Cambodia: Siem Reap

Having said goodbye to Linda an early start sees us leaving Koh Chang in a minivan bound for the Cambodian border and on to the city of Siem Reap pending a smooth border crossing. The journey to the border was the best rally experience you could wish for albeit without an actual rally car, helmets and other safety gear required for such lunacy. On arrival at the border town we were dismounted and led to a cafe where some 'gentlemen explained what was required and how much it would cost instilling as much fear as possible should we choose not to accept their assistance!!

Another passenger with us, Dominique travelling alone sat with us whilst our visa's were being 'processed' and as we chatted learned that Dominique did not have any accommodation booked for Siem Reap so decided to come with us and get a room on arrival. When our visa's were sorted we were told we would need to walk to the border to check out of Thailand, walk across the "no man's land" and then into Cambodia immigration control. This seemed so easy however still making up the tension our guides seemed oblivious to the searing heat and weight of our back-packs but we carried on queuing, sweating and really hoping we would not meet with any 'special attention' from either side. Only a mere three and a half hours later and we're through to Cambodia and on a bus to the station to meet another bus (faithfully promised to have sir conditioning) for the supposed 4 hour journey to Siem Reap. When we get to the station it seems the details changed!

No bus waiting, no fixed time of arrival or departure and duration unknown also as it would depend on how many times it would need to stop but conveniently we could avail of a mini van or taxi which could leave immediately and would only take approximately two hours. At this point this seemed very begrudgingly our best option so with Dominique and a Canadian back packer whose name I didn't catch and whom had been waiting for the same bus since 12:30pm (now 4:35pm by the way!) agreed to share a taxi which was supposed to bring us to our hotels and left the bus station.

A pleasant air conditioned trip chatting and taking in the countryside before darkness falls and we see the lights of Siem Reap approach and quiz our driver as to why we've turned off the main highway!! He must go to company base as company car and must follow company rules. We arrived to be told "now tuk-tuk to hotels but ok as no extra charge" with little option we give in and as seems to be a popular theme are delighted to finally arrive at our hotel tired, hungry and in real need of a shower.

We showered and headed out for dinner, walking along the river to Pub St. (Sounds promising eh) in the evening heat, Siem Reap seemed pleasant and surprisingly peaceful. When we got to Pub St. we were not disappointed, lit up like a European street in December with bars and restaurants lining both sides with tourists and locals milling about in a buzzing atmosphere. After a tasty meal and a beer we retire for sleep with full bellies.

First day here we venture out into the heat, very much missing the sea breeze of Koh Chang to take a look around and get our bearings in daylight. This city is really surprising me as I was expecting it to be much more like India in terms of development but it's much more modern and the river bank lined on both sides is quite picturesque. Having taken a walk around we decided to head towards Wat Bo, Siem Reap's oldest Buddist temple at 425 years old and still active today with approximately 150 monks living here. There is also a cemetery here with high tombstones more like mini temples with a great level of detail carved all around them. As we arrived at prayer time access was limited but was it was interesting to listen to the chants and songs from outside.

Later on we headed back into town to see a traditional Cambodian dance before dinner. Although very interesting it was not really a dance as we would know and was much more about hand and finger movements than dancing but entertaining and certainly worth the visit. Dinner and an early night then for an early start to see Angkor Wat tomorrow.

Angkor Temples

Angkor Wat known to some as one of the seven wonders of the world (another ticked off the list) is the main attraction of the Angkor temples which span over 200 square kilometres. The only temple that's been completely restored as a Buddhist shrine is the Angkor Wat where you can see the monks dressed in orange robes milling about, while impressive the Ta Prohm stole the show for me (Geri). It's amazing to see how the jungle has just grown on and around the ruins although it has been cut back you can see how the jungle had just swallowed it up. The other temples and there are a lot of them were in varying states of ruin some were quite similar to those we'd seen in Khajuraho but in no way as ornate or as well preserved. With temperatures reaching their peak and having seen the big hitters we decided to head back to the hotel to avoid the sunburn before heading out later that night to the night market and to watch the all important football. I won't mention anymore about the football only to say we had a few that night to drown our sorrows.

The next day was a long one, not quiet hung over we headed to the Irish bar in town for a breakfast roll. Hmmmm.......breakfast roll, the place was obviously not owned by an Irish person. What we got was miserable, crispy bacon and I mean crispy and sausages that were more like those you get in England full of herbs not what we were expecting!

For the rest of the day we browsed the endless markets before food and out night bus to Phnom Penh which was an experience and one not to be repeated! More about that in the next post. 

Koh Chang Thailand

Leaving India.

