Where is Orchaa?

Greetings from Agra and the home of the Taj Mahal.

I arrived in Agra on Thursday night only to be told that the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. I'm not moving particularly fast anyway so this was not a problem. The combination of the general mayhem that is India, the heat and my natural propensity for inactivity has led me to take things very easy, nice and slow.

My first night here I wandered down the side of the East gate to the river and watched the sunset over a group of celebrating Hindus dancing and singing accompanied by drums and a brass band, splashing about in the water and throwing paint over each other. The backside of the Taj was my backdrop. I was escorted by my two newest friends in Agra, Johnny the 9 year old postcard seller and Salu, a 21 year old rickshaw driver who has subsequently taken quite a shine to me.

Agra is a pleasant change of pace after six nights in the heart of madness that is Paharganj, Delhi. That said, I got quite settled in Cottage Yes Please (love the name) and managed to get out and see some wonderful sights (tombs and temples mainly, as well as the Red Fort) in Delhi as well as got a taste for various parts of town on my excursions with Amit the spice man who became a friend and dinner companion during my time in his town.


Tonight is my third night in Agra and now that I've successfully seen the Taj Mahal from many sides and angles as well as times of day - I actually got up at 5am this morning to catch it at sunrise! - I plan to move on tomorrow. I haven't broken the news to Salu yet. I had thought I would get an overnight train to Varanasi tomorrow night but it seems the trains are full for the next two nights. The sheer mass of people being transported by this rail network is crazy - 11 million people every day!

So I have booked a ticket to Jhansi from where I can get a bus to Orchha, which I had never heard of until today when I struck up conversation with a couple from England after asking to look at their guide book. I was at the railway station ticket counter and initially a bit dismayed at not being able to go on to Varansi but on second thoughts, realised that it really didn't matter as I only have to be somewhere with an airport by the 17th when Caz comes, and that will probably be Kathmandu. That is a whole two weeks away and at the moment, so early into my trip, I still have that sense of time and space stretched out before me to explore this strange and wonderful, but exhausting place.

That said, what appeals to me about Orchha is it sounds very chilled and pretty. From there I plan to hopscotch my journey to Varanasi - Khajuraho, Chitrakut, maybe Allahabad. I am a bit disappointed to miss out on the overnight train experience but there are others times and other journeys to be had.

Ok, enough rambling from me. I am sat in an internet cafe that actually has relatively efficient service alongside my new friend Manuela, a lovely girl who has come all the way from Argentina for only two weeks. She has been from Mumbai to Varanasi to Delhi back to Mumbai then Jaipur and now Agra - and going to Delhi tomorrow to fly to Mumbai to fly home via London. That is dedication! And now I have a place to stay in Buenos Aires!
Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Taj Mahal is really quite splendid. This is true. It is not only awe inspiring in its beauty and intricacy, but quite staggering in the sheer mass of people going to pay their touristic duty. Almost as much as a spectacle - the buzz from the hubub of murmers inside the mausoleum sounded like a swarm of killer bees or a race track. It was incredible.

Namaste!