Upon arriving into Delhi, I thought it about time to visit Agra and see the famed Taj Mahal. Words from last year when I returned home haunted me... "WHAT?... India... and you didn't see the Taj Mahal?... Are you crazy?..." So I thought now was my time to go and be awed by the wondrous, majectic Taj Mahal. I figured I only needed a day trip since Agra isn't too far from Delhi and that way I don't have to trek about with my heavy rucksack. I was pleased with myself when I purchased my round-trip bus ticket for Agra from the nearest travel agent. I was able to bring down his fare to Rs220 while my hotel guy wouldn't budge from Rs350. It was to be a non-A/C bus but it didn't matter... the bus was leaving early in the morning when it is still 'fairly' cool (6:30am) and arrive in Agra at 10am. And again leave for Delhi at 7pm to arrive at 1pm. I was excited... I'm finally going to get to see the Taj!

That night I laid out my clothes and bought some bananas to munch on for the morning bus trip. My plan was to have a leisurely breakfast upon arrival in a nice A/C restaurent and cool off from the bus trip and let the hottest part of the day pass by. Finally I would check out the Taj and meander about the town.
I got up with plenty of time to spare, showered, dressed, grabbed my bananas and went down to the travel agency to wait to be brought to the bus. Except... no one was there. So I waited... 1/2 hour later someone came by with a mobile phone, looked at me, said "Agra?...", I nodded, and with a flick of his head motioned me to follow him. So I did. I was brought to the bus where I sat for another hour, all the while my banana bunch was getting smaller... I was hungry and I hadn't yet had breakfast. By 8am we were on the road to Agra... my excitement returned.

One of the 'bus guys' tried to sell me a package to see the Taj and the Fort and return back the next day by train... he was persistent but I was just as stubborn and said no. I had my plans and my round-trip ticket and that was all I needed.
We finally arrived by 2 O'clock... a little behind schedule. We drove through the town and I mentally took stock and decided where I wanted to meander. Finally we stopped at the Agra Fort. It seemed a little far from the other end of town but there were rickshaws around so I wasn't going to worry. I didn't care to see the Fort... my stomach was angry with me... no breakfast, and so far no lunch, and sick of bananas. I got off the bus but just in time to hear the guy at the front say "we depart in 45min". I was a little confused so I went to clarify the bus time for the evening. Aaah... it turns out that I was mistaken. What I thought was a round-trip ticket to Agra and back was actually a tour of Agra with a set schedule of: Fort, lunch, Taj, Shopping, Holy Places (two temples), and back to Delhi by 2am. This was not what I wanted and asked to pick up the bus later in the evening... but all I got for an answer was "no possible madam".

Great... I was on a tour of Agra... only white girl on the bus... with a guide who spoke only hindi... and a growling stomach. I was no longer thrilled!
I wanted the 'restaurent part' now... with only half the time time left I thought I might as well go and see the Fort. Except that it was a hefty fee (for foreigners that is) and I had only set aside some rupees for food and the Taj. I bought a ticket for 'Indians' (only Rs20 instead of Rs350... the foreigner rate) to see it I could fool the guards as well as I could in Kashmir... no luck... the guards with the big guns made me a little hesitant and that's where my Hindi failed me. I was forced to buy a foreigner's ticket but with only 15min left there was no time to see the Fort.

At last food... or so I thought. These guys don't like to follow their own schedules. Instead, shopping came next. I thought we'd be let loose in the local market but instead the bus brought us to one very expensive 'marble and other assorted crafts' store which was strategically far from anything else. The only thing I was enjoying ws the A/C and a bag of potatoe chips that I bought at a little nearby chip stand. An hour later, back on the bus and headed for the Taj.

I was determined to have something to eat so as not to faint from dehydration or lack of food (I don't know how the others did it... there must have been a restaurent in the Fort!). We had an hour and a half at the Taj. Everyone headed straight for it while I tookd a horse-pulled rickshaw in search for a restaurent. I didn't want pop or chips which were being sold all over the streets. It was just after 4pm when I finally found a quiet place to eat which was appropriately called "Lucky Restaurent". But now I was fearing I wouldn't get to see the Taj as we had to be back on the bus at 5pm. I ordered some dal, chapati, and water all the while cursing my stomach for being so hungry. Time was running out. Food came and I still hadn't seen the Taj. But the little restaurent stood up to it's name for from the rooftop there was a great view of the Taj. So up I went... and there it was. Though, admittedly, it lost some of its majesticness seeing it overtop of hundreds of rooftops... but still... I finally got to see the Taj!