After about 12 hours recovery rest we met our new driver (who will be with us for the rest of the trip) and started out of Delhi towards Agra. He said he would take the regular road instead of the express way so that we could see more things..and did we.
The animals and people on the roads in South Africa don't come close to the chaos on the roads in India. I would never think of driving here. Lanes don't exist. They pass wherever they can: right, left or squeeze through any gap that appears. Slow trucks tend to stay in the "fast" lane forcing others to pass on the left. The horn is used as a signal more than the actual turn signals are. In fact, on the back of many trucks it says "Blow Horn", in other words let me know you are passing.
Another main rule not enforced is passenger limits. A family of four or even five if the kids are small fits on a motor bike.
A tiny van can hold twelve...with one standing on the rear bumper. This is standard procedure.
And then there's the occasional camel cart in the road. The driver of this one seemed to be asleep on the cart while his camel strolled along the highway.
We finally got to our first monument: the tomb of Akbar, one of the first Mughal kings, ruling from 1556 to 1609. The picture is of the main gate to the tomb area.
Next stop was the Red Fort, a huge red sandstone enclosure that was the home of at least three kings, the most famous of whom was Shah Jehan who had a palace in the fort and also created the Taj Mahal (pronounced "ma hel"). After his most loved wife died (he had two other main wives and hundreds of informal wives (a harem) he started to go a bit overboard on the monuments and his son had him committed and held in a beautiful white marble pavilion that projects from the side of the fort.
The pavilion overlooked the fort's two moats. The outside one was filled with water, crocodiles, water snakes, etc. and the inside one was filled with lions, tigers and other beasts meant to deter intruders.
The ex-king still had access to his other wives with whom he played live size game of Parchese on the patio outside his pavilion. He also had a direct view downriver to the Taj Mahal.
And finally, the Taj Mahal. Yes, it is as beautiful as we expected. As a fan of symmetry, I was wowed by the fact that it is symmetrical on all four sides and has two side buildings that mirror each other (even though one is a mosque and one was a visitors' residence). Our tour was made even more special by our guide, an ex-banker who has an MBA and degrees in both English literature and German. A very nice guy and very knowledgeable.
The inlay work on the white marble is done in semi-precious stones and is also amazing.
On to Ranthanbone National Park to look for Bengal Tigers!
The animals and people on the roads in South Africa don't come close to the chaos on the roads in India. I would never think of driving here. Lanes don't exist. They pass wherever they can: right, left or squeeze through any gap that appears. Slow trucks tend to stay in the "fast" lane forcing others to pass on the left. The horn is used as a signal more than the actual turn signals are. In fact, on the back of many trucks it says "Blow Horn", in other words let me know you are passing.
Another main rule not enforced is passenger limits. A family of four or even five if the kids are small fits on a motor bike.
A tiny van can hold twelve...with one standing on the rear bumper. This is standard procedure.
And then there's the occasional camel cart in the road. The driver of this one seemed to be asleep on the cart while his camel strolled along the highway.
We finally got to our first monument: the tomb of Akbar, one of the first Mughal kings, ruling from 1556 to 1609. The picture is of the main gate to the tomb area.
Next stop was the Red Fort, a huge red sandstone enclosure that was the home of at least three kings, the most famous of whom was Shah Jehan who had a palace in the fort and also created the Taj Mahal (pronounced "ma hel"). After his most loved wife died (he had two other main wives and hundreds of informal wives (a harem) he started to go a bit overboard on the monuments and his son had him committed and held in a beautiful white marble pavilion that projects from the side of the fort.
The pavilion overlooked the fort's two moats. The outside one was filled with water, crocodiles, water snakes, etc. and the inside one was filled with lions, tigers and other beasts meant to deter intruders.
The ex-king still had access to his other wives with whom he played live size game of Parchese on the patio outside his pavilion. He also had a direct view downriver to the Taj Mahal.
And finally, the Taj Mahal. Yes, it is as beautiful as we expected. As a fan of symmetry, I was wowed by the fact that it is symmetrical on all four sides and has two side buildings that mirror each other (even though one is a mosque and one was a visitors' residence). Our tour was made even more special by our guide, an ex-banker who has an MBA and degrees in both English literature and German. A very nice guy and very knowledgeable.
The inlay work on the white marble is done in semi-precious stones and is also amazing.
On to Ranthanbone National Park to look for Bengal Tigers!
I want some pictures of your guides. We loved the one of the camel cart!
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