Best Laid Plans, or Day 62 in Agra

Yes, best laid plans indeed. Except in this case, it is because the plans weren't "laid" very well that we are staying here another night. Because, surprise surprise, the Taj Mahal is closed to tourists on Fridays. And today, not that I really remembered, is Friday.

I got a cycle rickshaw at about 6:45 this morning, bargained for my ride to the Taj, and sat back in the slightly chilly morning wind.

Until we got stopped by the security guards at gate to the Taj Mahal.

Looking for a Plan B, I decided to go across the river to a park, Mehtab Bagh. The driver didn't know where it was, so the security guards explained it to him (though I think I heard one of them call him an idiot) and I got to pay more money to get there.

The bridge across the river is pretty crazy. It is probably about 6 meters wide, and it tries to fit a lane going each direction. Like most of India, somehow they always make it.

We reached the park, and I hopped out, waving off the driver when he asked if he should wait. Which is good, because I couldn't have foreseen what came next.

I walked toward the Taj Mahal, getting some good pictures with the garden, then taking some pictures of the brillant green birds sitting on the barbed wire fence between the garden and the river.

I kept being drawn towards a corner... and when I got there, the barbed wire had been pushed apart at the bottom so people could fit through it. I stood there, debating about what to do.

Towards the river, a boat was shuttling some guy across the water. He got out of the boat, then headed in my direction. I just stood there, wondering what he was going to say when he got to me.

Well, he said, "Boat across the river?" And with that, my decision was made.

I ducked under the wire, and quickly walked across the greened-over sandbar to the boat, snapping a few furtive pictures.

The guy in the boat was very friendly, and took some good shots of me and the reflection of the Taj Mahal. I wasn't sure if we were waiting for someone else, but after a bit, we pushed off to cross the 20 meters of water.

I'm still amazing that I was in the right place at the right time to find a hole in the fence, a friendly boatman on the water, and the most breathtaking experience I've had in India.

I walked passed a few guards (who thankfully didn't say anything about me showing up on the other side of the river) then found a restaurant for some chai and toast, and to just soak in the unique experience I managed to have.

However, since I hadn't seen the Taj Mahal up close, when I got back, I managed to convince Max to stay one more night in Agra so I can see it tomorrow.

We had a day to burn, so we headed out to good old Emperor Akbar's Tomb. The giant grounds had antelope on them, as well as a bunch of hawks around. Like usual, Max somehow provoked one, and got some horns waved at him. That was before we saw the signs to stay off the grass.

The tomb was ornate, with dome-shaped chambers that created an "echo telephone system", as one guide-for-hire told us. Standing in one corner, the sound carried to the opposite; it was a pretty cool effect, but we were told about it at least three times.

We sat in the shade and talked about life for a bit before moving on to see the Swami Bagh.

This tomb/temple (full name: Samadhi Swamiji Maharaj Bagh) was being build, and has been being built for 80 years, for the founder of Radhasoami Faith, Sri Shiv Dayal Singh Seth. I'll crack the obvious joke and say, no wonder its taken this long, the only living things up on the scaffolding were birds.

We weren't allowed to take in our phones, cameras, or shoes, which is a bit discomforting, but walking around barefoot on slabs of marble feels decadent. Until you walk where the sun has beaten down for a few hours... then it feels less decadent and more like a frying pan.

We switched to a hotel closer to the Taj (within walking distance now) and hopefully with less mosquitos (since I think I have a new collection of bites from last night). There were more than a couple times that I woke up with buzzing in my face and thrashed around until it left.

So with a chill night at the hotel, and a rooftop dinner overlooking the Taj at dusk and talking religion, my last complete day in India (for this trip at least) came to an end.

By the way, I haven't linked to Max's blog or his pictures in a while. Be sure to check them out!