...And Then There Were Three

Trip Start Feb 02, 2011

Trip End Feb 24, 2011

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Flag of India Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India
Friday, February 11, 2011

This morning I had a complete meltdown about not wanting to be here anymore. That train ride just drained every last inch of hope I had for this trip. The only thing more I will say is this, and then I will let it rest like an evil creature that deserves no proper burial: The 12401 MAGADH Express crept lifelessly into Delhi at 12:30am this morning with the same unapologetic languor in which it began. A twelve hour train voyage would eventually turn into 21 hours when all was said and done, and not once did anyone come through to check our tickets or tell us where we were or how much longer it would be. Occasionally I would walk over to the kitchen car (right next to the rancid restrooms) to ask someone when we would arrive and answer was always one, two or three hours depending on who you asked. That pure, unabashed carelessness, the complete disregard for other people’s health and safety is truly what keeps them two worlds apart.

En route to Agra

So Jen met us at the hotel at around 11:00am (she had arrived yesterday from Japan) and we headed over to meet Moustak (our travel agent) at Friend's Travel and settle up the bill, which consisted of the hotel, tours and transportation in Varanasi, the train ride to Delhi, and the 14 day Rajathstan tour for the three of us which includes our driver (hooray Mr. Singh!), all hotels, all breakfasts, two tours, two dinners and a camel ride in Jaisalmer. We’re spending more than I expected but I could care less, because at the end of the day, when your memory starts to stray, it’s the prices and costs that will pack up and leave you first.

The four hour drive to Agra was quite uneventful, although it’s nice having Jen along because she has such a positive outlook and she oozes radiance the way our bodies feed from the sun. It’s always great having another soul to collect memories with; especially when it’s through travel which is basically memories on steroids.

As we arrived into Agra it was immediately apparent that the city was much cleaner yet smaller than the other cities so far. Some cars were newer models and you could tell there was less dirt because the white cars were actually white

En route to Agra

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We're staying at the Hotel Royal Residence in a modest room on the second floor. Tonight we ate dinner at yet another touristy restaurant where all of the white people in the city are brought together to stare at one another and pretend we’re all back home again. We bought some "black whiskey" (i.e. nasty local whiskey, since even Johnny Walker Red is almost $50.00) on the way to restuarant for around $15.00 at a little liquor shop on the way and poured it generously into our warm glasses of Pepsi. The necessity to "take the edge off" here is an understatement.

Bedtime!

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