A short two and a half hour flight lands us into Bangkok airport at 10:30pm with the easiest visa we work have to deal w with on our travels, just complete the short form and hand it to the immigration officer, have your picture taken and all done.
Our bus from the airport to the Thai island of Koh Chang however was not due to leave until 07:50 so we found a restaurant and had a bite and a few beers to help pass the time.

As it was so early when we boarded the bus the heat had not kicked in yet so when our first toilet stop came about two hours in, stepping off the bus was like stepping into an oven, the heat just slaps you all over much more so than India but the landscape surrounding us was so different and so peaceful compared to our time in India.

We arrived at the ferry for Koh Chang island some 6 hours after leaving Bangkok, tired hungry and again incredibly hot having to get off the bus to walk on the ferry when it arrived. An hour later and the ferry approaches the dock at Koh Chang with high hopes of a nice shower, food and an ice cold beer. As we were herded into the back of pick-up trucks grouped by the resort's we were staying at it became clear we were the last stop on the island, long two days getting longer as minutes now felt like hours it had to end soon (yes I know pretty whingy start to our stay on a paradise island and it even gets worse before it gets better!!)

When we arrive at our resort we see the lovely little bungalows we had seen when booking and started to relax as we checked in but as we were led to our bungalow this changed quickly as behind the beautiful little houses consisting of a bedroom and bathroom we were led to two timber shacks! These were our bungalows, made with timber lats spaced roughly a quarter inch apart for the floor and three walls, at least the roof seemed watertight however it seemed that any small wildlife in the vicinity could join us if the wished!

As they were literally just big enough for a double bed and the path beside it to the bathroom we dropped our bags on the bed realising as we looked around that their was no curtains on any of the three large windows or presumably meaning we were entertainment of some kind for other guests! There was a fan on the ceiling but obviously no air con, fridge or TV as advertised! These may seem to readers as an utter luxury when back packing however after three weeks in India this was meant to be a little chill out on the road. The manager although seeming confused initially with our issues explained that they were full and this was the only option, ah........... no, was the response. When we explained our position to him he very kindly agreed to refund our deposit (apparently very unusual in Thailand) and even allowed us to use the Wi-Fi to book another resort. Having booked another on-line we got a taxi (another pick-up truck with two benches on the back).

Our arrival at the next resort was met with some bemusement by staff as they were not expecting anyone today as they were full!! (At this point I was screaming obscenities in my head and very close to throwing all my toys out the pram in a massive tantrum!!) After some chatting and pleading they eventually confirmed that they could accommodate us, hallelujah! So after nearly two days we had a shower, meal and a beer.

The whole idea of our stay here was to just chill out so this is what we did, eating good food, drinking and chilling by the pool or the beach (lonely beach). We even managed to watch Ireland win the six nations and the swan song of an Irish sporting legend, Brian O Driscoll.

Paddy's Day.
We booked a snorkelling trip headed for the boat at 08:30am we boarded the boat ready for a day's activity and the scenery just leaves you short of breath even with the hazy sunshine just feels like paradise. Given the gear we jump off the boat and are immediately blown away by the colour and life beneath the gorgeous blue line defining the sea from the sky. We were introduced to many creatures big and small with the clams bigger than football's and spikey sea urchins looking rather dangerous but it was the really vibrant colours of the many different types and sizes of fish that stole the show.

Our party again seemed to intrigue the staff on the boat with the question "which one is single?" being asked many many times throughout the day and they did not seem to care whether it was one of the girls or me as the compliments kept coming and more and more direct as threatened on!!

We had 5 stops on the trip at various small islands for snorkelling, swimming and Sun bathing on small perfectly white sandy beaches each as beautiful as the last. On the trip back we realised that we may have gotten just a touch of sunburn here and there despite using sunscreen regularly we summarised that the sea breeze and salt water had obviously played their part! Delightfully cold showers and lots of aloe Vera before making it to the bar for dinner and given the day that was in it, a few sociable drinks of the alcoholic kind. Planning to head to the other end of the island to the Irish bar for some festivities after dinner the weather of Ireland decided to los honour the day with a massive thunderstorm and rivers of rain!! This halted plans for moving as traffic tends to pretty much stop when this happens after high temperatures as the decent but insanely hilly roads just become far too slippery, stay put and drink on it is.

Apart from this day we carried on the doing nothing but eating and drinking which after 3 weeks in India was exactly what we needed before we moved on to Cambodia or at least two of us did which soon became three again just not the same three!

