As expected, there was already someone waiting for me. Not someone I knew but one of these guys that tries to sell you a guided visit. I had my luggage so I didn't want to walk around with it. After a short bargain he accepted my price. The deal was to carry me to the touristic places.
First stop: breakfast. I had a good continental breakfast, with some toasts, jam, coffee and juice. What happens next is the begining of the how to loose a considerable amount of money in a touristic place in India. I think I knew this but things happen in such a way that you don't notice. First thing, there is a new guy waiting for me outside. It's the guide that Ive never asked for. So now I have a driver and a guide.
He's always very nice. It seemed a really nice person even if he was just working. He became my personal photographer! I knew that every move had a price so I would have to pay him a nice ammount at the end of day.
Next stop: Taj Mahal. Ah! the place is crowded of foreign people, so Im not a star anymore. Anyway... The entrance is expensive. For a foreigner it is like 40 times the price for an indian. I paid 750 rupees!! which is like the price of a one day Louvre entrance. But it is worth the price. Taj Mahal is really a beautiful monument, of a very simple and harmonious architecture. Look at these pictures
This is me meditating!
With a personal phtographer you take a lot of photos.
He told me the story of the Taj Mahal. It was constructed by Shah Jahan, an emperor, to express his love from the deceased wife. She died after having her 14th child.
The Taj Mahal is smaller than what I was expecting and the mosque only contains the tombs of the emperor and his wife. The marble gives a sensation of simplicity and harmony that I like very much. Unfortunately people create all these silly stories like it was built by 22 thousand man during 22 years and the stairs have always 22 steps. This is unecessary. The funny part was that those 22 thousand man belonged to the same family!!
The next stop is the Agra fort few kilometers away.
The story tells that the emperor Shah Jahan was imprisioned there by his son. It is believed that he ended dying in one of the towers.
The fort is architecturally very similar to the Taj Mahal but it looks more like a walled city. It has many divisions. You can see the rooms, there is a library, and also a market place. I took some pictures
It was about lunch time and my guide was already stressing with the money. I could note that he was losing enthusiasm. So he said to me: "Now you have seen this and that, you will go for lunch and then you can go to a nice bazaar to buy souvenirs... You can now give me the money." Ok, I was thinking in giving you like 500. But he didn't like, he wanted more. So he showed me some card where it is stated that he is an official guide and the prices he does. For indian it was 500 and 750 for foreigner. I said: "Look 750 is too much, I think 500 is very reasonable for you. Im not giving you any more money" He kind of hesitated but he agreed. I really think he deserved less but It's fine. The thing is that you leave 500 here, 500 there and at the end of the day the money has flied away. I didn't mention but along the trip he took us to most of his friends that are local sellers. So you buy this and that, really nice things but for foreigners becomes expensive as you may think.
After lunch I went to the promised bazaar. I wouldn't call that a bazaar, it looked more like a commercial area. I was expecting a kind of street market. Anyway... I bought some souvenirs and than I went for a coffee. At this time of the day it makes very hot, so nothing better than a nice irish coffee in a fresh place.
It was time to leave so I asked my driver to leave me on the train station. I gave him a nice tip that he didn't complain, and than I walked towards the station. Some guy approaches me and asks me where I am going, "Im going to Delhi". Bingo!! thought the guy. He tells me that my train is very late, about 5 hours. This is normal in India, don't worry. And he tries to sell me some car trip for the beautiful price of 3000 rupees (50 euros). Of course I would never do it. First its very expensive and second is very dangerous to drive in highways here. So I tell him " calm down, Im going to check if there is a different train". But he insists and insists and he doesn't leave me, following me everywhere. I confirm that my train is very late, but they also tell me that there are other trains later. So I try to book a different train but this guy is becoming very annoying. He's trying to convince me that I won't probably get a place, that there will be a big waiting list. He's right, the guy at the desk tells me that Im in a +100 waiting list but he tells me not to worry, he will try to do the best he can. Im relieved! At this point I start to think that I will have to bribe him...
Fortunately I got rid of the other guy and now Ive to wait for 4 hours. It was a very long wait. It is very hot, you don't have a place to sit, I had to carry my luggage everywhere and you have to handle with the smell and all the beggars. This is the most difficult part because you have to say many times no, to kids mostly. Here it is not a question if they need or not. They really need money, that is obvious. The problem is that you cannot give to everyone even if it is just some rupees.
I was half hour for the train to come and I was waiting on the platform. It is already late evening so there are not so many people. You become more exposed to beggars. I have to say that I don't like to express myself this way, treating beggars as if they were some bugs. On the contrary. I hate seeing kids, babies badly fed and all dirty. They personify the most selfish part of ourselves and should make us sad. For an european is as if the world was cheating me. They sell me a life with best comfort possible and where I can do everything I want. But when you see this, that seems ridiculous and you feel shame. But after being hit by beggars like hundred times a day you become cold.
So I was waiting... I see some kids approaching. One of them doesn't have the lower part of the legs. It is shocking to see him creeping around. Having only ten rupees, I dumbly ask if they can share. Of course I don't do that. I stand up and buy two samussas for them and they nicely thank me. This is really a nice sensation being able to help truly. Even if it is like a drop in the ocean.
The train arrives. It looks more like an european train and it is very fast. My trip to Delhi is nice and calm.
Namaste
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