"I give you very good price sir" - Agra

We leave our Hotel in Delhi just before dawn to catch the 6:15am (yes Heather was awake) Shatabdi Express to Agra. Even at this early stage the streets are full of activity and it feels like we are on a film set as the low light and dust combine to give an eerie feel. Delhi station is complete carnage as a long queue snakes away from the security point, but we negotiate and find ourselves standing on the platform, trying to make sense of where we are supposed to be. Fortunately for us, we look as confused as we feel, as a young siek (not sure on the spelling) stops and asks us if we need help....which we do!. This is the first time in India someone has done something without holding out their hand for payment after.

6am train journey

The train is suprisingly clean and comfortable and we are served tea, biscuits and a breakfast of bread, jam, vegetable cutlets and mango juice. The train ride again highlights the level of poverty in India, slums line the edges of the railway, people wash in leaks sprung from a burst pipes and there is rubbish (trash for our american audience) everywhere, however nothing is more shocking than the number of men openly squatting by the side of the tracks, wedding tackle on full display, taking their morning poo. We're not talking hidden by a bush, or under a bridge, its a good 20 yards away from cover in full view of rush hour commuters, quite why they can't find somewhere a little more private, I don't know!

 Breakfast on the train

Agra is less polluted (damages the marble on the Taj Mahal) and substantially quieter than Delhi. We meet an American couple from Chicago and decide to tag along to the hotel that was recommended to them and we're in luck as not only is it a tranquil little spot, its 200m from the East Gate of the Taj, its cheap and it has vacancies! A trip to the ticket office (bizarrely located 1km away) with our new rickshaw friend Ali, in which Heather tried her hand (and feet) at pedal power, we're now ready to see the infamous Taj Mahal.
Now, I'd guess that the Taj Mahal must be one of the most photographed places in the world, it's synonymous with the word India, but nothing really prepares you for the moment you walk through the archway and see it with your own eyes. Its a completely breathtaking piece of architecture, that is on a scale that needs to be seen to be believed. It apparantly took 22 years to build and its clear to see why, the level of workmanship and detail is astonishing. We were told that the equivilant build cost today would be around $60 billion. We saunter around, taking lots of pictures, posing for pictures with locals (Indian men are obsessed with Heather) then just sit at the back of the Taj, just taking it all in.

 Heather riding a rickshaw

Silly picture at the Taj Mahal

NOTE - Indian men (lots of them) hold hands, walk arm in arm, lounge on each other etc... its not even a gay thing.... I just find it kind of bizarre!

The afternoon takes us to Agra Fort, a huge fort that houses the palaces of various rulers from 500 years ago. One of them was famous for his harem of 5,000 women and built an entire section of palace for them. We are lucky in that we have a very good guide who is very knowledgable and again would like a photo of Heather before we leave (He takes pictures of all of his clients he explains).

 Agra Fort

Agra is alot better than I have read in the guides books and online, compared to Delhi its literally a breath of fresh air, still we're only here for one night and tomorrow we are up early once again to catch the train to Jhansi and a richshaw ride onto Orchha.

Catchphrase of India so far - "I give you very good price sir"

- M

 Creative photography by Heather Cleverly :)

 One of the many emaciated dogs in India

 Heathers favourite picture of all time, an actual bull in an actual china shop