Kolkata our Indian conclusion

Varanasi to Kolkata (Calcutta) "the long days night"
Our last overnight Indian train was due to depart Varanasi at 20:10 and given the traffic conditions our hotel strongly recommended we leave no later than 17:30 to be sure so as they had arranged the driver that's what we did. The driver had little English but did make every effort in fairness to explain that we would go out of town to avoid the worst of the traffic. As we seemed to get further into the sticks one could almost hear banjo's playing in the air and even more stares as we passed groups of seemingly startled locals. We eventually came to a highway although the driver didn't appear to know how to access it we carried on putting the poor car into holes a tractor would be doing well to traverse  but thankfully after much wincing (mainly me) and tearing on the underside of the car we were on it. We drove for some time and as if on cue I asked how much further just as the driver indicated to turn off. He explained that this station was in Mughal town (calm down Potter fans, Mughal not Muggle) and they would not see "too many of our kind" and to watch our belongings as thiefs (he even mimicked creeping at this point) would operate here. We arrived and quickly got a sense of his warning. Given that it only took an hour to get there we now had two hours to kill and went to the cafe upstairs deciding that eating there was probably not too clever and with no tea, coffee or milk had our cokes and sat for a while. Getting onto 19:45 I decided to check the platform and was shortly followed by a lone white lady we had seen in the cafe. With no info on the platform and the train having now disappeared from the board I made my way nervously to the enquiry desk. Having been stood on, climbed over and just plain pushed out of the way for 2-3 mins it became apparent brute force was the only way to get to the window! I was then told one hour delay at which point I turned to find the same white lady behind me contemplating the "queuing system" she asked what train and confirmed she was on the same one asking if she could join us. We chatted and learned that Elaina was Swiss and travelling on her own in India for three weeks, brave girl in my opinion! A few games of cards and another coke the advice this time was that it would be two and a half hours late now! Our time in the cafe had thought us that rats are everywhere and not eating here was indeed a clever move. More time had passed and with no further announcements we headed for the platform at 22:15 more trains none of them ours!  Having played dodge the rat for about half an hour, back up to the station and the board now showed our train and three and a half hours delay, this information was not received well! We decided the bridge to the platform was probably the least likely place we would pick up any extra passengers in our bags or indeed any bites bigger than the unavoidable insects. Here we picked up another stray, Josh, an American thirty something also travelling alone other than his ukelele visiting schools and orphanages volunteering his time and money where possible. Many hours later and given how long this story is thus far I will cut it considerably shorter and confirm that our train due at 20:10 eventually arrived on the platform at 04:20!! Sleep funnily enough came much easier on this train.

Kolkata (Calcutta)
As we were due to arrive here at 06:50 we were understandably somewhat jaded stepping off the train at 17:20! No transfer to our hotel meant the best option was the pre-paid taxi service as deemed the safest by websites and lonely planet alike. Our driver then had never heard of the address and got lost so when we eventually found the hotel he said as we had given the wrong address we should pay him more money! Rather coolly I pointed him to the sign with the street name on it as we had shown him very politely telling him that I was not going to pay extra for him getting lost, he didn't seem to agree so walking away seemed the best option. We checked in and were too hungry to contemplate a rest or even a shower so ventured out in search of food. We stumbled upon a lovely restaurant although expensive with very nice food and ice cold beer. That was us happy to return to shower and sleep.

We now head towards Mother House, Mother Teresa's home and where she worked from 1953 to 1997 with a small hospital and convent. We walked there about 2.5km along a road where many mechanics carried out all manner of repairs to tuk-tuks, cars and 4x4's with the most basic of tools. It became apparent that as well as repairs many vehicles changed identity here too, number plates, chassis badges, window tints, stickers and hubcaps all changing a vehicle completely in a matter of minutes! Mother House appeared almost invisible on the busy street, painted dark grey with yellow Windows. It was in some ways similar to the Gandhi museum we had visited in Delhi with many photos, stories, speeches and everyday items used by Mother Teresa on display. We also saw her tomb on the ground floor with the words "a clean heart can see god" arranged in orange petals on the white marble tomb. Also the room where she lived and 'went home to god' quite an awe inspiringingly tranquil place in the middle of a busy city.

Kolkata is by far the most westernised city we have been to in India with many designer shops and malls and just seemed in some places at least to be much more affluent than the other cities. There were very few touts or offers of tuk-tuk, autos etc. everybody just getting on with their lives and for a pleasant change not taking so much notice of us as we walked about.

