Before I get ahead of myself I want to back track and go over how Agra went before I talk of today (seeing as the last post was done as my flight was boarding). There are only a couple of trains a day to and from Agra, meaning that the one I was booked on left from New Delhi Station at 6:15 in the morning, which meant I had to get up at 5 (ahhhhh!). Made it to the station by auto (rickshaw) of which I had no idea where it was. Sidenote, none of the autos in Delhi use a meter (even though they have them in the rickshaw, they will tell you it doesn't work) meaning that you have to negotiate the price (beforehand). This can be hard when you have no idea how far your going (or how long it will take in Delhi time), and when you are as white as a chicken (actual quote from a shop woman I met) debating price can be difficult to say the least. Got on the train, had some breakfast (included in ticket price) and headed to Agra. Was awake the whole trip except for the last ten minutes and then worried that I had missed my stop (I didn't). Having gone to a bookstore the day before, I looked up tours in the bible there (way to cheat the system) and found one that left at 10:30. My train got there at 9:00 so I had an hour to kill and got some coffee to wait for the tour. Now, Agra is the place of the Taj Mahal, meaning that every tourist in the world has to go there while visiting India (at least for their first trip), which translates to tons of people harrassing you for everything: taxis, post cards, elephants (stone carvings not real elephants), chess boards, the list goes on. Barely made it to a coffee shop without taxi drivers ripping me apart for an all day fare. Got back to the tour office to find out that I was the only one so far that day to sign up and if they didn't get more people it would be cancelled. Long story even longer, two more people showed up and they ended up doing the tour (wipes sweat off brow). The tour was a little pricey, but in retrospect it was the best choice, not having to go and negotiate with taxis to get everywhere and having a guide for all three places rocks (I highly suggest for others going to Agra). Even on our way the to bus the taxi drivers tried to convince us that the bus was not going to go becuase there were only three of us (they will say anything to get you to agree). Did Agra fort (largest fort in India) and was the palace of Shah Jahan (the man who built the Taj Mahal) and you can see the space where he fell in love with Mumtaz Mahal (queen barried at the Taj). Then it was the Taj. It is corny to say, but it is breath taking the first time you see it. Much like stonehenge, it is hard to believe that you are really there. Took lots of pictures (the very touristy ones) and saw the tomb and all that good kind of stuff. Then it was off to Fatehpur Sikri (another fort that has the biggest gate not just in India, but in all of Asia). After this is was back to the train station to head home. Now, there are shoe shine men at almost every station trying to get you to have a shoe shine (which in India is pointless becuase two seconds later your shoes will just be dusty again). I hadn't done it all trip, and I do have leather shoes so I finally decided (got conned) into doing it. At the end he tried to charge me way over what I knew it was worth and I spent the rest of the time waiting for the train (only like five minutes) arguing over the price (with other shoes shiners trying to come in and redue the job) it was the most touristy event that happened in India (look what happens when Shawn is gone). Now the train station that the train goes back to is different then New Delhi Station and is closer in distance. So since it took me around 2 and a half hours to ge to Agra I figured it would be a little shorter on the way back (you know what happens when you assume). The train is called the Taj express, but express is a stretch . 3 and half hours later we finally get to the station, which again is somewhere where I don't know how far it is from my hotel and I get to negotiate another ride (fun). All in all it was an amazing, but long day (good last day in India). Today was a travel day and the meaning of the title of the blog. The plane was the plane of children (this one family had four all under like 5) so lots of crying (fun), but at least no one (including me) threw up. I landed in the same terminal, took the same train, am staying in the same hostel, room, and bed I did on the first day in London and of this trip. The whole trip has come (you guessed it) full circle and I am going to end it the way I began it, by getting a pint. Time to go before it gets too late as I only get a couple hours of sleep before going to the airport. There is still a little more to come.
Picture count: 1160 (could be the final count......or not)
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