Day 240 - Taj Mahal by Train
Monday, March 4th, 2019.
Today we got up at 4:30 to take a 6:00am train to Agra. I didn't sleep well, being a little bit anxious about the train, even if we had our reservation. Our Uber arrived on time and took us to the train station.
Getting to the train station was easy because there wasn't much traffic, except for the cars not respecting red lights, including our driver. When we arrived at the station, it was already crowded with several dozen cars honking and going in all directions.
We found our train right away. I always like to ask people if I'm on the right train because I took the wrong one when I lived in Belgium in high school.
[Gregory's note: this is what I live with. She burned her leg on a motorbike exhaust pipe once, so she never wants to ride one again. She took the wrong train once, so now every time she gets on a train she has to ask people, despite the signs on the platform and on the side of the train!]
We were on the right train and we did get a clean seat. I was happily surprised and was able to relax. We left at 6:00am sharp but the train was still an hour and a half late. For some unknown reason, it rolled at a leisurely pace, despite the "super fast" surcharge we had to pay.
I slept a bit and we also had a nice breakfast of chai, eggs and bread. Again, I was happily surprised. When we arrived at Agra, I started to pray because I had no idea how we were going to get to the Taj. I started to ask for a prepaid taxi and I met two men that wanted to take us for more. This is the time where Gregory and I get tense and argue what to do. I kept telling him about the fixed rates of the taxis but he was still arguing with the taxi drivers outside telling them how much Ola [a ride-hailing app] would charge us.
I was worried about the time because we had booked our train to come back at 1:45pm so we didn't have much time. We ended up getting a tuk-tuk for 150 rupees which is around $2. This is when I want to yell and scream at Gregory because for a few dollars more we could have gotten a taxi, which I think is safer. Everyone in my family tells me to relax, to live a little, to enjoy. They tell me nothing is going to happen but seriously, if you were in my shoes and saw how crowded it is and how crazily people drive here, I think you would understand how unsafe it is to ride a tuk-tuk. At least it was better than Delhi. [Gregory's note: the roads were practically empty, and what vehicles we saw were tuk-tuks and motorcycles.]
When we arrived at the Taj, it wasn't that crowded at all. We walked in to get our free water bottles and then we were guided to a security line and then to another line where they checked our electronic tickets. Sunshine's was free online when we put her age as 15, but the guard insisted on charging for a 15-year old.
Of course, Gregory asked to talk to a manager while Sunshine and I waited outside, seeing all the crowds arriving. I also got very nervous because I couldn't see Daniel. I honestly wanted to cry and I started to yell his name. The guard told me to calm down and he called the other officer and told me that Daniel was with Gregory.
It was so frustrating waiting and wasting time while Gregory was trying to reason with the manager. It was even more frustrating not being able to get in touch with him by phone. I wanted to say, I will go get the ticket and let's just go in before it gets later but guess what? He had the cash and the credit card.
Anyway, everything worked out great at the end as usual and again, my anger, my frustration doesn't help me or anyone! This is a huge lesson that I guess I need to learn with this trip. I was hoping that by now I would know better but no, I still worry a lot!
[Gregory's note: I was going to put a Gregory's note farther up but Lili figured it out. I did take about 10 minutes to talk to the manager, who asked if Sunshine had completed 15 years. Again, the words are English, but they have a different meaning here. I showed her passport and he said she had completed her 15 year. Did I understand? No. What I understood is that they want to collect as much money as possible from foreigners -- where have we heard that before?]
We went in and just seeing the entrance and the magnificence of the Taj Mahal, everything was forgotten. It is definitely worth the visit. Gregory and Daniel disagreed but Sunshine and I (who were the only ones that wanted to come) loved it. We did not hire a guide mostly because everyone advised against it and we had read the story and information online. If you want to find out more about it, you can go to https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/
Today we got up at 4:30 to take a 6:00am train to Agra. I didn't sleep well, being a little bit anxious about the train, even if we had our reservation. Our Uber arrived on time and took us to the train station.
Getting to the train station was easy because there wasn't much traffic, except for the cars not respecting red lights, including our driver. When we arrived at the station, it was already crowded with several dozen cars honking and going in all directions.
We found our train right away. I always like to ask people if I'm on the right train because I took the wrong one when I lived in Belgium in high school.
[Gregory's note: this is what I live with. She burned her leg on a motorbike exhaust pipe once, so she never wants to ride one again. She took the wrong train once, so now every time she gets on a train she has to ask people, despite the signs on the platform and on the side of the train!]
We were on the right train and we did get a clean seat. I was happily surprised and was able to relax. We left at 6:00am sharp but the train was still an hour and a half late. For some unknown reason, it rolled at a leisurely pace, despite the "super fast" surcharge we had to pay.
I slept a bit and we also had a nice breakfast of chai, eggs and bread. Again, I was happily surprised. When we arrived at Agra, I started to pray because I had no idea how we were going to get to the Taj. I started to ask for a prepaid taxi and I met two men that wanted to take us for more. This is the time where Gregory and I get tense and argue what to do. I kept telling him about the fixed rates of the taxis but he was still arguing with the taxi drivers outside telling them how much Ola [a ride-hailing app] would charge us.