Victoria Memorial in Kolkata was also within walking distance so decided it was worth a look. 
It is set in the city opposite a large park with lots of ice cream vendors and budding cricket stars honing their skills. The memorial itself is a very large marble building housing a museum and some 25 different galleries within and is set in beautiful grounds with lakes and perfectly maintained gardens. Looking at it you can see similarities between it, the Taj Mahal and in a strange way Capitol building in Washington. It was built as a memorial to Queen Victoria with construction starting some five years after her death and taking 15 years to complete.
One can't help but notice the difference between this and Mother's House and on reflection begin to understand the way the world did, does and presumably will continue to be somewhat misguided on what really matters in life.

On the way back we passed St. Paul's Cathedral, a very gothic building quite small in stature for a cathedral and very typically English inside with dark timber furniture and crests lining both sides of the church itself.

We returned to our hotel to grab our bags and and an unusually uneventful taxi ride to Kolkata international airport for our flight to Bangkok.


India:
'Incredible India' and it really is in so many ways. Such a massively over populated country means if you want it, you've got to make it or take it! The sights, the sounds, the smells can and will often leave a person utterly speechless, jaw on the floor and not knowing whether to laugh or cry! It is a place that every person should visit at least once in their lives if for no other reason than to put

Some of the "sayings" we've learned here;
"If you hurry hurry, you end up chicken curry"
"No money, no honey"
"3 good things you need to survive on the roads in India, a good horn, good brakes and good luck" (tells you everything you need to know that a God horn comes before good brakes!
"Everything is possible in India" & "why not" (the most common responses to any question or request)

Varanasi

After the overnight train we arrived in the morning and done our usual, breakfast, shower and nap.

We had some issues with the hotel which meant that it was early evening before we could go anywhere, on the plus side however the hotel arranged a complimentary driver to bring us to the Ganga aarti ceremony at Dasaswamedh Ghat. This is a Hindu (river worship ceremony) fire and dance ceremony staged here every evening at sunset. The atmosphere was very festive with hoards of people everywhere, there was as many people sitting in boats on the river to watch the ceremony as there was sitting on the ghat. This is also where people buy candles surrounded by flowers which they light and watch float down the river as an offering to the gods. We managed to get a good viewing point, admittedly we had to pay for it and the whole thing was fascinating to watch. It's hard to believe that such a crowd of people is drawn to it every single evening.

After the ceremony we headed back to the hotel with the driver in chaotic traffic. Varanasi is probably the worst place we've been for traffic. There's more cycle rickshaws and a lot less tuk tuks which seemed to make it more difficult for cars to get through the traffic. Even the police posted at interactions seemed to struggle with the chaos, their attempts at directing traffic err futile. By the time we got back it was time for dinner and an early night, we'd a boat ride arranged to see sunrise the following morning which was well worth the early start.

We watched the sun come up over the river and the ghat's come alive with people bathing and doing their washing. I wouldn't wash my feet in the water it was so dirty but there was people washing their teeth in it and I'm not sure how they got the cloths clean but they didn't actually look too bad laid out in the sun to dry.

After breakfast out driver arrived and brought us to see some of the local temples which were very ordinary in comparison to those we'd seen to date. After the temples we were brought to a silk factory where we saw silk being woven both by hand and mechanically and surprise surprise we were then taken to the owners shop and shown his wares over some chai tea. You couldn't argue some of the pieces were gorgeous and very cheap in comparison to prices back home but we managed to escape with buying a couple of scarves.

With our early start we called it a day quite early and headed back for a nap before dinner and an early night.

The following morning we walked the ghats along the river to Manikarnika Ghat which is the main burning ghat where Hindus are cremated. You can watch the cremation but for obvious reasons photography is not permitted. We watched with curiosity, the body is brought through the streets on a bamboo stretcher to the ghat where it's first doused in the river before being taken from the stretcher and laid on a pile of wood and burned. The wood is weighed to work out the cost of the cremation and the different types of wood vary in cost. The whole thing seemed very impersonal and only seem to have included males.

We spent the rest of the afternoon following some lunch wondering the narrow streets and browsing the street stalks before heading for yet another overnight train which was to be our last in India and it was by far the worst experience we've had, more about that in the next post.

Khajuraho

Our train which was meant to arrive at 6.30 finally pulled into the station at 8.30 which we later learned was quite common for this particular train. Thankfully a rather giddy pick up was there waiting and brought us to the hotel which was only a couple of minutes away.

Our surroundings were very different here, we were in the country which made a change, green fields everywhere. Our hotel was 3.5 kilometeters from town which was a good thing and a bad thing which we'd find out later. They even had a pool however construction had not yet started!

Unfortunately the beers the night before didn't quite have the desired effect so after having breakfast a shower and some sleep were needed.

