Agra

Everyone has a bucket-list (whether or not it's ever consciously recognised). Today I got to tick off one of my list.

We began the day at 5.00am with a bus ride to the station to catch the 6.00am air-conditioned, fast train to Agra. It was about a 2 hour trip and was our first glimpse of Indian countryside. The outskirts of Delhi refelcted the same apparent chaos that inner-city Delhi exhibits. The houses look half-built (or half destroyed?) and the streets are lined with people sitting on their haunches seeming to simply be whiling away time. What I am coming to realise though is that the chaos is only chaos in a westerners eyes. Things work here. Cars drive on the 'wrong' side of the road, pedestrians walk on the roads between the cars, tuk-tuks, motorbikes and cycle rickshaws, cars and motorbikes honk their horns continuously, cycle bells ring continuoulsy, people shout continuoulsy, roundabouts seem to be negotiated in either direction . . . but no-one gets angry. It's as though the rule of existence is 'care for others'. Drivers and riders slow down to let you in, not speed up to block you out. Honks and rings seem to mean 'I'm here' not 'Get out of the way'. It's chaos - but it works.

Anyway, I digress . . . .

The cityscape gradually faded to countryside - fields, small dwellings, space . . . . but still mounds of rubbish. And then we neared Agra where the urban chaos began to reappear. Different to Delhi. Slower. More space. But the same apparent chaos and politeness.

The Red Fort was our first port of call. I can't begin to retell the history of it but it went back some 400-plus years. The fort itself is massive with a perimeter is 2.5kms - it seemed more like a small town than a fort. Our guide was wonderful and so knowledgeable - I'm left feeling my historical knowledge of this part of the world is very lacking. I think I shall add some reading when I get back home.

We had lunch then it was a short trip to the Taj Mahal. We were briefed beforehand and then set free to do our own thing for two and a half hours.

This is where words begin to fail me . . . .

My first glimpse of the Taj through the huge redstone gateway arch left me breathless. Shuffling through the gateway with dozens of others I felt my throat constict and the tears well up as the beautiful, mesmerising icon presented itself in full view. That was a reaction I never expected (although there were others I spoke to later who had a similar experience). It's impossible for me to describe much more about it - it's massive, it's beautiul, it's perfect, there were hundreds and hundreds of people, it was hot and sticky . . . . . all facts of the day but not, I think, facts that even begin to tell the truth of the day. I guess you just had to be there . . . .