Off to Agra – 27 December 2010

The first scheduled stop in Delhi at the ruins of an old mosque was abandoned at the gate because of the thick fog, so we settled in for the 6-hour coach trip to Agra. The first stop was a rather smart restaurant where we enjoyed a light lunch.

As compensation for missing out on the fog-shrouded Qutub Minar, we stopped instead at Sikandra, the mausoleum for Emperor Akbar, built by his son. It has an interesting mix of Hindu (flowers) and Muslim (geometric designs) architecture. The water features no longer contain water, but considering it was completed in 1613, it is a remarkably well preserved monument. It is very dominated by the number 4 or multiples thereof in the towers, gates, rooms and so on. The only exception being that it has 5 floors,

Agra was only a short distance away, but soon after leaving Sikandra, the traffic jams began in earnest. The population here is 2.5 million compared to Delhi's 18 million, but they also can create serious traffic jams.

Our Hotel was the pleasant Clarks Shiraz, and after an tasty Indian meal, we could still hear the car horns tooting outside on one of the 'quiet' streets in Agra. I suspect they may go all night!