Road Trip to Agra India...Now that is an ADVENTURE

Taxi cab and hired drivers are a distinct class of people.  They of course know more then you do about where you want to go and they know the best way to get you from point A to point B.  In Mexico I was worried about falling through the back seat of the cab as it was traversing the lanes of traffic.  As I sat in back I could barely see out of the side window I was sitting so low and I am really sure that a piece of ply wood is not in any language considered a cushion.  In New York the cabs are a nice yellow color and they look good on the street if you there for the first time it is a must to be dropped of in front of the Empire State building in a taxi - it is the obligatory photo opportunity!  Be warned the traffic is a night mare.  Last year while living in Hong Kong, we didn't have a vehicle, the red taxi cabs fast became our friends.  The problem was that if they didn't understand where you wanted to go they would take you were that thought you said and then make you get out to find a driver with a little more English skills.  The Hong Kong drivers were fairly decent and it was a cheap way to get around the town.  Here in Thailand I have been in a taxi just once, we have our own van and personal driver, which is wonderful as all signs are in Thai. Thai drivers rarely honk their horns,they are a quiet and polite people. Which brings me to my trip to India and my recent experience driving there.


First of all, for two days I hired a car and driver from the hotel.  He was wonderful and polite.  The car was clean and he would produce water bottles for me when I got back into the car after sightseeing.  The third day was a little different experience...we went with a recommendation of a friend.  The driver was prompt at 5:30 AM to pick Ron and I up for our drive to Agra to see the Taj Mahal..  We were told that it would be a three hour drive - that really was more like five!  It was raining and dark and I had enough experience the last two days to know the traffic rules -  THERE ARE NONE.  Horns are used as a driving tool, must be sounded at all times.   Lanes might be marked but really they are just artist drawing of long lines.  Car appear out of no where and pretty soon it looks like someone is herding cattle through a branding shoot and the horns are a blasting.


India suffers from a lack of infrastructure - by that I mean paved roads!  No street lights to speak of,so the driving was pretty dark - I am not sure we were even on a major road, just to many potholes for me. (Next time I am flying - and by that I mean in the air because at times I am sure we were flying on the ground - no speed posted either!)  The one bright spot in driving was as the sun was rising I did get a chance to see India's countryside. Here is a peek as to what It is like driving in India...and what I saw on my road trip to Agra...

Anything goes on the streets of India and remember that the COW is sacred, so that is why they pretty much OWN the roads! 
At least these ones are harnessed up and deck and bedazzled out.  It made for a most pleasant sight as we were stuck in traffic amid the cars, truck, wagons, motorbikes, children, dogs, carts, bicycles and anything else that had wheels or didn't know better to not play in the street! 

If you were still wondering if we made it to the Taj Mahal, we did, safe and sound.  But you will be the next BLOG!

The Garden of India

After almost two days of traversing the city of Delhi I wanted to end my second day of sightseeing within a peaceful setting so I could wander with less of the touristy crowds.  I choose as my last stop, Lodi Garden.  The garden is between Old and New Delhi and spreads out over more then 90 acres.  It was relaxing to walk the gardens paths and let the scenes of the last few days fill my mind.  I felt great gratitude for the experiences that I have been given and for the things that I have had an opportunity to see.  

Established in the 15th-16th century by the Sayyids and Lodis, the vast grounds of Lodi Garden are famous.   Carefully kept gardens and the medieval monuments lend a charm to these gardens.  The several tombs situated in the garden belong to the Lodi and Sayyid Era and include Muhammad Shah's Tomb and Sikander Lodi's tomb. Muhammad Shah (1434 - 44) was the third ruler of Sayyid dynasty. 

His tomb has been built in a typical octagonal pattern with a central octagonal chamber, verandahs, three arched openings on each side and sloping buttress. Inspired by Mubarak Shah's tomb, this tomb has a more compact plan, high dome, matching chhatris and better proportions. Apart from this, there are other tombs, namely Bara Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad. Bara Gumbad or the Big Dome is a square tomb with an imposing dome. Its facades appear to be two storied. 

Another interesting construction here is the 'Athpula' Bridge. It was built by Nawab Bahadur in the 16th century, during Akbar's reign. This is bridge is called Athpula (eight bridge), as it rests on eight piers, forming seven arches. 

