Agra: Taj Mahal and the rest

The night train to Agra was already running late on departure from Chittorgarh. During the journey the delay grew and at the end we arrived to Agra almost 3 hours later than scheduled. On the plus side we were travelling together with a very nice Indian couple both of whom work as teachers at the some Indian Uni. They also explained to us about the prepaid taxi's that you can take at any major station which are much cheaper than if you try to bargain for it.
The original plan was to arrive and to visit Fatehpur Sikri the same day, leaving Taj Mahal and the rest of Agra for tomorrow. However, due to the delay we had no time left to do as planned.
Luckily, our guest house was just 5 min walk from Taj Mahal's south gate and the owner of the guest house suggested that we visit it first, considering that the weather was really sunny and nice for pictures. This time of year Agra can be very foggy, so we decided not to take chances counting on the sun the next day.
Five minutes later, at the south gate, we saw a huge crowed of Indian people trying to get in. One of the store owners, after getting our promise to visit his shop, friendly informed us that the foreign tourists can go to the separate ticket counter and inside the gates without having to wait in line, because the tickets price paid is 12 times more expensive than for Indians. The VIP treatment, thus, but its gonna cost you :-)

To get to the Taj you have to go through 2 gates. One, where you are scanned and frisked, and the other just the entry point to the Taj grounds.

 I read somewhere that Taj is the most photographed place in India and by the look of it that was completely true.

The building is richly decorated and it is unbelievable that all that can be done with marble.

After Taj  Mahal we wanted to walk around a little bit and asked the rickshaw to drop us in the downtown. This is where ended up: at yet another bazar.

So we decided to get back to the guest house and to just enjoy the dinner and the view of the Taj in the background.

On the roof of the nearby building (by the look of it is was some Islamic school) boys were playing cricket and the tourist from the neighboring roofs where cheering them on.

The next day we planned going to the Agra Fort and the Fatehpur Sikri, another UNESCO Heritage site which is about 55km away from Agra.
The Red Fort in Agra we liked much more than the one in Delhi, as it has more to offer and seems better preserved.

From the fort's wall you can also see the Taj at the turn of the Yamuna river.

Outside the fort there is a usual chaos of people, animals and vehicles. And cows, that apparently loooove garbage.  0_o
We are definitely not drinking or eating any milk containing products here as well!

On the way to Fatehpur Sikri...

... we were blocked by some cows walking around. It's funny, but during our whole time in India we never saw cats, just plenty of cows everywhere. Dima said that they probably don't even have cats.  

Once there, the driver dropped us of about 1km away from the entrance and we were immediately surrounded by the "oh, so helpful" guides. Normally, we ignore them all together, but this time Dima somehow decided to follow one who was eager to show us the way. After walking a couple of side streets, at some point we ended up in the middle of some slums. I wanted to take the camera out to make some photos, but Dima said that it was probably a bad idea and that if I want to keep my camera, I should keep it out of sight (only his exacts words were not that polite :-) ). We were about to turn back, but finally at the end of the street we saw a whole bunch of stairs going up to the entrance. Making that walk, wasn't a great experience, but it turned out all right.

Fatehpur Sikri we liked a lot as well and if it wasn't for the "guides, who assure you that they are absolutely not the guides" that constantly trying to get you somewhere or sell you somethinng, we would've liked it even more.

Locals don't need tickets, they know the free entrance points.

When got back to the car we found this :-) I wish I could do that at work!! It felt almost like a crime to wake him up.

I love photographing Indian roads, as they always surprise you with so many interesting and funny things.

This truck is driving on the wrong side of the road and the driver was pressing the horn the whole time like he was right and everybody else was driving wrong.

Indian bus :-)

Driving with less than 3 people on a motorbike is simply unacceptable in India (here there are 4 of them, with one hanging on the other side).

Back in Agra we were just in time for the evening crowds.

As it was our last evening in Agra we couldn't leave without taking one last pic of us together with the Taj...

... and of yet another gorgeous sunset.

Conclusion: Taj is gorgeous, of course, and creates a much bigger impression than can be anticipated. The fort and the Fatehpur Sikri are both worth a visit as well. Agra as a city is quite disappointing as you do expect more from it. Especially the area around Taj, it almost feels like Taj was built here by mistake. I am completely sure that if it wasn't for Taj, and may be some fans of Sherlock Holmes, nobody would bother to come here.

Next day: Sex temples of Khajuraho and Orchha's forgotten city