Road trip to Agra
Meruka India Tourism Service
India Wildlife and Medieval Tour for Mr. Aladdin
Mumbai – Rajkot - Sasan Gir – Alang - Ahmedabad – Delhi – Corbett – Delhi - Neemrana – Jaipur - Ranthambhore – Fatehpur Sikri – Agra – Delhi - Bandhavgarh – Kanha – Pench – Nagpur – Mumbai

34 Nights – 35 Days
Cut short to 30 days due to VISA issues


Day 16: Ranthambhore – Fatehpur Sikri – Agra (280 kms: 5 - 6 hrs)

After breakfast checkout the hotel and drive to Agra, Enroute stop over at Fatehpur Sikri, the old deserted town of the Mughal kingdom, built in red sandstone in honour of Saint Salim Chisti who blessed birth of 3 sons to Emperor Akbar, is an example of robust stability combined with originality.

Each important structure here represents a type by itself. Notable among them is the Diwane e Khas; Punch Mahal, the Tomb of Salim Chisti, and the Buland Darwaza, one of the largest and tallest gateways in the world. After sightseeing continue to proceed to Agra, on arrival transfer to hotel. In the evening one should visit Oswal Emporium to watch the replica of Taj Mahal it took 10 years for the artists to built this artistic epitome, also enjoy light and sound show “Mohabbat-the- Taj: the saga of love”, the only show of its kind in India! Later return to the hotel for overnight stay.


Wednesday 20th of January 2016 and it knocked on my door at 8 thirty. It was my driver and I was surprised as I had not expected him until 9 o'clock. He had been home in Jaipur while I have enjoyed my safaris here in Ranthambhore.

I had been up since 6 thirty and I was soon ready to leave and 5 minutes later I was in the car. It was a foggy morning and I was lucky not to go to safari today. Or I had been very lucky with the weather during my stay and the safaris.

We left Abrar Palace and Jungle Camp and I will never return. This was a scam, at least when you have checked their web page. I was losing the count of how many times they had used the word luxury just after a very short while reading their web page.

Aladdin's road trip to Agra

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
A foggy morning on the road

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
A foggy morning on the road

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
A foggy morning on the road

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
Look at this one, it will soon capsize

Aladdin's road trip to Agra

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
Boom preventing us to enter the highway before we have paid the toll

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
A foggy morning on the road

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
A foggy morning on the road

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
We stop at the ATM so the driver can buy gasoline

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
Cow shit drying in the sun

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
Cars, trucks, motorcycles and push bikes coming down the highway in the wrong direction

Aladdin's road trip to Agra

Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri

We had one stop to do on our way to Agra. We will stop at the Fatehpur Sikri, the old deserted town of the Mughal kingdom, built in red sandstone. Fatehpur Sikri is very close to Agra.

We reached Fatehpur Sikri around quarter past one.

My Driver had called a Guide even though I had told him that I didn't wanted any Guide. So the Guide had to go home again and I went to check out the Fatehpur Sikri. The Guides, it is better to go alone, like in Jaipur, having to listen to the guide talking about shops, gems, carpets and shit.

I walked down a path and there were plenty souvenir shops. I heard a salesman telling two girls that sounded like they were from Australia that it was an antique. Yeah, what a sh*t load of crap.

The area was full of beggars and con men and the Indian government just don't care. The tourist get fed up and I never went to see Fatehpur Sikri. Looked like I had to take a bus to see the Fatehpur Sikri and no sign with information on how to get there.

But there were many Guides, con men, sales people and beggars and I left the place. Duck them! I will not spend any money here even though I would have liked to see the Fatehpur Sikri.

In Jaipur I saw a Toilet Bazaar and here they had a Toilet Complex. I walked back to the car and we were soon on our way to Agra again. I was disappointed with the Fatehpur Sikri as I would have liked to see it.

But I refuse to walk around with a guide nagging about carpets and his friend's shops. So I'm better off leaving for Agra. And I'm getting hungry as I haven't had any breakfast.