We relaxed for the afternoon in our quite surroundings then headed to town for some dinner but we were not alone. A tuk tuk was arranged through the hotel and on the way we picked up Harry who we now referred to as one of our babysitters through our stay. We weren't really given a choice of where we were going for food and were brought to the town square to a restaurant which Harry recommended. The food was good and it was cheap so our only complaint was the constant company of either Harry or his colleague Sanji (codename chow-mein). We were only left alone to eat our meal! Harry was quite knowledgeable and gave us some tips and told us about about the area which was great but Sanji was just a nuisance to be honest.

At 9.30 we were pretty much hunted back to our hotel where we later learned that the town really shut down at around 10.00

We'd two full days here and Khajuraho isn't very big it's just a small town really but it's famous for the kamasutra temples and there's a waterfall and national park near by and a market in town so we decided to do the temples and wander the market on the first day and do the waterfall and national park the next but that didn't happen.

A tuk tuk was aranged by Sanji seemed to be ever present at the hotel and off we went to look at the eastern temples with Harry who appeared again on route. The eastern temples were spread out through the countryside so we got to see some of the farming life as well as the temples. The temples were very well kept in nice grounds considering their locations with very detailed intricate carvings both inside and out. We didn't see too much of the kamasutra in these but they are more common in the western temples.

Following the temples we took a walk with Harry through old town where the people still live in the cast system. Harry was a great guide and explained their way of life. There were cows wandering everywhere which would make you think that you'd need to be careful of your step like in other places we've seen but that wasn't the case. Harry explained that the women collect the dung in the morning and spread it outside their homes between these painted white lies for luck! Smells lovely honest!

We also visited a local school on our walk which is run by volunteers. They teach 300 primary school children and provide bicycles to those who live far from the school. They provide uniforms to each pupil so all children are treated equal regardless of they're cast and until recently some of their classes were thought outside. Despite the small playground the kids were quite happily playing hopscotch and were keen for their photos to be taken.

After lunch in the same restaurant as the night before our itinerary changed. We'd intended on seeing the western temples and having a browse through the local market but Harry thought it better to go see the waterfalls and the national park. It turns out he was probably right, the drive kept us out of the worst of the heat for a while.

The ride there was fairly bumpy in a Rick Shaw but it got even worse through the national park where we saw antelope, deer, monkeys, vultures, crocodile and wild boar before the waterfalls. The waterfalls were impressive and the surroundings were like a mini Grand Canyon but it was hard to enjoy the view with our compulsory park ranger rudely trying to pry a tip from us then trying to sell us some stones from the area which he'd cleverly hidden where he had us cornered at the top of the valley. Lucky man not to disappear down the waterfall.

That evening we were brought to the same restaurant again which we didn't actually mind we knew the food was good and it was cheap so we couldn't complain. They only sell beer but Harry at our request got us some Indian wine. They call it wine but as we found out its more like their version of poteen, very strong, we didn't manage to drink much but headed back to the hotel to have a few after our 9.30 curfew minus our babysitters.

The next morning we were the talk of the hotel, apparently we'd had a party in the lobby. What had actually happened was we'd met a couple from Argentina who'd just arrived and invited them to have a drink with us in the lobby. We'd stayed in the lobby till midnight or a little after chatting and this was thought to have been a party! Like I said Khajuraho isn't very big and everything seems to shut about 10 so our little chat in the lobby was apparently more than a little unusual as even Harry & Sanji asked us about it seeming almost offended they were not invited.

We'd a long day ahead of us, our train wasn't until 23.40 so we thought we'd take it easy at the hotel after check out and organise our flights etc. Out of India. This would have been fine had it not been for Sanji hanging around bothering us so we decided to go to town and sit in a cafe with Wi-Fi instead. We made it to town without picking up Harry and were delighted thinking we might actually get the day to ourselves but that was not the case, he appeared as soon as we stepped out of the tuk tuk.

