The Taj!

We call shots like this a “for the parents” picture.

“Do the cheesy touristy things.” That was one of the pieces of advice I got before embarking on this trip and the person that gave it specifically mentioned the Taj Mahal. It’s funny because in real life, doing the touristy things would be last on our priority list. But if you’re doing a broad world survey like we are, they are unavoidable. You cannot go to India on an exploratory mission and not visit its most famous landmark. And Nellu loves a good UNESCO World Heritage site so off we went…

We took the early morning express train to Agra from Delhi. The trip took just under 2 hours.  (A word of advice to future travelers: all the touts know this is a big tourist route. There is a scam where a man approaches you at the train station and tells you that your e-ticket for the train is not valid. The guy has you run you around the station looking for a place where you can get a boarding pass so you miss the train and take their high cost taxi to Agra. One of these guys did approach us the morning we got on the train and started to mumble something about just having an internet ticket. But our Delhi family had warned us and we got on the train and into our assigned seats. The conductor comes around to check tickets once the train has departed. We booked our tickets online through cleartrip.com per the advice of one of my new favorite sites seat61.com. It was wonderful and easy!)

We arrived at the gate of the Taj Mahal just before 9am after wandering around for a few minutes trying to find the entrance. The Taj is quite funny the way it’s tucked away behind a wall inside the crowded city of Agra. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d certainly not guess. We entered from the South Gate, which is practically hidden.

But once you find it, the Taj Mahal does not disappoint! We walked through the gate to find the white marble structure practically glowing on its pedestal framed by a blue, blue sky and postcard perfect clouds. We read the chief architect of the Taj actually designed it so that there would be nothing but sky behind it.  It looked so perfect, it looked fake. We keep joking that all of our pictures look like we’re standing in front of a green screen rather than the real thing.

They gave us booties to put over our shoes so we didn’t have to take them off.

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the mausoleum that is the Taj for his wife Mumtaz Mahal after she died giving birth to their 14th child (I know!). We spent a good part of the morning just wandering around marveling at its beauty. We couldn’t stay for the golden hour but I can imagine pictures taken at this time would be breathtaking.

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Our one set back: Little Jimmy McMillian was denied entry into the Taj Mahal as he was deemed a security threat. I tried to explain to the guards they could fully check him out by pulling off his head and hands but they were unconvinced. To be fair, the day we went to the Taj Mahal, the Delhi High Court was hit with a briefcase bomb that killed 11 people. It’s quite reasonable to think that guards are wary of unknowns like Little Jimmy. But Nellu was able to get a shot of Little Jimmy with the Taj from the perch at Agra Fort down the river. (Check out all the Misadventures of Little Jimmy here.)

Photo by Nellu

Agra Fort is truly another gem of the city. It’s about 2km from the East Gate of the Taj Mahal. Nellu and I walked there even though every 50 feet or so drivers of all kind – auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, and even camel drawn carts – approached us. We also managed to avoid the persistent tour guides hovering at the fort entrance – one in particular who was sure we’d miss out if we didn’t hire him. Emperor Shah Jahan refurbished Agra Fort replacing much of the red sandstone with white marble. The complex also has intricate water fountains running through it. (You know I’m a sucker for a good water way). It was renovated as a palace but later became a prison for the Emperor when his son overthrew his rule.

A veranda in Agra Fort

There are a few more things to do in Agra including a visit to what people call the baby Taj but Nellu and I skipped on the last. We got some good food at rooftop restaurant with views of the top of the Taj Mahal, watched monkeys jump from building to building, and hopped on the evening train back to our Delhi home.

~ Molly

Fat and Happy in Delhi

Archways at Humayun’s Tomb in Dehli

Nellu and I had run around China like crazy people. Even in our final days in the country, we took the train from Shanghai to Hong Kong, the subway to a ferry to a cab to Macau, a bus to a ferry back to Hong Kong and a subway to a bus to the sleepy fishing village of Tai O on Lantau Island before getting on a flight for Delhi via Bangkok.  (For our all comings and goings through Hong Kong, we now have six stamps on our passport just from their immigration officials.) It was all worth it but that kind of traveling can really take its toll.

I promised Nellu when we reached Delhi we would stay in one place for at least a week. We found Mala Bindra B&B through Trip Advisor, which stood out not only for its chic simple style but all of its reviews were positive – in fact they were all glowing. Phrases like “we particularly enjoyed the delightful food and the thoughtful and attentive staff,” “everyone feels so comfortable here,” “Only stay at Mala Bindra’s if you want a fantastic experience in Delhi,” convinced me that we stumbled on a gem and I confirmed the reservation as soon as I realized.

When we arrived at the door, Mala and her husband Gurpreet invited us into their living room for introductions and offered us chicken wraps and mango ice cream (heavenly). We must have talked to them for more than two hours when we first arrived, meeting both their daughter Nyamat and son Kabir. When we were getting ready for bed that night Nellu turned to me and said, “We should see if we could stay here for a few more days.” We ended up staying with them for eleven nights on our first go around and made sure to book some more time with them at the end of our India walkabout before taking off for Thailand.

For the next couple of days, we took it easy. In fact the first day, not only did we sleep in but we actually didn’t leave the house. We spent the day catching up on emails and working on the backlog of pictures, videos and blogs. We had a late, very full brunch at home and ate dinner with the family as well. Mala, who has a thriving business making cakes, also shared with us the “cake tops” to one of her delicious chocolate cakes with afternoon tea. A little piece of home, even if it’s not technically our home, was exactly what we needed. Why leave?

We did eventually venture out of the house but took it easy not rushing to see all that Delhi had to offer in one fell swoop. And we got a lot of advice from the Bindras on where to go, what to see, how to get there, and what to avoid. The pace of sightseeing was even easier here than in China partly because we did considerably less walking (more on our auto rickshaw experiences to come!)

Nellu takes a picture of the Qutub Minar in Delhi

We ate out for dinner a few nights (we were so full from breakfast that we rarely needed more than a quick snack for lunch.) But we quickly realized how nice it was to have dinner with the Bindra family at home. They’re the type of family that wants to make sure their guests are completely satisfied. You often hear, “What can I pass you,” even when you still have food on your plate. They’ve introduced us to different traditional Indian cuisine. Oh and the desserts! You can imagine that we’ve gotten lots of Mala’s tasty cakes but there’s always more! (And you cannot underestimate how wonderful it is to stay in a place where the smell of cakes regularly fills the air). There was one day that we had not only butterscotch ice cream but fresh chocolate cake with a hot fudge frosting for dessert. I know it was gluttonous but I ate it all. You just don’t get that kind of food love on the road.

As good as the food is…it’s only second to the company. We loved sitting around the dining room table sharing stories with the family. By the end of our time there, we joked that we were vying for adoption. Nellu eventually started referring to Mala as “our Mom” and Gurpreet as “our Dad”.

Our family in Delhi

The whole family really went out of their way to help us and make us feel more at home. There was one Sunday, when Nyamat woke up early with me to take me all the way across town to try out a yoga class. We were also invited to come out with the family to a fundraiser for her work at the Real Medicine Foundation. You can find more information (and donate!) to this very worthy cause by clicking here and here. Not only are they fighting malnutrition in the impoverished area of  southwestern Madhya Pradesh but they’re also working to bring education to tribal children.

On this trip, we’ve found when people open their lives to you in such a manner, it makes you feel more like you belong in a place rather than just passing through. When you feel more at home, its easier to open up and enjoy.

~ Molly