The day started out early. Both Amber and I were up at 5:00am, not on purpose. We both felt rested though. I am not sure exactly what we did to pass the time, but it didn't feel like we were awake for four hours, which was when we met up with our chaperone.
The day's tour in Delhi included a visit to the largest mosque in India and the location of the cremation of Mahatma Ghandi. Both were very powerful for different reasons.
The mosque was not like other mosques I have been to. Instead of a large indoor area for worship, the majority of the prayerful would gather in the courtyard. There was a small area covered by a roof for the Imam and the mihrab, but the plein-aire court yard could easily accommodate thousands of faithful.
While the experience was quite interesting, I can't help but feel it could have been better. Our guide, who again I will refer to as chaperone, didn't give us much information. He helped us get inside and informed us of the entrance fees and cultural regulations we needed to abide by. Because apparently no entrance fees were included in the price of the tour, we had to pay four hundred rupees for both of us to enter, and apparently that also covered one photographic device. Our chaperone said originally it was three hundred for each person, but when we were there he said four hundred for all. We assumed that meant both Amber could have her phone and I, my camera. As soon as we got in and Amber pulled out her phone, our chaperone said she wasn't allowed because we didn't pay for it. We were both confused but figured it wasn't worth trying to go back and pay more for it.
The other thing we weren't expecting was the clothing they required both of us to rent to tour the mosque. I was less surprised they had me wear a sheet over my shorts since, well, I was in shorts. But Amber had to rent a gown to cover her, though she was dressed modestly already. Either way, that was another hundred rupees.
Finally, and probably the most comical part of it, were the JW Marriott slippers we had to purchase to enter. Again, I do not begrudge the mosque for making visitors take their shoes off, as that is common practice at every mosque I have been to. What I found funny is that clearly not many size 13 shoe wearing visitors grace the mosque. I could barely fit the slippers around the wider part of the balls of my feet. And they covered about 60% of my foot. I made the best of it though, and got an excellent calf work out walking on my tip toes.
When we were finished at the mosque, we took what was probably one of the most chaotic drives to get to Raj Ghat, the site of Ghandi's cremation and the eternal flame/memorial for him. It actually wasn't nearly as intense as the drive we'd go on later in Agra, but up until now, it was the closest I came from closing my eyes and just praying we'd get where we needed to go safely.
Raj Ghat was a surpassing delight in Delhi. The massive complex is dedicated to the memory of Ghandi, the father of modern India. You walk along a long pathway which leads to either a continuation on the same level or a ramp that leads up to a square surrounding a open green space with a large black slab and small glass box in the center.
The black slab was the location where Ghandi was created in 1948, left open to the sky. The glass case enclosed an eternal flame, to honor his memory. Along the path leading to the courtyard were quotations from Ghandi, reminding those who visit to carry on his legacy of servant leadership.
In order for people to enter the lower level of the courtyard, you had to check your shoes. Unfortunately I left my JW's in the car. So I walked around in my socks. It wasn't as bad, but I had to make sure to avoid the water from the very zealous groundskeepers who were overzealously making sure that there was not a single dry patch in the grass at the memorial.
Amber, our chaperone and I walked around the cremation slab, seeing the eternal flame. After that, we decided to collect our shoes and then go walk around the upper level. I actually enjoyed that more because of the plethora of fresh flowers blooming along the inner side of the pathway. It was refreshing to see such color and beauty in Delhi. As we walked we saw honey bees gathering their honey, continuing the natural order of things. It felt very apropos for Ghandi's memorial.
Following our pilgrimage to Raj Ghat, we needed to stop by a shop and collect the custom suit I had ordered the day before. I was less than thrilled about being pressed to by more stuff, so after about five minutes in the store, we asked our chaperone when the suit would be delivered. He said about thirty minutes. So upon that realization, Amber and I suggested that we get an early lunch and come back after. He begrudgingly agreed and took us to Club Cannaught.
I know I have written a lot about food but I'm not going to write too much about the food at Club Cannaught. I had butter chicken (again), paneer naan (again), and a coke zero. What was incredible about this restaurant was the restaurant itself. First of all, it was massive. I was not used to such large rooms, let alone such space within said rooms. But this was probably 150ft by 75ft with tables and booths placed carefully and quite stylishly inside. The decor was in an industrial chic theme that would fit in the most hip millennial focused hotel lobby in any major city in the states. The music they played was coming from a DJ stand, and was all fantastic covers of US pop songs. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend the venue for those who need a little western comfort.
