Taj Mahal (11.02.08)

Wow! I´ve found an internet cafe in our shabby district! I'm already used to ubiquitous untidiness. Shops, streets, buildings... everything's in poor conditions... So, I'm not surprised with the cafe neither.

Now, the msot important:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!

Most-most important: I've visited TAJ MAHAL today!!!!!!! Amazing.

The whole day was full of emotions, new experiences, unexpected events. We travelled by train frist time. Wow, that was... undescribable. Our Taj Express was about 800 m long or maybe even more. How do I know that? Well, we have an unique possibility to walk past it several time, looking for the proper class and coach. We asked several times, everyone showed different direction... Finally, it turned out that Paula took the wrong ticket. To Varanasi. Thankfully, she also took the proper one, so we checked the class once more and everything was clear.
There's one funny thing about the trains. Before you get on, you should check your name on the list hang on the coach with your seat. If it's not there - you have a problem.

We travelled in the second class: tripple seats, opposite us another tripple seat, next - another. And so on. It was quite crummy, windows weren't tight and it got quite cold. Nice.
There was plenty of food salers on the train. Walking through the coaches, shouting the names of their products, spreading tempting scents.
Samosa! Tea! Coffee! Bread! - that's what I heard the whole way long.
Beggers were there, too. Wiping the floor beneath your foot, aksing for many...
Cripples tried the same tactics. Well, they didn't clean the floor, just walked near your seat and looking at you desperately.
And the most annoying thing - all the Indians watching us all the time... I'm getting used to it.. Opposite us there was a man with a turban on his head, old lady covered with large piece of clothe and a man with a cup. Looking at us curiously, asking plenty quetions, offering help...
Finally we arrived to Agra. The railway station was extremely crowded. We met two Canadian girls and decided to hire one rickshaw. After few metres the driver stopes. Says he would take us on a tour around the city only. We don't want it, so we get off. There will be another rickshaw passing the street soon. This time the man agrees to take us to Taj Mahal for 40 rupees.
On the way we'retalking with our new friends. They've just come back from Thailand, live here with their diplomat friend in New Delhi. In one month they're leaving India to continue studies in Canada.
Ok, finally Taj. My next dream is coming true. NExt surprise - the entry costs 750 rupees. Indians pay 20 only.
We need to leave our luggage and cover shoes with special bags.
Oh, yeah, and there's security controll as well. Seperate gate for men, seperate for women. A female guard chekcs my bag, checks my body and lets me through.
We're going along South and East Gate. Picture time! Again and again! Good that Canadians enjoy taking pics as well.

AAAAAA!!! First look on T.M. AMAZING!!! A lot of tourists everywhere, mainly Indians. Everyone's taking pics here, near the entrance with the view on the TM and beautiful fountaine in the middle. We're approaching this miracle slowly, taking hundreds of pics. Clear white walls, floral decorations made of precious stones, ideally symetric.
I come up with an idea to show our joy on the pics. So we start jumping, holding our hands. And so we're like hovering in the air on the pics:) The Canadian do the same. Other people wathing us with a smile. And then they follow us...

Coming closer and closer. I'm speachless. It really IS amazing, wonderfull, breathtaking...Absolutely perfect, power of love that creates miracles and brings pain. All the people that were hired to build Taj Mahal had their hands cut off when the work was finished. Thus Shah Jahan wanted to prevent the construction of similar building in the future.

We're gettin inside. Quite dark. Photos forbidden. A lot of guards around. White bars surrounding the grave of Mumtaz, Shah Jahan's wife. Well, the building looks better from outside...

We meet a lot of people, a lot of Indians want pictures with us. So the photo sessions start. Quite exciting at the beginnig, but then we get tired. The Indians very annoying. I feel like a celebrity hiding from paparazzis...

Oh, and the river Jamuna. There's a great view on it from TM. Pity it lacks water at this time of year, but there are still a lot of cows and birds in it.
We're walking around the building, watching all that's happenning around... I still can't believe my big dream has just come true... Well, in fact I already have another one - to come back to India for the whole month, to travel around the country...

When we're leaving after 3 hours, we meet a Polish couple. Buddists. Nice. We're going together to Red Fort and then we have to split. They're going to get ticket to the southern part of India. We'd rather eat something before going back to the railway station.

So we end up in an empty outdoor restaurant. Crummy. As usual. But the food is more then delicious. I order Thal, which consists of 3 souces, 2 chapatis, rice, a bit of cabbage ans something terribly spicy. And it's 40 rupees only, twice as cheap as in Delhi in Banana Cafe. Cool.

We get lost looking for the way towards railway station. Some rickshaw men stop and offer us a lift. No, thank you. We want to walk.
And it pays off. Wedding! Famous Indian wedding just opposite us! So we stop, take plenty of pics, mix in the crowd of guests, greet the groom. He has a string of flowers and money on his neck, a turban, smart clothes. A young woman stands in frotn of him and holds a tray with white "cookies". That's a blessing. She gives us a piece of it and an Indian guy takes a photo of us and the groom. Everyone is so nice, they're more interested in us than in the wedding itself. It would be foolish to spoil this great celebration so we leave soon. I hope I'll have a possibility to attend an Indian wedding one day... Heard so many interesting things about it...

This city is strange. Taj Mahal somehow doesn't suit here. It's too beautiful, the city so grimy and unfriendly. The huge contrast. India in an nutshell.

On the way back, on the train, we meet a very friendly couple. She's from Ukraine, he's from Argentina. They work in Mumbai as models. Wow. We talk about things we know about our countries, the guy is surprised that we know what Yerba Mate is. And he knows quite a lot about Poland as well.

Three hours pass extremely quickly and our journey ends soon. Well, that was an amazing day. So intensive, full of adventures...


P.S. I love the Internet in India. Terribly slow. Especially in a cafe.
During one hour I managed to read three mails only answer one and... the electricity went off. Standard. It happens at least 3 times a day. Quite dissapointed, we left the cafe and didn't even have to pay the 10 rupees.

P.S.2. I know it's all quite chaotic. The whole India is! So it's becoming a part of me:):)