I got to the train station more than an hour before I was due to go and found where I thought the train was leaving from. It was fairly empty on the platform so I sat down and read a bit. Then, suddenly, three kids came and sat next to me (as has often happened now!) and of course demanded my attention. They were friendly so I chatted with them in broken English (them more than me...) and then we were joined by another man and a few kids selling stuff. Other people were sitting staring at me so I fet quite uncomfortable. I rested my arm on my bag in case one of them tried to take it but eventually they all went away without incident. I went over to the desk where people were getting their tickets checked and found out I was in the right place. Two other westerners came over to do the same thing and I got talking to them. We each found our carriages and I ended up in the same one as the woman, Sophie. It was in first class but it seemed to correspond with the number on my ticket. There was no-one else in the compartment and we got talking and passed the time easily. The inspector came and told me I should be further down but I managed to convince him to let me stay there to talk and said I would go to my place later to sleep. When I went, it wasn't what I expected. I was on the top bunk so no-one could sit on my bed anyway, there was air conditioning and it was fairly quiet. I lay down and managed to sleep for about 4 hours until I had to change at Delhi. I'd chained my bags up but I don't think there was any incident at all. Despite being nervous about this journey, it was more like the most luxurious travelling I've had here!
I felt in good spirits after I got off the train and waited for three hours in a civilised waiting room where there was nothing to be worried about. I got my next train at 7.15am after dozing a little while I waited, and went the rest of the way in a comfortable carriage with plenty of space and got into Agra at 10.30.
I got a rickshaw to the hostel I'd booked and the driver offered to take me on a tour of the city. I had arranged to meet Sophie at a café at midday so just asked him to take me there. When I got there, I saw she had left me a message saying she'd changed her plans and wouldn't be meeting me. That was annoying as I was now where I was meant to meet her so I had to think of what I was going to do that day. Then, as the café was getting full, two more customers joined me at my table. The man from from Barcelona and the woman from Colombia. We got talking, of course, and decided to go somewhere together. They were very nice people and we went to the fort wth my driver and walked around there chatting and getting on really well. It's good when things like this happen. It was, however, the hottest day I'd experienced, 40 degrees and really humid. So we walked slowly and sat down to talk more before I left for the Taj Mahal and they went elsewhere.
I got in through the gate at around 5pm and saw the famous sight. It was obviously beautiful to see. The main thing that makes it so nice is its size but inside, it is nothing spcial at all. Just a mausoleum with the two tombs in the middle and nothing else of any note to see.
I sat down outside to try to cool down and left just after 6. I had been invited to eat at the hostel by the family as it was their daughters birthday. Other guests also ate there so I got talking to them. We had a good evening in and I chatted till 1am with Alan, an Australian who has been travelling the world on his savings for the last three years. I happily slept well there and decided not to do anything on my last day. I was due to just go into Delhi and straight to the airport in the evening so talked more with Alan, who wasn't feeling very well and stayed around for some time. I will be picked up by the driver from yesterday at 4.30 to go to the bus station and then, it's off to fly back.
I felt it is time to leave India now. I have done my work and seen a few places but really, it's too hot to be here any longer after this much time in the country so am quite content to go. It's a shame I couldn't see more places though, like further south but it was quite fitting to finish by seeing the Taj Mahal.
I felt in good spirits after I got off the train and waited for three hours in a civilised waiting room where there was nothing to be worried about. I got my next train at 7.15am after dozing a little while I waited, and went the rest of the way in a comfortable carriage with plenty of space and got into Agra at 10.30.
I got a rickshaw to the hostel I'd booked and the driver offered to take me on a tour of the city. I had arranged to meet Sophie at a café at midday so just asked him to take me there. When I got there, I saw she had left me a message saying she'd changed her plans and wouldn't be meeting me. That was annoying as I was now where I was meant to meet her so I had to think of what I was going to do that day. Then, as the café was getting full, two more customers joined me at my table. The man from from Barcelona and the woman from Colombia. We got talking, of course, and decided to go somewhere together. They were very nice people and we went to the fort wth my driver and walked around there chatting and getting on really well. It's good when things like this happen. It was, however, the hottest day I'd experienced, 40 degrees and really humid. So we walked slowly and sat down to talk more before I left for the Taj Mahal and they went elsewhere.
I got in through the gate at around 5pm and saw the famous sight. It was obviously beautiful to see. The main thing that makes it so nice is its size but inside, it is nothing spcial at all. Just a mausoleum with the two tombs in the middle and nothing else of any note to see.
I sat down outside to try to cool down and left just after 6. I had been invited to eat at the hostel by the family as it was their daughters birthday. Other guests also ate there so I got talking to them. We had a good evening in and I chatted till 1am with Alan, an Australian who has been travelling the world on his savings for the last three years. I happily slept well there and decided not to do anything on my last day. I was due to just go into Delhi and straight to the airport in the evening so talked more with Alan, who wasn't feeling very well and stayed around for some time. I will be picked up by the driver from yesterday at 4.30 to go to the bus station and then, it's off to fly back.
I felt it is time to leave India now. I have done my work and seen a few places but really, it's too hot to be here any longer after this much time in the country so am quite content to go. It's a shame I couldn't see more places though, like further south but it was quite fitting to finish by seeing the Taj Mahal.
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