Day 3

What can I say - the Taj Mahal is magnificent!! It's something we've seen a thousand times in pictures, but nothing can prepare you for the absolute vastness and opulence of the place. Arriving at dawn meant the place changed colour before our very eyes, from yellowish, through pink, to absolute pearly white and at one point, all the semi-precious stones in the mosaic work were catching the rising sun and sparkling and shining (this happens only at sunrise and sunset, we are told). One of the highlights of the visit for the children was nothing to do with the building (which of course was way more interesting to us bigger ones) but eagle-eyed Flora's lucky find. We all (except F) walked past 200 aussie dollars which had been dropped on the ground. After much discussion about what to do with them and what would actually be done with them if handed in at the desk, the girls wanted to give them to a local charity, so our guide, Narindra offered to take them to a NGO orphanage at which his retired father teaches - a solution which pleased everyone!!

Then back to the hotel for breakfast (yes it seems we really do spend all our time eating - and so far few tummy problems - touch wood!!) before heading off to the Red Fort at Agra. Built by Akbar (the chappie who built Fatehpur Sikri and grandfather of the chappie who built the Taj) it was used as a military fort, a palace and the government headquarters right from Mughal times to the present day (well now it is just the military bit and a tourist attraction). Inside in the central courtyard, there is even the tomb of the Governor from the time of colonial rule. The reason the Taj was built where it was is because it could clearly be seen from the bedroom quarters of the Shah and even when he was overthrown (by his son) and imprisoned in these quarters, he could see the tomb of his beloved wife till the day he died - aaaah.

And then a LONG drive back to Delhi - not so very long in miles, but worse traffic than I have seen on the M25 on a Friday night (at least there are few cows, rickshaws and motorbikes carrying whole families clogging up the M25). Then a quick change, supper and on to the overnight train north to Uttarakhand. And that was an experience - but actually not as scarey as I feared. Apart from standing on a chaotic platform for the hour the train was delayed, once we were on and found our bunks, we all slept really well (except poor Scott) rocked to sleep by the fairly violent movements of the train and a pretty noisy chorus of general train sounds (mechanical not human) till morning.