An exhausting, and wonderful, day in Agra India

Agra India is home to the incredible Taj Mahal. Lindsay and I visited this city with the sole purpose of going to see this iconic, and breathtaking, structure. However, we had an entire day in Agra and even after spending numerous hours taking in the Taj Mahal we still had the rest of the day to explore until our late train back to Delhi. After the Taj Mahal we decided to walk to Agra’s second most iconic structure which is Agra Fort. This beautiful, and huge, fort was built by the Mughals and is actually more of a walled city. The structure is extremely impressive as the outer walls/gates are made entirely of very large pieces of red stone. The only problem for Lindsay and I is that this fort is at least a mile or more from the Taj Mahal. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem but we were feeling the extremely hot weather and the hundreds of touts that make the road between the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort their hunting grounds. We started down the road and quickly realized that we were in over our heads. After fighting the sun and numerous touts we finally gave in and paid a tout to take us in his covered horse drawn carriage the rest of the way to the fort. Once we arrived at the fort we immediately purchased some water and began to explore. However, we quickly realized that the sun/heat was getting the best of us and we were not going to be able to explore this fort with the same energy level that we usually have. We decided instead to simply wander slowly through its numerous courtyards, structures, etc. We found one particular area to sit (in the shade of a massive stone gate) and probably sat there for over an hour just trying to stay cool and to keep our energy levels up. Although we were tired we actually really enjoyed exploring the Agra Fort and especially liked the unique view of the Taj Mahal in the distance. After a few hours we made our way back up the road to the old town area of Agra that surrounds the Taj Mahal. This area is famous for its roof top cafes that offer a view of the Taj Mahal. We found a cheap one of these and set up shop for a long evening of simply people watching. From our wonderful perch atop this restaurant we could see the Taj Mahal and had an incredible view right down to one of the busiest intersections in this part of the city. We must of sat their for hours just drinking Coke/Sprite and taking in the scene. Every time we ordered another Coke from our young waiter we could see him run across the square below us to a neighboring restaurant and come back with a Coke to give to us…we were quite amused by this. We could also see numerous locals on the roof of their own homes hanging laundry, sleeping, etc. Needless to say it was the perfect place to kill a few hours before catching our train back to Delhi. So although we were extremely tired, and hot, we had a wonderful experience chilling and taking in the “non-Taj Mahal” sights of Agra, India.