Once we were finished, our chaperone came in to let us know that the suit would be delivered right to the restaurant, so we should just hang out there a bit. Amber and I waited another twenty minutes or so inside. We decided to head outside and wait by the car when the Jasmin perfume that aromatized the large space started stinging our eyes...
After another twenty or so minutes, the suit arrived and we were on our way to Agra. We thanked our chaperone and dropped him off seemingly on the side of the highway and Amber, our awesome and jovial driver and I headed to Agra. Googlemaps said it was going to be a five hour drive, which would put us in the city just after sunset. Amber and I were both hoping to make it to the Moon Gardens of the Taj before then so we were a little disappointed. However, our fantastic driver found a few short cuts that allowed us to get to Agra well before the sun set.
The first thing that we did when we got in to the city was pick up our new guide, who also seemed to appear along the side of the road, not anywhere near any residence that I could tell... Sahil introduced himself to us and said we should head to the Taj and then we'd go to the hotel. Amber and I were hoping to take a real shower and spend the morning there, so he suggested we go across the Yamuna river and get a view of the back side, so we did that.
It was a fantastic choice made better by his decision to bypass the first viewing entrance and take us to the second. Not only was that cheaper, but the view was better as we were on the other side of a barbed wire fence with nothing between us and the Taj except another barbed wire fence, tidal mud flat and the river itself.
Both Amber and I were in disbelief of what we were looking at. The Taj Mahal stood before us, in its white marbled splendor. My first interaction with the Taj Mahal was a 3D puzzle I had when I was in second or third grade. And here I was, 7,500 miles from home, looking at the actual building. We stood in awe until we realized we needed to get photos.
Thank god I have a travel companion that has an eye for photography. Normally when I travel, I am the one behind the camera, but Amber made a point of putting me in front of the lens. She captured some incredibly flattering photos of me, in my red and gold paisley silk shirt, with one of the seven modern wonders of the world in the background. I of course returned the favor for her as well.
The viewing location was quite serene, until Sahil told us that the smoke we saw coming from the right side of the Taj Mahal was smoke from two bodies being cremated. Once we realized that that smoke was wafting toward us, Amber and I were ready to head to our hotel.
The hotel in Agra was definitely as step up from the one in Delhi. With an included breakfast, fast and reliable wifi and a true shower, we felt spoiled. We even had dinner on the rooftop, next to the pool. Overall it was a fantastic introduction to Agra!
The day's tour in Delhi included a visit to the largest mosque in India and the location of the cremation of Mahatma Ghandi. Both were very powerful for different reasons.
The mosque was not like other mosques I have been to. Instead of a large indoor area for worship, the majority of the prayerful would gather in the courtyard. There was a small area covered by a roof for the Imam and the mihrab, but the plein-aire court yard could easily accommodate thousands of faithful.
While the experience was quite interesting, I can't help but feel it could have been better. Our guide, who again I will refer to as chaperone, didn't give us much information. He helped us get inside and informed us of the entrance fees and cultural regulations we needed to abide by. Because apparently no entrance fees were included in the price of the tour, we had to pay four hundred rupees for both of us to enter, and apparently that also covered one photographic device. Our chaperone said originally it was three hundred for each person, but when we were there he said four hundred for all. We assumed that meant both Amber could have her phone and I, my camera. As soon as we got in and Amber pulled out her phone, our chaperone said she wasn't allowed because we didn't pay for it. We were both confused but figured it wasn't worth trying to go back and pay more for it.
The other thing we weren't expecting was the clothing they required both of us to rent to tour the mosque. I was less surprised they had me wear a sheet over my shorts since, well, I was in shorts. But Amber had to rent a gown to cover her, though she was dressed modestly already. Either way, that was another hundred rupees.
Finally, and probably the most comical part of it, were the JW Marriott slippers we had to purchase to enter. Again, I do not begrudge the mosque for making visitors take their shoes off, as that is common practice at every mosque I have been to. What I found funny is that clearly not many size 13 shoe wearing visitors grace the mosque. I could barely fit the slippers around the wider part of the balls of my feet. And they covered about 60% of my foot. I made the best of it though, and got an excellent calf work out walking on my tip toes.
When we were finished at the mosque, we took what was probably one of the most chaotic drives to get to Raj Ghat, the site of Ghandi's cremation and the eternal flame/memorial for him. It actually wasn't nearly as intense as the drive we'd go on later in Agra, but up until now, it was the closest I came from closing my eyes and just praying we'd get where we needed to go safely.