The trim: (cue tension building music)
After some time in the cafe looking at flights and accommodation, I said I'd ask Harry if there was a barber in Khajuraho that would have an electric razor as both my beard and hair (yes, yes what's left of it!) were getting a little out of hand and given the heat the insulation was really not required. The response was "of course, follow me" so as with everything else here I followed on, Harry then shouted to someone across the square at which point the magic man Sanji appeared again and pointed us to a barber! I think that Sanji must have had at least one identical copy as it seemed impossible for him to be every place we went before we got there. As I have cut my own hair for more than 8 years I was more than a little cautious about this and not helped by Harry's conversation with the barber in their language however having heard the word "machine" in there somewhere I calmed a little. I was ushered to a chair ahead of the waiting queue which I'm sure only furthered enamoured me to the bewildered locals and tried to explain to the chap that I wanted to see the 'machine' so I could check the blade length. The blade was there and correct albeit with a few teeth missing and he nervously started on the beard. Having rejected the styling advice of both Harry and the barber I had to take off my glasses for him to continue. Now I don't know if the non visually impaired men or indeed women out there understand that this is not pleasant given the progression of clipping and cutting when you can't really see how it's going! The barber and Harry continued to converse and then asked if I wanted my beard and hair shaped? With a cut-throat razor? Are you f#$*ing kidding me?? Several firm 'No' responses I thought had cleared that up. The barber carried on and finally finished again with requests to let him loose with that razor. Putting my glasses back on and quickly scanning the mirror I quickly stood up to the barber's bemusement as he had not yet given me a head and shoulder massage, confirming that these were also not required, I paid and left with Harry confirming that it was more expensive because I wanted the machine and I should consider it cheap anyway as it would have cost at least double had he not been babysitting me! Traumatic but done without any weird designs or blood drawn and another little experience in the bag.

Returning to the cafe, we doused ourselves with sunscreen and headed into the western temple complex a cross the road. These temples were the only ones here that we had to pay to get into and as they were set in a pretty park like garden in which some of the lawns were being mown when we entered. In honesty these temples although magnificent were very similar to the previous ones we have seen here but certainly worth visiting.

After seeing all the temples we sat on the lawn to re-hydrate and have some time to converse without ears constantly gathering information. When we came out of the park we headed toward the market and stopped into a pashmina craft shop that Harry had mentioned previously owned and run by 'Super Mario'. It wasn't difficult to understand the name when we met him as you were almost looking over his shoulder for Luigi and the game theme tune playing in your head. Some scarves and pashmina's were purchased and having picked up Harry and Sanji again we walked a short distance to watch the sunset from the ruins of a nearby temple.

After yet another mask at the train station we headed to the train station for our next over night train.

Agra

The train; many experiences, good, bad and indifferent on these the most environmentally logical way of moving a large number of people from A to B however never before have I gone to a station knowing that I will be boarding one for 16 hours!!

With more than a little trepidation we arrive at the platform at roughly 3:30pm for 16:15pm departure. We passed through the "security gate" somewhat of a free for all where if you put your bag on the conveyor it was scanned otherwise you just walk through making it seem more than a little pointless. Having located our platform with relative ease we were unsure as to whether the train already there was in fact the train we would be boarding or not. After some time we established that it was however we could not see our coach and then panicked when the train started moving, there was no need as it became apparent that the train was so long they could only have so many carriages in the station at any one time! After some too-ing and fro-ing we found our carriage and boarded. 

The carriage consisted of 6 compartments all open with four bunks in each and another two lengthways opposite with the aisle in between. A pillow and blanket provided for each one. Unfortunately we were not all together, in fact all three were in different compartments which was not ideal. We tried to settle quickly and on the advice of friends and other travellers locked our bags to our bunks and watched the remaining passengers filter on and settle also. Once we were moving we started to relax a little as the carriages were not full and even managed a game of cards. As the stops continued more passengers came and also some randoms seeming to just be checking who was where and had what belongings (you do not need a ticket to get on the platforms so presumably sleeping passengers with easily accessible belongings would make for easy pickings for any likely opportunists). We retired to our respective bunks where some of us slept and some did not, no prizes for guessing here folks. 

I had a chat with a chap who appeared in my cabin and learned that at 26 years old he was a captain in the Indian army on the officer programme and had some 800 soldiers in his command. It was not as bad as I for one had expected however the constant motion on the not very straight tracks really did grate after a number of hours. You would not want to be a light sleeper if you had intended to stay asleep as constant comings and goings, phones and conversations would not easily aid peaceful sleep in any case. The night passed without any notable incidents albeit very slowly and we were very happy got get off on the platform in Agra. It's difficult to describe the disorientation and dizzy feeling that this amount of time on a train can give you until you experience it. Conclusion though is not too bad at all, would be massively improved with a locking cabin as would make sleep much more feasible.

The home of the Taj Mahal. Somewhat inauspicious start when we arrive outside a hotel we did not book and are then told that the hotel we were booked into was full and this was a sister establishment of equal quality. We could not argue that the place looked very new and of a good standard with a nicely decorated and laid out room. The only issues we had really were that it was slightly further out from the centre and the Wi-Fi is only available at the reception desk, first world problems eh. 

Due to the train journey to get here we again opted to take a shower and rest before exploring.