Fatehpur Sikri - Sulabh Toilet Complex
Fatehpur Sikri - Sulabh Toilet Complex

Fatehpur Sikri
Leaving Fatehpur Sikri - Sulabh Toilet Complex

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
We change the state and we have to pay road tax.
We are soon surrounded by beggars and sales people. Monkey doing tricks for money.

Aladdin's road trip to Agra
The party wagon

Aladdin's road trip to Agra

Aladdin's road trip to Agra

It was not far from the Fatehpur Sikri to Agra, it took us about 30 minutes to reach Agra. And it was about another 30 minutes from the outskirts of Agra to my Hotel. We drove through Agra and the traffic was not too bad, but the noise was terrible.

Of course, I didn't recognised anything from when I was here 25 years ago. The only thing I remember is the Red Fort and Taj Mahal. And of course plunging down the dust roads in a speeding TUK TUK. Me and my friend had been drinking beer and suddenly the driver told us that we were chased by the police and full speed was required.

Yeah, that was 1992, a long time ago. I also remember all the carpet and gem stone scammers and Agra was terrible. But then, to come in to Taj Mahal was very nice, no scammers allowed to come inside. And even though it is almost 25 years ago I still remember how nice it was to come inside the walls. No more hassle and nagging.

Agra

Agra
We're in Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Agra

Clarks Shiraz in Agra
Finally at my hotel

We arrived to the gate to the Clarks Shiraz hotel around 14 thirty. I wanted the driver to pick me up at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning to go see Taj Mahal. But he suggested 8 o'clock and the hotel Clarks Shiraz in Agrastaff suggested 9 o'clock. Yes, last time I was here they told me the best time was at sunrise as Taj Mahal would be spectacular then.

But as we have seen today, foggy and it is impossible to see Taj Mahal in the morning and thus they recommended me to go there at 9. OK, let's make it nine.

I went straight to the restaurant where they had the lunch buffet going. Rosemary potato and I started to drool.

A big plate of the rosemary potato with beef tenderloin. This turned out to 2 plates plus of course plenty tea. Pasta and some desert that didn't taste too good.

I went to check in and I had a guy bringing my luggage to my room while showing me the way. I asked if there was any view over Taj Mahal from my room. There was no view over the Taj Mahal. They were cleaning the room across the corridor from my room. The door was open and I asked if I could see Taj Mahal from that room. They told me that I could see the top from that room and Clarks Shiraz in AgraI went inside.

You could see the top of Taj Mahal covered in haze/ fog. I asked why they didn't gave me that room. They told me it was not clean. I told them that they were doing it very clean.

Never mind, I will go to check it out tomorrow, 25 years since last time and I will most likely never come back to Agra and Taj Mahal. Anyway, I went to explore my room and I liked it. A great difference from Abrar Palace and the food was excellent. Thinking of it, I have not had any real food since I left Lime Tree in Delhi.

Clarks Shiraz in Agra

Clarks Shiraz in Agra

Clarks Shiraz in Agra

Clarks Shiraz in Agra

OK, Agra and I really don't feel like doing very much so I have told my driver what I want to do tomorrow. Keep it short, quick and interesting. No need to hang out hour after hour at the places.
1) Taj Mahal
2) Agra Fort (Red fort)
3) Itmad-Ud-Daulah: is the perfectly proportioned marble mausoleum Itmad-Ud-Daulah
4) Oswal Emporium to watch the replica of Taj Mahal


I told my driver that I might go to check out the light and sound show “Mohabbat-the- Taj: the saga of love”. I made an inquiry at check-in and it the show is down at the Agra Fort. I suspect that it is pretty much the same as the Amber sound and light show. So I skipped the show. Anyway, we will see one sound and light show in Delhi.

So I will enjoy the afternoon and evening in my room looking at pictures updating my web page. But I'm excited about tomorrow and you just need to click HERE to find out how Taj Mahal looks like on the 21st of January 2016. And you already have a teaser above. You can also click HERE for some Agra adventure dated back in 1992

Sverigedemokraterna



       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

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Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

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คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.



                                       

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