Raj Ghat was a surpassing delight in Delhi. The massive complex is dedicated to the memory of Ghandi, the father of modern India. You walk along a long pathway which leads to either a continuation on the same level or a ramp that leads up to a square surrounding a open green space with a large black slab and small glass box in the center.
The black slab was the location where Ghandi was created in 1948, left open to the sky. The glass case enclosed an eternal flame, to honor his memory. Along the path leading to the courtyard were quotations from Ghandi, reminding those who visit to carry on his legacy of servant leadership.
In order for people to enter the lower level of the courtyard, you had to check your shoes. Unfortunately I left my JW's in the car. So I walked around in my socks. It wasn't as bad, but I had to make sure to avoid the water from the very zealous groundskeepers who were overzealously making sure that there was not a single dry patch in the grass at the memorial.
Amber, our chaperone and I walked around the cremation slab, seeing the eternal flame. After that, we decided to collect our shoes and then go walk around the upper level. I actually enjoyed that more because of the plethora of fresh flowers blooming along the inner side of the pathway. It was refreshing to see such color and beauty in Delhi. As we walked we saw honey bees gathering their honey, continuing the natural order of things. It felt very apropos for Ghandi's memorial.
Following our pilgrimage to Raj Ghat, we needed to stop by a shop and collect the custom suit I had ordered the day before. I was less than thrilled about being pressed to by more stuff, so after about five minutes in the store, we asked our chaperone when the suit would be delivered. He said about thirty minutes. So upon that realization, Amber and I suggested that we get an early lunch and come back after. He begrudgingly agreed and took us to Club Cannaught.
I know I have written a lot about food but I'm not going to write too much about the food at Club Cannaught. I had butter chicken (again), paneer naan (again), and a coke zero. What was incredible about this restaurant was the restaurant itself. First of all, it was massive. I was not used to such large rooms, let alone such space within said rooms. But this was probably 150ft by 75ft with tables and booths placed carefully and quite stylishly inside. The decor was in an industrial chic theme that would fit in the most hip millennial focused hotel lobby in any major city in the states. The music they played was coming from a DJ stand, and was all fantastic covers of US pop songs. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend the venue for those who need a little western comfort.
Once we were finished, our chaperone came in to let us know that the suit would be delivered right to the restaurant, so we should just hang out there a bit. Amber and I waited another twenty minutes or so inside. We decided to head outside and wait by the car when the Jasmin perfume that aromatized the large space started stinging our eyes...
After another twenty or so minutes, the suit arrived and we were on our way to Agra. We thanked our chaperone and dropped him off seemingly on the side of the highway and Amber, our awesome and jovial driver and I headed to Agra. Googlemaps said it was going to be a five hour drive, which would put us in the city just after sunset. Amber and I were both hoping to make it to the Moon Gardens of the Taj before then so we were a little disappointed. However, our fantastic driver found a few short cuts that allowed us to get to Agra well before the sun set.
The first thing that we did when we got in to the city was pick up our new guide, who also seemed to appear along the side of the road, not anywhere near any residence that I could tell... Sahil introduced himself to us and said we should head to the Taj and then we'd go to the hotel. Amber and I were hoping to take a real shower and spend the morning there, so he suggested we go across the Yamuna river and get a view of the back side, so we did that.
It was a fantastic choice made better by his decision to bypass the first viewing entrance and take us to the second. Not only was that cheaper, but the view was better as we were on the other side of a barbed wire fence with nothing between us and the Taj except another barbed wire fence, tidal mud flat and the river itself.
Both Amber and I were in disbelief of what we were looking at. The Taj Mahal stood before us, in its white marbled splendor. My first interaction with the Taj Mahal was a 3D puzzle I had when I was in second or third grade. And here I was, 7,500 miles from home, looking at the actual building. We stood in awe until we realized we needed to get photos.
Thank god I have a travel companion that has an eye for photography. Normally when I travel, I am the one behind the camera, but Amber made a point of putting me in front of the lens. She captured some incredibly flattering photos of me, in my red and gold paisley silk shirt, with one of the seven modern wonders of the world in the background. I of course returned the favor for her as well.
The viewing location was quite serene, until Sahil told us that the smoke we saw coming from the right side of the Taj Mahal was smoke from two bodies being cremated. Once we realized that that smoke was wafting toward us, Amber and I were ready to head to our hotel.
The hotel in Agra was definitely as step up from the one in Delhi. With an included breakfast, fast and reliable wifi and a true shower, we felt spoiled. We even had dinner on the rooftop, next to the pool. Overall it was a fantastic introduction to Agra!
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