Varanasi to Agra

The taxi to Mughal Sarai Station arrived way too early at about 9pm leaving me a couple of hours to wait. Coming into Mughal Sarai, passed lots of places set up for weddings; otherwise it looks a dismal place. There is no sign of my train on the indicator board in the forecourt. One kindly man suggested I make my way to Platform 3 where there was an air conditioned waiting room with seats for 1st Class passengers. The alternative was joining the hordes lying or sleeping in the forecourt or on the bridge. 

Mughal Sarai Station

The sign in the forecourt eventually showed my train coming in on Platform 6 but when I got to Platform 6 a few minutes before my train was due to depart, another train was arriving. A train to Agra came in on Platform 4 but it wasn't mine. Sure there is a logic in how Indian railways operate but it is well hidden. Most of the so called "Express" trains seem to follow long, convoluted routes across the country; the train I am waiting for, a "superfast Express"   runs from Patna Junction in Bihar to Jaipur, taking about 20 hours and runs once a week.  Up on the bridge and on the platforms most of the electronic indicators were dark and all I could hear were announcements for other trains. Up and down all  the steps with my bag a couple more times trying to check on when and where my train was coming. Eventually found two young guys waiting for the same train who seemed to think it would come in on Platform 6 eventually. It did, but well over half an hour late and I couldn't see the AC1 coach on the platform. Got onto the last coach on the platform and worked my way to the back of the train where I found the AC 1 compartments. When I asked one of the officials which berth I was assigned, showing him my  ticket, he shouted at me to get off the train, telling me I should be on the train on the next platform, the other train going to Agra. He opened the door and seemed to expect me to climb down to the track bed, no platform outside, and then onto the other train. Only when I forced him to look at my ticket properly did he concede that I was on the right train after all and after looking it up on his phone told me my berth. Not a pleasant experience. Checking tickets isn’t helped by the fact that out of an A4 sheet of paper, the useful information, train number, departure time etc are printed in 7 point type and occupy approx 15 mm of the nearly 300 mm length. The rest is filled up with rules and regulations, advertisements etc.  It was after midnight when we pulled out of the station. Got my sheets out of the paper bag, put them on the berth and went to bed but didn’t sleep particularly well.


Woke up about about 7am travelling through more flat agricultural land. The line looks as if it has been electrified and a new, possibly high speed, line is being built parallel to it. In theory we should arrive at Agra at 0725 but I estimate we are about four hours behind schedule. No chance of visiting the Taj Mahal this morning. At 1310 we reach Tundlah Junction about 12 miles from Agra but we just wait and wait. Feeling very sleepy but scared of falling asleep and missing Agra.  Finally get into Agra Fort Station at about 1430. 

The Train Looks Quite Smart from the Outside
Agra Fort Station
The station is aptly named for it is right next to the massive red sandstone Agra Fort. Got a tuk tuk to the hotel Atulyaa Taj which looks quite good, the room is pleasant and spacious but with no window, just some high skylights. I was quite happy to veg out. Went up to the roof restaurant and the "Taj View" from which I got a view of several other hotel rooftop restaurants and eventually  found the Taj Mahal after looking in the wrong direction. Right behind the hotel is an ancient looking structure that seems to have lost the battle with the forest.

View of the Taj Mahal from the Rooftop Restaurant



The Forest Taking Over

Evening went out to Bamboo restaurant, not far from hotel, which gets good write ups on TA. The food was pretty good, had a tasty paneer curry, naan bread and a diet Coke. This is the first time in India I have been able  to walk along a road with proper pavements. Obviously quite new and presumably intended to give a favourable impression to the tourists visiting the Taj Mahal. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Delhi

Image
Jodhpur to Delhi My journey started after breakfast with a chilly tuk tuk ride to the airport along almost empty roads through the more modern part of town. The airport looks more like a railway station than a typical airport. And it doesn't open until 0930 so I had a sweet, milky tea at the little cafe outside. The only other passengers here are a couple of backpackers, guess they didn’t realise it would be closed either. Although the airport opened at 0930 it was after 1000 before the check-in counter opened; I could have had another hour in bed! Nothing much to do in the departure lounge and then walked across the tarmac to the plane, an ATR-72,  a turbo-prop, which  was pleasantly quiet inside. Jodhpur is a military airbase so outside, the air was pierced by military jets screaming overhead and we were warned not to take photos from the plane. The in-flight magazine shows a different India from the one I have experienced, of luxury home interiors, glamping safaris,...
Read more

Jodhpur

Image
Jodhpur day 1 Had breakfast on the rooftop terrace, porridge with fruit, toast and black coffee since I have given up on getting white coffee that isn’t almost pure hot milk. Climbed up to the fort behind the guest house and bought my ticket and camera permit which includes the audio tour which I thought was pretty good. The fort and the palace within it are run by a trust which seems in turn to be run by the Maharajah, just like Jaipur. It's all in brilliant condition and obviously well looked after. As with Jaipur, the beauty and workmanship are stunning.  The Fort The Fort The Fort Palace inside the Fort Typical Window Style There was a small display of a hookah and opium paraphernalia. According to the audio guide the opium wasn't smoked, as we are all taught, but drunk as a tea.  The Rajput kings, such as the Maharajah, were a warrior class who believed in death before dishonour and built up their courage before battle by taking opi...
Read more

Farewell to India

Last day in India Checked out of the Holiday Inn, which took a while since the reception desk seemed totally disorganised, a shame since the hotel did well on everything else. Although I did get a bit of a shock when I walked  outside to find myself on a wet, muddy service road with no obvious access to the main road. Luckily a passer-by showed me the route through the Samsung building forecourt next door. Then back to real India for a few hundred metres, a few modern buildings interspersed with squalor, garbage and a couple of cows on the way to the "City Centre Mall, which was quite civilised. It may not have been up to Singapore standards but it would pass muster anywhere else. Realise I have been in Singapore too long when I judge the world by the standards of shopping malls! Obviously malls are where middle class Indians come to do their shopping, not the city centres. It looks like, as in the US, there has been a flight to the suburbs leaving the city centres looking ble...
Read more