A little later and a little refreshed we check Google maps and decide to head towards the 'Taj' for a look around the area as given the time felt it better to leave entry to the following day when we would be much better able to appreciate what we were looking at. Google maps seemed to take us on a much longer route than required so we gave in and hailed a Tuk-Tuk (this was not a first for Google maps either ladies and gents). When the driver stopped a short ride later he tried to explain he could go no further as only electric vehicles were allowed beyond this point which was we're you purchased your tickets, some 2km from the actual entrance. We carried on for the stroll and found a lovely quiet viewpoint by the river bank (Yamuna) outside the walls with great views and a sneaky glimpse at the rear of the 'Taj'. We returned to the area around the main gate and opted for one of the many rooftop restaurants for some dinner (and a beer but better whisper as this should not be sold so near and does not appear on a menu or as a beer on a bill.....). The naan bread for the curry was lovely, the curry was not! The poor old man that had to bring everything up the very steep and narrow staircase would make you not ask for anything else either. We came across a nice couple in their late sixties from Canada touring India for 3 months and loving it. 

Day 2:

We book a driver for the day as with many places as it really is the most effective way of seeing a large number of sites and when you have more than one day you can still have a wonder about yourself anyway.

First stop, "The Baby Taj" (Itimad-ud-Dualah) it is not an exact replica by any means nor was it intended to be however you can see the similarities and is set in well kept gardens with the river at the rear. The central tomb made entirely from marble with finely carved marble lattices allowing just a little sunlight in to gently kiss the graves inside.

Baby Taj

View of the entrance from the Baby Taj

On then to Aggra fort....

What can I say, this was our third fort and they're not that dissimilar.

Main building Agra Fort

The Taj Mahal

We got to the main gate to find the queuing system resembling the railings separating animals at a Mart (irish farmers auction for those that do not know). Ladies in one row, gents in another and then another row which after much shooing I gathered it was the one I should have been in basically for foreigners (male only) who paid three times the entry fee. I was happy to skip ahead in any case. Once inside the iconic building comes into view and instantly images flash through the mind of every time you've seen photos, postcards or films showing this majestic place quickly proving the saying that 'pictures do not do justice'. 

The volume of people fighting to get prime location for photographs snaps you back to reality. Deciding it's likely easier to just carry on we make our way along the fountained ponds marvelling at the magnificent structure. As with every significant place you must remove your shoes before climbing the stairway to the raised base. Photography is not permitted inside the mausoleum and describing the level of detail inside seems impossible. As there is very limited light inside the precious stone inlays in the marble can really only be appreciated when one if the attendant places a torch on it and the coloured inlay comes to life really making me we wish I could see it all illuminated. People throw coins into the centre presumably as some kind of wish request but unfortunately this was no clarified (pretty sure the net will have an answer though). Due to the volume of human trafficattendants were quick to move people along as understandably one could spend a long time just staring. Once you come outside you then notice the immaculately kept gardens that seemed invisible as we walked through them. Walking around the mausoleum just enforces the magnitude and detail involved in its construction. We spent some time just strolling around marvelling at what really is a wondrous place including the views out onto the river at the rear.

After a day of sightseeing we decided we deserved a beer and asked out driver to bring us to a particular bar we'd read about in lonely planet but he advised it would be full of drunk Indians but that he knew of a restaurant near our hotel where we could have dinner and a beer no problem before we went for our next train. We were probably should have known better, the restaurant was expensive and they tried to charge us three times the price or the beer but we asked the price first and after going to walk away we managed to negotiate a more reasonable price. 

We enjoyed our meal and a few beers then headed to the train station for yet another over night train which was to be the shortest in the hopes that the beer would make sleep a little easier.

Amritsar

Next leg Amritsar which was a very short flight from Delhi.

We didn't get off to a good start here, our driver left us waiting nervously at the airport for 40 minutes and then proceeded to drive like a lunatic to the hotel and when I say lunatic I mean lunatic by Indian standards not irish or English standards which would have been much easier to deal with. We did however eventually arrive at the hotel in one piece where we experienced the rudiest welcome you can ever imagine. It was almost like they didn't expect guests!

Later that evening we asked where the restaurant was and were directed to the 4th floor where we found it was closed which the guy in reception didn't think to mention while directing us. We did however manage to get some room service which wasn't bad if you like everything smothered in butter!

Following our meal we decided a quite night in was a good idea given we were to board our first overnight train the following night. IT was a great idea had it not been for the loud music playing next door which kept two of us up all night.

We did however soldier on the next day to the Golden Temple which was spectacular. The weather was great and the atmosphere was different.

After spending a couple of hour here we headed for the train station for the long 16 hour overnight train to Agra.

Delhi

Delhi next and getting there by our first experience if Indian trains.

