The city that surprised me

“Don’t stay in Agra more than a day,” they said. “Go to see the Taj Mahal and then get the hell out, it’s a dirty place, there’s nothing to do there.” After coming to Agra on one of the four days I spent in India last year, I actually agreed with them, and was sceptical about the idea of staying for the two to three days we factored in when we insanely/responsibly booked train tickets for the next two weeks, leaving from Varanasi, traveling up and across to Amritsar, with stops in Agra, Delhi and Rishikesh.

Last year, when work sent me to India for a few days, the company I was working with in Delhi took it upon themselves to ensure that I got as much of a taste of India as I could in the brief periods of time I was free in between training and configuration sessions. From sampling all kinds of food from different parts of India, to car tours of Delhi at night, to drinks on the top floor of a revolving restaurant with an incredible view, Gagan, the marketing manager who was in charge of my schedule, really was amazing. The highlight of my trip was a visit to the Taj Mahal, a visit that I told almost no one about, due to the fact that we went on a Saturday, and most of my friends and family were still under the impression that I was an observant Jew and keeping the Shabbat, a fact that most people now know to be no longer correct.

The ten hour round trip to the Taj Mahal came after a long flight where I’d barely slept, and after two long days of training and being taken out at night. I was exhausted and feeling really conflicted about traveling on Shabbat, as it was all still quite new to me. The Taj Mahal was gorgeous, but after my relatively cocooned time in Delhi, being confronted with the intensity of the city of Agra, with its filth, poverty, and animals (the “real” India), juxtaposed with the opulence of the Taj, was a bit too much. Racing through the entry queue for foreign women and having to wait a long time for my companion who was in the Indian male queue, dealing with the stares of the Indian men and the multiple requests for photographs and money, was all so strange and uncomfortable, that it was hard for me to enjoy the day. I looked at the tourists who were there at the same time as I was, and wondered if it would have been a different experience if I would have been there with other tourists.

On Friday we left the intensity of Varanasi and took the night train to Agra. During the trip we meet up with a Brit, a Dane and two exhuberent Spaniards and by the time we arrived in Agra, we were a group of seven searching for a guesthouse. With lonely planet recommendations in hand, and some hard bargaining, we ended up at a place with a rooftop restaurant with an incredible view of the Taj. Our little group, together for only the briefest of times, had some good laughs over a lazy breakfast, lunch, and some afternoon “treats” courtesy of the Spaniards, after which some of us headed off on the quest to find the perfect spot for Taj sunset photography. Juan, now the expert haggler, took care of the tuk-tuk price and off we went.

Sunset shots from across the river went off almost without a hitch, as did the sunrise ones the following morning at the Taj itself, marred only by the sleepless night caused by a group of drunk, rowdy Brits, and the by-then seriously stoned Spaniards, who were all collapsed on the couches outside our room for most of the night. Juan almost getting shot at for trespassing (at sunset), and one of the Spaniards almost getting arrested for holding up a sign (at sunrise) only added to the good vibes and humour. Being at the Taj this time was a totally different experience to the first time. With only moderate time limits, as Justo, Juan and I had already planned on staying in Agra for another night, we enjoyed the quiet, peaceful grandeur of the place. An added challenge, recreating a photo of Juan’s grandfather from 25 years ago, was thankfully pulled off successfully, and we headed back to guesthouse for a leisurely breakfast, before saying goodbye to the others, who were all headed off via Delhi to continue their travels in other parts of the country.

We spent the rest of our time in Agra relaxing and exploring. For lunch we ventured out to a place I’d noticed on our 5:30am traipse to the Taj, a restaurant with a sign outside in Hebrew promising a meal just like those found in Israel, humus, pitot and all. There was no humus, and I can’t eat pitot but the shakshuka was awesome, and the Israeli salad, with vegetables actually cut into tiny pieces and not just slices of vegetables neatly lined up on a plate, almost made me cry with happiness. We made it to the Agra Fort (another quest for Taj sunset photos from a different location), and braved our way back to the guesthouse through the streets, breaking into what we now know was a public park, to escape the madness of the roads.

It’s been a good few days, although I’m still exhausted and desperately in need of some good nights’ sleep. By the second night I already felt at home on the streets of Agra, something that really surprised me. The streets seemed less chaotic than I remembered, probably because I’ve started getting used to the street culture of India, and Agra was quiet compared with the craziness of Varanasi. Joney’s, the restaurant with the incredible Israeli salad and shakshuka, has become our restaurant of choice, and the shop owners in the streets around the guesthouse recognizd us and no longer try to convince us to come and check out their goods. It feels good, such a change from Varanasi, and as I walked back to the guesthouse tonight, I actually wished we were staying a bit longer.

Tomorrow we're heading off to Delhi for a few days, where I’ll be couch surfing for the first time, and testing the quality of Indian dental care, as I need a filling replaced. Going back to Delhi should be interesting. The last time I was there I stayed in a five star hotel and was chauffeured from place to place, not allowed to leave the hotel by myself. This time I’ll be with friends, staying at a local's place, and experiencing more of the real Delhi. Most travellers don’t really like Delhi; they try to escape it as quickly as they can. I’m actually looking forward to going back, and to experiencing the city by foot, and not just from the comforts of the car. Looking forward to the challenges of the big city, with all that they entail.