Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Hello!
We woke up on Monday morning and I was slightly apprehensive as we were leaving our little 'home' but excited to be moving on from the bustling and noisy streets of Delhi!
We had already packed most of our stuff the night before so we took all our bags down to reception and called our main man Kishore for a lift to the next hotel. He arrived in his little tuk tuk and put our luggage in the back, they may look small from the outside but they are quite roomy on the inside! The next hotel wasn't great but then it was change and i'm not great with change (why am I travelling again?!) It was basic but its for one night and we had to get up at 4am the next morning so we weren't worried. We then went on a little adventure to Lodi Gardens, and when I say adventure it really was an adventure, actually more of a bloody mission, we got the metro to the station that said was nearest to the gardens, well I think they may have been making it up as they went a long because we walked for what felt like a whole day (probably an exaggeration) we kept stoppping to ask people and they just kept saying '5 minutes'. Anyway we eventually got there and it was beautiful, it was like a huge park and apparently one of the most famous jogging places in Delhi. It was nice to have some peace and quiet for a while, we then went to Khan Market to have some lunch, Mia and I got over excited because there were actual shops and shops which had English food like Doritos and Coffee (Nescafe!) we didn't buy any but it felt like home for about 10 minutes! We went to a little restaurant around the back and up some stairs (Indian's love stairs, i've never climbed so many) it was nice food however we keep getting stung with tax so our bill is usually very expensive, still only about 13 pounds between us but in India it is very expensive!
We then headed back to the hotel on the metro and went to meet the rest of the group. There is 16 in total, 17 including our tour guide for the trip. There are 3 Norweigans (2 girls, 1 boy), 3 Germans (a couple and then a girl on her own), 2 Canaidian/Polish (a married couple), 5 irish (2 sets of 2 girls and then a girl on her own), and then an Englishman called George. Everyone seems really nice, the majority are young but George and the married couple are a bit older. We had our orientation meeting getting to know each other and then we all went out for dinner, was very nice. Afterwards we all went for a very much needed early night!
So we set off at 4.45am, there wasn't much conversation as you can imagine as everyone was exaughsted! We went to the train station to embark on our 2 hour journey to Agra. The journey was really good it was interesting to see all the scenery and we saw the sunrise and that was stunning.
We got to Agra at around 8am, and I almost had a heart attack, there was a COSTA right next to our hotel, I have never been so happy in my entire life until that very moment. We put our bags in our room and then went straight there, and as I had imagined it was delicious. Everyone sat outside of costa end enjoyed the coffee, I had 3 cups!
Some of the group went to Agra fort but Mia and I and 2 of the Irish girls stayed back as we had already been to Red Fort and didn't want to see another monument! So we relaxed at costa :)
Then for the Piece de resistance we went to the Taj Mahal! We had to get a mini bus to get there and then went on an electronic bus to save the envirmonment (pretty sure thats shot here) we drove past camels and cows, very random!
Once we got there we had a seperate tour guide to tell us about the Taj mahal and then we went through the massive archway and saw it, It was stunning, however I think as it is so famous it was a bit like going to the eiffel Tower, nice to look at and glad to go to it in real life but actually not that much going on, the eiffel tower has the view, the Taj Mahal has the history and then incedible workmanship that went in to it but if i'm honest and Mia agrees that Arkshadam that we saw in Delhi, even though was only built 6 years ago was much more breathtaking. But let's face it not many people can say they've been to the Taj Mahal and kissed the inside!
We went back to the hotel (which again is an ok hotel, internet was rubbish there though). It is quite bizarre as there was a costa one side of our hotel and then a pizza hut the other! Anyway we all went for dinner again, we had a buffet in a restaurant that was very Inidan, with large solid wood tables all carved and big wooden chairs to sit on, we sat on a very long table a bit like a banquet table and were served our buffet food rather than going up to get it. Again was very nice food. I don't really think i've had any bad food here yet. And so far (fingers crossed) I haven't been ill yet!
Tomorrow we go to Jaipur on a 6 hour bus journey!
This blog is actually quite late as we haven't managed to get internet and so Mia is doing the Jaipur one.
Lots of love to everyone
Ellie xxxxx
- comments
Mia She's not joking about the Costa. It was a high moment on our travels! Sad to say. We were so excited!!