of trail mix, read about our next stop, and observed our surroundings until we arrived at a fortress called Fatehpur Sikri. It was a capital for a very short time after a ruler built the city, but due to water shortage, it was deserted. A small community of people live in the area surrounding the fort. 

Our new tour guide introduced himself and showed us to a bus that would take us the two km to the fort. We got on the bus with a few other people and just sat here waiting for more people. It got very hot very quickly. Thankfully, it wasn't too much longer before we left. The tour was interesting and the red sandstone fort was impressive. The king had here wives: one a Hindu, one a Muslim, and one a Christian (Catholic). The marriages were for political reasons but he is also known for letting everyone practice their own religion. The house for the Hindu wife was the biggest because she was the one who eventually bore him a son and heir.

W: Learning a lot about Indian history. For example, a king gave his wife a big block house in the desert because she gave him a son with hair. Seems to be a big deal in ancient India.

When going in to visit the white marble Hindu temple, we had to take off our shoes and wear slippers due to the hot ground. I was not too excited about the slippers because they were annoying but mostly because I'm sure they don't get washed after every use. :/

When entering, there were several persistent people trying to sell us stuff and Walt and I accumulated a small group of boys. One started talking to me, another to Walt, and they began by asking us our names, where we were from, and telling us everything they knew about the states, including the fact that people from Mexico live there and then he spoke some Spanish to me. After our tour guide told us about the temple and we were given time to walk around, the boy would follow me and tell me what he knew about the surrounding buildings. He would also make sure I knew where all the steps and obstacles were. I knew his intention, so it was hard for me to say no when he started to sell his product. He was ten years old and very smart, but I didn't want to encourage his profession. I also didn't want what he was selling. 

After walking around, we took a tuk tuk back to the parking lot where our car was. We said goodbye to our tour guide and drove the rest of the way to Agra. Our poor driver (I'm not impressed with the company) had no idea where our hotel was. He hadn't even known the name of the hotel until the tour guide had first asked us (but it took me awhile to find the info) and then called the company. In the city, we had to stop probably 8 or 9 times to ask for directions. We did find it though, checked in, and settled in. A man from the company had come to check on us and wanted to know if we wanted he driver to take us to dinner. Knowing the city is pretty spread out, I accepted the offer and we settled on meeting at 7. In the meantime, Walt and I took a walk and found a real store— the first I've noticed since being here. It sold clothes, household items, and a little food. Since we are running out of the snacks I brought, we purchased a few items (a couple are familiar and a couple are experiments). 

Back at the hotel, we went to meet our driver but he wasn't there. About ten minutes later, he came over and we gave him directions to a restaurant called Pinch of Spice that I had found in our Lonely Planet guide. It wasn't very far from our hotel. 

The food was delicious. Walt had the buffet which was a variety of Indian and Chinese options and I had some naan bread with a spicy lentil soup. I also tried a taste of whatever Walt got. After awhile, the waiter would just ask if I wanted a little on my plate too. :)

Our driver took us back to the hotel where we retired for the evening.