What a wonderful way to end my second day... in The Garden of India.

Second Helping of India

The taste of India was still lingering with me even after my nighttime dreams of being in a Bollywood movie!   I was exhausted when I woke up.  All that dancing and the glitter and of course the Indian version of my favorite male character Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. (Jane Austen is never far from my thoughts.  LOL)




 So when the SUN arose I jumped at the chance for a second helping of India.  Dressed in lose cotton pants and a cotton bright red cotton shift I grabbed my camera bag for another day of exploring.  In India you should follow the dress code....Best is to cover your body with long sleeves and long pants in light fabrics and a loose cut. Indian men like to stare at Western women. Indian Women dress quite modest, so long sleeves and pants give me protection from stares, bugs and sun.  I bought two salwar kameez (sometimes called punjabi) that many Indian women wear. Pants that are loose but narrow at the ankle with a tunic and a dupata (scarf). That scarf is enough to wrap you in, should you encounter a little chill.  (pictures to follow later)

After a hearty breakfast, consisting of an omelet and some fresh watermelon juice. It was important for me to eat a good breakfast as I was going to eat until dinner.  I had one motivation for eating no street food,  I did not want to have "Delhi Belly"..








My first stop was to visit Humayan's Tomb.  Humayun was the eldest son of Babar, a descendent of Genghis Khan, who was the first emperor of Mughal Empire in India. He succeeded in becoming the next Emperor.  Humayun ruled India for about a decade, the main religion at the time was Islam.  In 1555 AD Humayun regained Delhi with the help of Shah of Persia. Humayun died an unfortunate death, he felt down the stairs of his own library.  The Persian wife of Humayun, Bega Begum decided to build a tomb for her husband which was is now known as Humayun Tomb.

The construction of the tomb started in 1562 and the building was completed in the year 1572. The building is famous as the first building built in the era of Humayun's son Jallaluddin Mahammad commonly known as the Akbar. The tomb was constructed with the help of Persian architect named Mirak Mirza Ghiyuath, so we find that Humayun Tomb has a clear influence of Persian architecture. The site for construction was chosen on the bank of Yamuna River.  The tomb was the first garden tomb made in India. This tomb became the landmark in establishing different essential norms for buildings later built in Mughal Era.

The structure is mainly built in red sandstone. The marble is largely used in the borders. The dome is made of white marble. To relieve the monotony black and white marbles have been used. Humayun's tomb is the first building built in India to use the originally Persian concept of a double dome. The tomb is geometrically placed in the middle of specially made garden. The garden is divided into 4 parts. Therefore the garden is called as Char Bagh. The garden is divided in 36 small squares by grid of water paths and channels.  It doesn’t have the fine detailing as the Taj Mughal , but it was the architecture predecessor for that great monument. 

I am the Lady in RED, I have learned that when you are in India you must stand out in the crowd. 

Indian School children on a field trip (British)

Women and Men that were a part of my wanderings.  

When I look through the lens of my camera I love to see the small details that can be hidden among the architecture and surroundings.

I loved learning about the Sultans of India and the influence they had on the countries architecture of the cities they built.  The detailed work and the craftsmanship is remarkable.   Some of these great structures are extraordinary in small detail that was completely done by hand.  They are truly masterpieces.

Opening Gates

It was as if India itself opened her gates just for me.  I felt welcomed by the Indian people I encountered.  They wanted to shake my hand and I felt as if I was a celebrity.  Thank you, India, for opening your gates...it has opened my eyes to another beautiful part of the world.

The India Gate is the national monument of India. The gate is situated in the heart of New Delhi. Originally known as All India War Memorial, it is a prominent landmark in Delhi and commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who lost their lives while fighting for the British Indian Empire, or more correctly the British Raj in World War I .

Next on my amazing race to see as much of India as I could in the three days I was there, was a visit to the RED FORT.

The Red fort is a complex constructed in the 17^th century by the Mughal emperor in the walled city of Old Delhi. The construction started in 1638 and was completed ten years later.   It served as the capital until 1857 when the British exiled the emperor and took control of India.  The British used it as a military camp until 1947 when India was made independent.  Today it is a tourist site and a powerful symbol of India’s sovereignty.

