Agra to Delhi

After the lazy days in Pondi we have a stark return to reality as we make our way back to Delhi. We have a 2 am taxi booked to take us back to Chennai to catch a flight to Delhi. The taxi driver is a legend (yes another one!), it is raining very hard and the roads are flooded but dude is still going very fast. Every time Gav asks him to slow down he does a complete turn in his seat to face Gav which scares the brown stuff out of me. As we get into Chennai, I remember a story I read in the papers about how the drainage is really crap because the council doesn't clear out the drains which causes flooding when it rains but also a health risk as the sewers contaminate the water supply. My thoughts as we drive through the flooding are that basically this guy's gleaming white car is going to be covered in shit when we get to the other end. Unfortunately I'm not far wrong when we get to the other end.

We manage to catch our flight and then have a race to get to Delhi train station in order to get the train. The first thing that hits us when we land in Delhi is the heat. I know we keep going on about the heat but it is a dry heat which gets you the moment you step off the plane. We both prefer it as it does not zapp all energy out of you like the damp southern heat. Anyway, back to the big race and Delhi seems to have changed since we arrived a couple of months ago. There is a lot more traffic for some reason and our driver thinks that we will more than likely miss our train. We make it by the skin of our teeth and the next task is to find our seats. I have no idea how the train system works but luckily Gav does and manages to find our seats. We sit back and enjoy our last train ride....there's the two old men enjoying lunch together, its a lunch that makes your mouth water - curries, rotis, salads, pickles, then there's the children playing on the top berths and the parents just wishing for some peace and quiet, the chai-walla who comes round with tea every so often and every time the train stops you have the hawkers trying to sell the most useless rubbish in order to make a few pennies. Outside, the countryside is barren with the heat taking its toll on the people and the animals, everything is very slow. We love this country.

We get to Agra and the first thing that greets us is the smell, the second is our driver who takes us to our hotel. When we first started planning our trip we were not sure how we were going to get on in India so saved the Taj Mahal til last so we could leave on a high. As we make our way to the hotel the driver points out the dome of the Taj. We both look and are a little bit deflated with what we see. We drive a bit further the main dome comes into view and we are both stunned by what we see. I have been wanting to see the Taj Mahal for most of my life and I am completely over-whelmed. As we are shown to our room, I am sure the lady thinks I'm a bit lula as I am so over come with emotion that I have tears streaming down my face. I feel very lucky for the life I have and to be doing all the things we have.

We have an unbelievable view - right in front is the Taj and just to the right is the 'real' India. People living in cramped conditions, poor sanitation and so on. Even in all that filth we find things that captivate us, there's the people flying kites, the man who keeps pigeons and the prayer calls. Of course the thing that holds our eyes for hours and hours on end is the Mighty Taj. Gav books our trip for the next day. I won't go on and on but it is the greatest testament to love and we both absolutely adore it.

I have been in love with the Taj Mahal since the first time I read about what Shah Jahan did for Mumtaz Mahal. Our adventures in India have only added to the images I have and I cannot wait to see it. We are up and about before the break of dawn since we don't want to miss a thing. Of course, it doesn't disappoint and I'll spare any description since nothing quite compares to how you feel when you are there. As if there was any doubt, I am totally blown away as Gav drops to one knee and pops the question. I couldn't imagine a more amazing place for this to happen, the image of this monumental accomplishment of architecture is one thing, but the story behind it is undoubtedly the most romantic of all time. WE ARE ENGAGED!!!!!!

Once we leave the Taj, we are greeted by the numerous shop keepers trying to sell their wares. We have become accustomed to the hard sell so manage to leave unscathed. Our day in Agra is basically spent admiring the view and taking pictures.

Our final trip in India is back to Delhi, we are supposed to be on the train but it has been delayed and we are notified that the delay is only likely to get bigger which will result in us arriving in Delhi the next day. We make a few calls and decide its better to make other arrangements since we can't miss our plane out the next day. We get a driver who takes us to Delhi and as you can imagine the trip is not without some very hairy moments. The drive is supposed to be 3 hours and because of the traffic ends up taking over five. We arrive more than a little worse for wear in Delhi after 3am, both slightly thankful that it is one of the last journeys we'll be making in India for a while.

Our last day goes very quickly with packing and last minute running around. As we make our way to the airport we have mixed feelings...We love this country but it does drive you more than a little mad. We've seen some amazing places which remind us of so many other places in the world, we've met some interesting people and hopefully made quite a few friends along the way. My lasting memory of India is from Pondicherry where I ignored a young boy selling his wares. As I looked into his eyes I saw an uncanny similarity to my nephew and of course once a personal connection has been made the guilt is unbelieveable. I looked for him for the next few days but couldn´t find him until the tail-end of our trip. I got chatting to him and his friends and they were very eager to sell me some little bags which (apparently) had been stitched by his mum. We had a good old natter and I bought some stuff from them and sent them on their way with a drink. The image of the three super thin boys laughing and chatting with one hand carrying their wares and the other holding their drink is how I will remember them. I spoke with the owner of the hotel afterwards and I asked him what the truth was behind their stories and he said that they probably work for a gang and food is dependent on how much money they bring home. I know I probably did the wrong thing, but I am glad I did.

I think Gav says it best when he says that India has shown us both the best and worst in humanity. But what a place eh? Here's an extract from Gav's last musings on India from his journal, this really sums it up: -

"What can I say about India? In the two months that we've been here we've seen abject poverty and ridiculous wealth, poor hygiene and sanitation but touch screen ATM machines everywhere. Children made to work and beg next door to wealthy french government lycees in Pondicherry. We've seen beauty of all kinds. Temples, old, ancient and new. Dry arid landscapes in rajasthan, lush evergreen forrest in Ooty; Super-modernity in Mumbai, coal-heated irons and hand water pumps in Himachal Pradesh. We've seen rice paddies, wheat fields, coconut groves and bamboo plantations, rainforerst and cactus. We've seen weed growing in acres along the streets of the Punjab. We've seen crazy old men singing on push-carts in Pushkar, we've seen cows, goats, hawks, herons, snakes, toads, camels, elephants, water buffalo and monkeys, mostly on the roadside! We've seen compassion in people, anger fear, frustration but always a smile at the end of it all. We've watched bollywood movies in Jaipur, music and dance in Udaipur, sitar and tabla in Agra. We've had music lessons, we've had life lessons. We've learnt and we've taught. We've met locals and tourists. We've been scared, we've been confident, we've been sad, we've been happy... all in the same day. We've been loved and hated, felt at home and felt alien. We've met artists and musicians, hoteliers, politicians and professional footballers. Aloo Gobi to Masala Dosa, to pizza to McDonalds, to fine dining, to chinese food, from pure veg to carnivorous devouring, we've had it all. We've made friends, we've made enemies, we've loved and we've lost. Above all though, we've lived. We've truly lived in this place. India is in our blood now, under our skin and part of our soul..."

Now for the next stage of our adventure...