I was worried about the time because we had booked our train to come back at 1:45pm so we didn't have much time. We ended up getting a tuk-tuk for 150 rupees which is around $2. This is when I want to yell and scream at Gregory because for a few dollars more we could have gotten a taxi, which I think is safer. Everyone in my family tells me to relax, to live a little, to enjoy. They tell me nothing is going to happen but seriously, if you were in my shoes and saw how crowded it is and how crazily people drive here, I think you would understand how unsafe it is to ride a tuk-tuk. At least it was better than Delhi. [Gregory's note: the roads were practically empty, and what vehicles we saw were tuk-tuks and motorcycles.]
When we arrived at the Taj, it wasn't that crowded at all. We walked in to get our free water bottles and then we were guided to a security line and then to another line where they checked our electronic tickets. Sunshine's was free online when we put her age as 15, but the guard insisted on charging for a 15-year old.
Of course, Gregory asked to talk to a manager while Sunshine and I waited outside, seeing all the crowds arriving. I also got very nervous because I couldn't see Daniel. I honestly wanted to cry and I started to yell his name. The guard told me to calm down and he called the other officer and told me that Daniel was with Gregory.
It was so frustrating waiting and wasting time while Gregory was trying to reason with the manager. It was even more frustrating not being able to get in touch with him by phone. I wanted to say, I will go get the ticket and let's just go in before it gets later but guess what? He had the cash and the credit card.
Anyway, everything worked out great at the end as usual and again, my anger, my frustration doesn't help me or anyone! This is a huge lesson that I guess I need to learn with this trip. I was hoping that by now I would know better but no, I still worry a lot!
[Gregory's note: I was going to put a Gregory's note farther up but Lili figured it out. I did take about 10 minutes to talk to the manager, who asked if Sunshine had completed 15 years. Again, the words are English, but they have a different meaning here. I showed her passport and he said she had completed her 15 year. Did I understand? No. What I understood is that they want to collect as much money as possible from foreigners -- where have we heard that before?]
We went in and just seeing the entrance and the magnificence of the Taj Mahal, everything was forgotten. It is definitely worth the visit. Gregory and Daniel disagreed but Sunshine and I (who were the only ones that wanted to come) loved it. We did not hire a guide mostly because everyone advised against it and we had read the story and information online. If you want to find out more about it, you can go to https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/
[Gregory's note: it's another checklist item. You've seen a thousand photos. It looks just like that. Shoulda visited the Sikh temple instead. More meaningful than yet another postcard.]
Sunshine and I paid extra to visit the inside of the mausoleum. We thought it was worth it. Truly, you can not spend more than 2 hours there. We visited the mausoleum, the mosque, walked around the garden, went to the bathroom (which by the way, in India they also have squat toilets) and got ready to go.
[Gregory's note: more Hinglish lessons, or English words that have a different meaning: WC doesn't stand for water closet here, it stands for Western Culture, aka a sitdown toilet. The opposite is IC, or Indian Culture, meaning you squat.]
It is important to do research before you go to the Taj to know what to expect. I knew we could take the official transportation from the gate to the ticket office, which is free. We found the cart and we were waiting for the driver to go while being harrassed by vendors. I actually told him that we had a train to catch and he told me that he had to wait to get 10 passengers to go! I wanted to yell at him. I told Gregory that we should take a tuk-tuk to the entrance so we didn't waste time. He wanted to walk. I was worried about the train, it was almost 1:00pm. He negotiated with the driver who ended up taking us directly to the train station for 200 rupees, even though I still wanted to take a car!
We made it half an hour early only to find out that the train was delayed for an hour. Another lesson, why worry in advance. While we waited at the train station we got snacks. We were sure we were going to get lunch on the train. Well, I'm glad we got the snacks because we didn't get food or even the nice seats we got when coming. When Gregory first paid for the tickets to come back, we were wait listed!
Well, we got seats in the sleeper car. Of course, our places were taken when the train finally came two hours later. We asked the conductor and he showed us two separate bunk beds. Since Daniel and I preferred to share one bed, we let the person above us have our top bunk. I didn't want to lie down on the sheets provided and the pillow looked very used. I took off the sheets, cleaned the seats with hand sanitizer, and sat with Daniel.
[Gregory's note: we had reservations in 2AC, which is just below 1st class. This train only had sleeper cars, even though it was a day train. 2AC isn't 2nd class, it means there are only 2 bunks, upper and lower. There are also curtains, so you have privacy and fewer people trying to sit (or lie down). Of course, passengers with cheaper tickets come into these and they all sit or lie on the same bunk, and we had to kick a few people off of one of ours, but we let 4 people sit on the other.]
Gregory and Sunshine had another bunk. Later, Gregory found out that we could fold the bed in two seats, not comfortable but at least to sit up straight. I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry! Looking outside the window and seeing how poor people are, living surrounded by trash. Very, very sad! Inside the chaiwalla yelling chai, chai and another man yelling samosa. We were so close to our neighbors, we could hear all their conversations and kids crying. It was totally crazy chaos and yet it works! I was so tired that despite everything, I fell asleep for some time.