The largest of Old Delhi's monuments is Lal Quila or Red Fort whose thick red sandstone walls, bulging with turrets and bastions, have withstood the vagaries of time and nature. The Lal Quila rises above a wide dry moat in the northeast corner of the original city of Shahjahanabad. Its walls extend from two kilometers and vary in height from 18 metres on the river side to 33 metres on the city side.

The Red Fort

Amazing Architecture 

People Who Welcomed me to their Country

The scene as I left the Red Fort...it was truly an amazing first day in India...

Cowboys and Indians

I know what you are thinking...I am no cowboy!  But, I would like it on record that... working on a dude ranch is one of the things on my bucket list!  I do like country music and I have owned a pair of cowboy boots - I think that qualifies me as a cowboy or cowgirl or to really be politically correct cowperson these days!!


While I was at Qutub, I got stared at quite a bit.  They are not used to seeing tall blond blue eyed women wondering about much.   The women wanted me to take pictures of them and then turn my camera around to show them.  At least that is what I think they wanted, we communicated through hand gestures.  The kids wanted to hug me or shake my hand.  The men just wanted to take their picture with me , (NOTE: if you find some random photos of me floating around on the internet with some Indian - that is why).  


I rounded up a few of my newly acquired Indian friends for a nice photo shot.  The hard part was finding someone to take the pictures.

  You just have to love the COLORS of INDIA

Crazy or Independent

My mother calls me crazy, I just call myself independent. After a nice night sleeping and dreaming of India I awoke to Ron rushing off to his meetings.  That left me alone all day, in one of the worlds most populated cities, to explore.  So I grabbed my camera and called for a car and off I went outside the hotel compound.  Okay maybe I am a little crazy - I don't speak Hindi, I have no cell phone, my iPad doesn't work here and I have no idea of where to go.  However there was one thing on the top of my to do list...BUY at least one Sari, so I told the driver to take me to a government sponsored textile outlet.  I walked out of there with two sari's, to Punjab outfits and a pair of authentic India hand made shoes.  

I then consulted my little travel bible, or book, and was off to a historical site.  I am a history lover and I love to visit ruins and learn about the past.  I chose to go to "Qutub Complex" right in the heart of OLD Delhi.


History Lesson:
The Qutub complex is an array of monuments and buildings that initially housed a complex of twenty-seven ancient Jain temples which were destroyed and their material used in the construction of the Islamic Mosque that is next to the Qutb Minar.  Qutab Minar is among the tallest and famous towers in the world. The minaret is 234 feet high and the highest individual tower in the world. Other towers in the world are the Great Pagoda in Beijing, China and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy but these towers are not as high as the Qutab Minar in Delhi. The minar was completed in 1200 A.D and since then the tall structure has been there upright and ever beautiful keeping an eye to Delhi just like a sentry.

At the back of the complex, southwest of the mosque, stands an L-shaped construction, consisting of Alauddin Khilji's tomb dating ca 1316 AD, (bottom center photo) . Khilji was the second Sultan of Delhi from Khilji dynasty, who ruled from 1296 to 1316 AD.

It was quite an remarkable to be walking around something that has been around for almost 700 years.  It brings history to the present, and this was sure a gift for me to be here.  Call me crazy like my mother or just call me independent, I will just call myself very fortunate!

Some of my other pictures from this same site...I love my camera it is my window to the world.

Don't you just love OLD things!!

No Place Like Home...Except

About a month ago Ron came home saying that he had to go to India for a business meeting, it took me less then a nano second to let him know that I was coming too.  The hardest part was not buying the ticket, from Thailand the tickets are relatively cheap, it was actually calling up Laura and telling her that I was on my way to Delhi and Agra.  She is the daughter that has dreamed of going to India, her reaction was..."no don't go without me".  Needless to say that Laura stayed at BYU and I found myself flying to Delhi last week.  


We arrived at the New Delhi airport a little before midnight.  Our hotel was close and it was dark so I really didn't see any of the surroundings that night.  In the morning this is what I woke to - My home away from home...

Okay this is like a compound hotel and the real India is just outside its walls.  But I will admit after my days out in the real India it was nice to come home to this.