Packed and ready to go we mount the trusty tuk-tuk for the station. Yesterday's rain made this and the station pretty messy as the most common street paving is..........nothing. the station itself was manic even at this time but the train wasn't so bad we were seated together in a decent carriage that wasn't even full thankfully and 5 hours later we meet our contact at the station in Delhi.

Our accommodation here is The Smyle Inn hostel, cheap and ahem cheerful. Based in a narrow lane off the main bazaar it seemed to be a magnet for all manner of dreadlocks individual as well as utterly bewildered Chinese and Japanese. Yet another place that had never experienced a fine balding red head with a "very cool beard sir" (I'm guessing you can all hear the inferred as accent in there). Also 1 male travelling with 2 women seems to intrigue the locals here more so than the previous stops.

Given our early start we opted to grab a light breakfast on a nearby rooftop cafe before grabbing an hour's kip. As soon as I hit the bed I was out, really not like me but heat and exercise obviously take their toll. After the deep sleep we go a wandering again, up through the bazaar in search on Connaught Place which apparently is the place to be in Delhi. A city centre type location which is 3 large circles of streets inside each other. This was a disappointment as apart from the temperature and general shape you may as well have been on any UK high street with Nike, Starbucks etc, etc.

We headed back to the bazaar for dinner and picked another rooftop restaurant for dinner. On selecting from the menu we enquired about beer? Response was a cagey look round and then a quiet response of Kingfisher or Tuborg! 2 minutes later our 'tramp chic´ beers arrived in brown paper bags as we later learned it's very difficult to get a license to sell alcohol so most do not have it on the menu and are quite discerning as to whom it would be served. Our meal arrived shortly after and tasty it was too. As time went on in the restaurant the atmosphere became very relaxed as I slowly realised most other people in there had Brown paper bags and own rolled cigarettes used with tobacco from actual cigarettes!

View from the rooftop resturant

 Day 2
We have a driver to get to as many places as possible. Thankfully the driver was spot on, helpful, polite and not looking to enrage everyone. First stop, Jama masjid mosque in Old Delhi. Here you had to remove shoes and legs, shoulders and arms covered. If you had not already done this yourself someone was on hand to do it for you! Wrapping a shawl around my legs as I had shorts on the guy says quietly that I now owe him 100 rupees, government tax............needless to say he didn't look like a government official although they say actions speak louder so one could draw their own conclusions. The mosque itself was impressive with views all round the old city.

Jana Masjid Mosque

Next stop was the Red Fort. A good walk from the car park, ticket office (more than double the cost for foreigners) and another security check and we're in. Pass through the shy, retiring vendors who don't pester you in any way to look in their shops or buy their wares we get to the very large gardens with buildings dotted about mainly for prayers or stashing harems of women (clever sods). Nice place and well looked after with a seemingly very out of place WWII exhibit.

Us overlooking the gardens

On to the Gandi museum. Dedicated to the life of a great man, the only criticism one could consider was possibly too much detail including 2 teeth removed in mid life. Otherwise very interesting and educational about the life, struggles and sad untimely death of a true legend among men.

We came out to the start of another massive thunderstorm so took the drivers recommendation of good, Indian cuisine. It did not disappoint which is more than can be said for the weather as we came out to torrential rain!
We carried on then to Humayun's tomb. Given our clothing we considered skipping this one but thankfully the rain eased enough to let us carry on.

Humayun's Tomb (The Taj Mahal Design is based on this)

Moment in time to never forget : it was in this place I learned that I had become an uncle :) my elder brother Don and his partner Aimee had provided me with my first nephew a beautiful bouncing baby boy Lorcan Daniel Tuohy. Congratulations folks, so sorry I can't see him for a little while.

Lorcan Daniel Tuohy

Akshar Hamid temple is the last stop of the day. This is a massive complex with high security, no bags, backpacks or anything other than your clothes and wallet at a stretch. We learned that this was due to a serious incident which you can Google as I do not wish to get into this level of detail here. Having checked in our backpack we carried on through security into the complex. Temple in the centre as always and surrounded by very intricate gardens, a man made lake and 12 very detailed and life like elephants. The lake was also feed by many bulls head spouts made of bronze. The interior of the main temple was obsessively ornate with every surface carved with some design and perfectly symmetrical. This however this was nothing compared to the centre chamber of the temple that shone and sparkled like nothing I have seen before. It would appear that all religions have a very similar attitude to this in that their places of worship are far more ostentatious than needs to be considering the code of ethics they preach. It was however worth the visit.

Our travels continue again with another unexpected flight. Given the lack of availability of trains and considering the cost of accommodation it just made sense so a flight to Amritsar it is.

Amritsar.