The ride was very long, it took 4 hours to get back home. We arrived at 7:00pm at the Nizamuddin station. Even Gregory told us to hold hands to get out of the train station. When we came out, everyone was approaching us offering a taxi or a tuk-tuk. We kept saying no. Gregory had requested an Uber. I can't believe we found it in that chaos. It took another half an hour to get home and I can't believe that I was happy to arrive at our dark cave!
Gregory and I still had plans to go to Xe's house to drop bags with some of our stuff so our suitcases would be lighter for the flight tomorrow. Luckily (or not), Xe was too tired and we made plans for the next morning.
Thank God for Gregory or should I say, thank God for Uber Eats because they delivered delicious food to our home for 200 rupees which is less than $4. The delivery fee was 10 rupees which are 7 cents!!! We had a delicious dinner, took a shower (I always have the need after we go to crowded and public transportation) and went to bed on time.
A cultural note: I think I understand why they take off their shoes to go to someone's home or temples or stores. The streets are really dirty and the Indians love to spit. Yes, you heard me. I don't understand why but often, you see men and women spitting everywhere! The metro has even signs of spitting forbidden, with a fine of 200 rupees!
Photos click here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DVJJYnLLVEtYPXmS6
Sunshine and I paid extra to visit the inside of the mausoleum. We thought it was worth it. Truly, you can not spend more than 2 hours there. We visited the mausoleum, the mosque, walked around the garden, went to the bathroom (which by the way, in India they also have squat toilets) and got ready to go.
[Gregory's note: more Hinglish lessons, or English words that have a different meaning: WC doesn't stand for water closet here, it stands for Western Culture, aka a sitdown toilet. The opposite is IC, or Indian Culture, meaning you squat.]
It is important to do research before you go to the Taj to know what to expect. I knew we could take the official transportation from the gate to the ticket office, which is free. We found the cart and we were waiting for the driver to go while being harrassed by vendors. I actually told him that we had a train to catch and he told me that he had to wait to get 10 passengers to go! I wanted to yell at him. I told Gregory that we should take a tuk-tuk to the entrance so we didn't waste time. He wanted to walk. I was worried about the train, it was almost 1:00pm. He negotiated with the driver who ended up taking us directly to the train station for 200 rupees, even though I still wanted to take a car!
We made it half an hour early only to find out that the train was delayed for an hour. Another lesson, why worry in advance. While we waited at the train station we got snacks. We were sure we were going to get lunch on the train. Well, I'm glad we got the snacks because we didn't get food or even the nice seats we got when coming. When Gregory first paid for the tickets to come back, we were wait listed!
Well, we got seats in the sleeper car. Of course, our places were taken when the train finally came two hours later. We asked the conductor and he showed us two separate bunk beds. Since Daniel and I preferred to share one bed, we let the person above us have our top bunk. I didn't want to lie down on the sheets provided and the pillow looked very used. I took off the sheets, cleaned the seats with hand sanitizer, and sat with Daniel.
[Gregory's note: we had reservations in 2AC, which is just below 1st class. This train only had sleeper cars, even though it was a day train. 2AC isn't 2nd class, it means there are only 2 bunks, upper and lower. There are also curtains, so you have privacy and fewer people trying to sit (or lie down). Of course, passengers with cheaper tickets come into these and they all sit or lie on the same bunk, and we had to kick a few people off of one of ours, but we let 4 people sit on the other.]
Gregory and Sunshine had another bunk. Later, Gregory found out that we could fold the bed in two seats, not comfortable but at least to sit up straight. I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry! Looking outside the window and seeing how poor people are, living surrounded by trash. Very, very sad! Inside the chaiwalla yelling chai, chai and another man yelling samosa. We were so close to our neighbors, we could hear all their conversations and kids crying. It was totally crazy chaos and yet it works! I was so tired that despite everything, I fell asleep for some time.
The ride was very long, it took 4 hours to get back home. We arrived at 7:00pm at the Nizamuddin station. Even Gregory told us to hold hands to get out of the train station. When we came out, everyone was approaching us offering a taxi or a tuk-tuk. We kept saying no. Gregory had requested an Uber. I can't believe we found it in that chaos. It took another half an hour to get home and I can't believe that I was happy to arrive at our dark cave!
Gregory and I still had plans to go to Xe's house to drop bags with some of our stuff so our suitcases would be lighter for the flight tomorrow. Luckily (or not), Xe was too tired and we made plans for the next morning.
Thank God for Gregory or should I say, thank God for Uber Eats because they delivered delicious food to our home for 200 rupees which is less than $4. The delivery fee was 10 rupees which are 7 cents!!! We had a delicious dinner, took a shower (I always have the need after we go to crowded and public transportation) and went to bed on time.
A cultural note: I think I understand why they take off their shoes to go to someone's home or temples or stores. The streets are really dirty and the Indians love to spit. Yes, you heard me. I don't understand why but often, you see men and women spitting everywhere! The metro has even signs of spitting forbidden, with a fine of 200 rupees!
Photos click here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DVJJYnLLVEtYPXmS6
Great post thanks for sharing!
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