We said goodbye for now, to Delhi and travelled by coach and train to Agra. The train was the Gatimaan Express, India’s fastest train. We visited Agra Fort (The Red Fort) before checking in to our hotel.
Agra StationAgra Fort, the seat of Mughal rule until 1638The grave of John Russell Colvin who died of cholera while a British Soldier stationed at the fort.The entrance to our hotel, The ITC MughalThe PoolThe hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens
After lunch we visited the Taj Mahal, only minutes away from our hotel by coach. The Taj Mahal is a marble mausoleum built on the south bank of the Yamuna River. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Moghul Emperor Shah Jahen to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. They met as teenagers at an event at Agra Fort.
Our first view of the Taj MahalWe entered through the South GateReflections
Our visit over we went back to the hotel for dinner, as the sun began to set, exhausted but exhilarated.
Today we had a guided sightseeing tour of Delhi, starting in New Delhi, with its wide, tree lined avenues, beautifully kept roundabouts and the impressive architecture of the government buildings and embassies.
India Gate War Memorial
This was followed by a visit to the Jama Masjid, India’s largest mosque. We had to leave our shoes outside.
Entrance to the MosqueThe Jama Masjid Mosque
Following this we took a rickshaw ride through the streets of Old Delhi. It was chaotic, and slightly nerve wracking but fascinating.
Our rickshaw driver took our photoThe mosque seen from our rickshaw ride
Safely back on the coach, we drove to see Gandhi’s memorial sight where an eternal flame burns.
We then visited Humayun’s Tomb. He was the second Mughal Emperor. It was built for him, by his wife, in 1569. Set in beautiful, symmetrical gardens, it was an oasis of calm.
Tired and hungry by now, we stopped at a hand knotted carpet emporium for a demonstration of carpet making and lunch! We had the best Samosas in all of India, according to our guide, Raj.
The carpets can take two years to make
Finally, and most poignantly, we visited the site of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. We were able to visit the room in which he stayed, and follow in his final footsteps.
The shrine marks the place where Gandhi was shotGandhi’s roomGandhi’s dream
It has been a packed day, full of contrasts, a truly amazing experience.
Tomorrow we leave Delhi (for now) to travel by train to Agra.
We left Shimla to return to Delhi, saying our goodbyes to the friendly staff and local residents.
The first part of the journey was a hair raising 4 hour drive down the mountain, through hair pin bends. I think driving a taxi is an extreme sport in this area!
Number 2 taxi, which drove us around for the 3 days we were in ShimlaWe stopped for a break half way.Local businesses were opening up.
We arrived in Chandigarh and boarded the train for Delhi.
Not allowed on the platform!Me boarding the trainPacked lunch boxes provided for usViews from the train ….
Eventually we arrived back in Delhi and got a coach back to the Taj Palace.
New Delhi StationViews from the coachThe view from our hotel room
Drinks and dinner now. Tomorrow we will be having a sight seeing tour of Delhi.
Today we took an optional tour, driving in taxis further up into the mountains through the amazing Kufri countryside of Upper Shimla.
We stopped at a viewpoint in the tiny village of Fagu.
The Himalayas The only way to travel!
We drove on to Wildflower Hall, a luxury hotel constructed on the site of the former summer residence of Lord Kitchener, where we had lunch.
There are leopards in the forests surrounding the hotel
We drove back to Shimla, a hair raising experience. The roads are narrow and winding and very busy. We passed through many villages, none of which have pavements. There were a few near misses but no one was injured!
Back in Shimla
Tomorrow we travelling back to Delhi, by taxis and train.
This morning we had a very interesting talk, with slides, about the history of Shimla and the surrounding area by Raja Bhasin, who has appeared on Tv with Michael Portillo. We then got into a fleet of taxis and drove through narrow, packed streets to the Viceregal Lodge, which was the official residence of the Viceroy of India during the summer months when the British moved the seat of power to Shimla to escape the heat of Calcutta. Many British rulers have lived there including Mountbatten. It now houses the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
There were lots of monkeys in the grounds. Our group is a bit wary of them after some monkeys broke into one of the bedrooms while we were at breakfast and trashed the place!We then visited some temples, with amazing views over Shimla.
After lunch in another Oberoi Hotel we walked up Mall Road. Being on the mountainside, Shimla is very hilly.
We walked to Scandal Point, a popular meeting place, so called because of a scandal caused by the elopement of a British Lady with an Indian Maharaja. We then walked back to the hotel in another sudden storm!
