Agra
We arranged for a car to take us to Agra from Delhi. It is supposed to be about a 3- 4-hour drive, but we knew to expect some delays, which of course there was. We had seen India traffic before, but not like the traffic on our ride from Delhi to Agra. For some reason the main road between Delhi and Agra was closed off causing all the trucks and cars to completely stop. Other than a few motorbikes squeezing by, nothing was moving. Many drivers turned off their engines and got out of their cars. We decided to stay in the car to avoid the mosquitoes. While in the car we saw some fascinating things...
All throughout India we have experienced poverty and people begging for money. Women and children often came up to us asking for money or food. It was very difficult to see, and left you haunted with guilt and sadness. On this road we experienced a different kind of sad begging. But even the poorest have levels of creativity. A man came over to the car window and knocked on the glass. Once he got our attention a little monkey popped up on the window and started to do tricks and flips. Of course, we were entertained by this, but it was still sad to see a helpless monkey forced to perform tricks.
We also saw tiny little women balancing huge sacks of dried cow poop on their heads. I know that sounds gross, but they resourcefully use the dried “cow-pies” for fuel (this may contribute to some occasional smells in some areas) I know this sounds immature- but we laughed when we realized that this is probably the origin of the term “doody head”!
Finally, after a 6 hour drive we arrived in Agra. I know I have been thankful for the Starwood points before, but this time I was the most appreciative ever. We had booked 1 night at the ITC Mughal, one of the most beautiful hotels I had ever seen! After driving down the beautifully landscaped driveway we finally arrived. We were greeted warmly by the hotel staff, with full uniform/ costume, who opened the door for us and escorted us down what looked and felt like the red carpet. Even though I had the backpacker, hiking boots and bandanna look going on, I still felt like a million bucks!
We got upgraded to a Spa level suite, which was a beautiful room with a full living room, spa bathroom and beautiful fresh flowers all over the room! The bedroom was perfectly decorated with a chaise lounge, big screen TV, but best of all the pillow menu that was on our bed when we got there. The hotel offers six different pillow options that you can order to make your night perfect. This place really thought of everything.
After settling in and we heard a knock on the door- it was our floor's butler offering us a tour of the hotel. She showed us the hotel grounds, the restaurants, lobby bar and of course the spa. After seeing all the beauty of the spa, and the shelves of awards and recognition for “The Best City Spa in Asia”, Joey insisted that the spa was necessary for our Agra experience. I didn't really put up a fight. We looked through the brochure of the many massage options. Joey being the more cultured one, chose the Indian “Gem Stone” Detoxification Massage. (The Guru did mention to Joey that he needed a detox cleanse- what better way to follow orders). Me, being the tenser traveler, chose the tension- relief massage.
The beauty and elegance of the spa experience really exceeded our expectations. After the spa we both dressed up in the nicest clothing we had and had a nice date in the hotel bar. After what felt like the dirtiest 2 ½ weeks of my life it was nice to finally clean up.
Even though the hotel and spa were absolutely amazing- let’s not lose focus of the real reason we came to Agra- the Taj Mahal. We woke up really early the next morning and headed to the Taj Mahal tourist center. When we paid for the ticket we got a little bag that had shoe covers to wear at the Taj Mahal- bright red- very cool! We then took a shuttle bus to wait online to enter the site. Even though we have seen the Taj Mahal in pictures and movies, it is much bigger and more amazing then we expected. We were told to get their early in the morning to beat the tourist rush, but it was still pretty crowded. Everyone walked around the Taj Mahal and the surrounding courtyard with a similar look of amazement and wonder. It is one of the Wonders of the World after all- and this makes it the third Wonder of the World for us on the trip!
