Outside and a few metres from the grand entrance of the Taj Mahal I found myself passing under a narrow arch and into a small town apparently unused to visitors.
Narrow streets, stalls on either side, tailors, millers, jewelers, sweets, fruit. Some of everything. Men, women and children going about their ordinary, everyday lives. Was this the real India? Is this what I had come to see?
We went swimming in the morning at a pool used by the ex-pat families. Wow - what service, nimbupanis served on silver trays by very polite waiters in white jackets who quietly appeared every time I climbed out of the pool. The only problem was the heat - the tiled floors and the metal handrails were too hot to touch - what luxury! What a contrast to the grime and squalor of yesterday. Then back home for lunch and siesta.
In the evening we went to the Qutb Minar a UNESCO world heritage site. At over 70m it is the highest in India.
From the railway bridge we could see into the town. It was flooded in murky water to about 6-8 inches.
We enquired about trains. The next train was at 2:30, a two hour wait, and would take 5 hours!! After this morning's train: dismay. But there was a bus which took only three hours. A better bet. We'd get the bus.
We got up at 5:30 after a sleepless night. It had been awful. All night we had lain in bed listening to each other tossing, turning and groaning. The power had not been restored and the fans didn't work. We were too hot and we had been attacked by mosquitoes. Bzzzz all night, and their bites are quite aggravating. It was my first experience of mosquito bites and no one had warned my to bring a net.
Woke early at about 5:30. The mosquitoes hadn't attacked - thank goodness! Went for walk before breakfast. First morning in Nepal. Returned to hotel and ordered toast for breakfast. It took ages. I think they went out to buy the bread. At about 9:00 we set out to explore the town. Jane bought some chocolate - Cadbury's - but it hadn't survived the heat and goodness knows how old it was. It was not very nice.
Visa photos secured, Ben went off to sketch dilapidated temple courtyards. Jane and I explored a fruit and vegetable market and quite back streets taking more photographs. Jane needed them for her university photography project.
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