Delhi – Agra
First post of the trip:
Delhi is crazy! Just non-stop touts (if you look foreign, that is!) and the constant sound of Tuk-tuks (autorickshaw) drivers beeping their horns, all day long. Traffic all over Delhi is crazy.
Plenty to see, but the place is so spread out it makes it hard to get around, having to constantly haggle with Tuk-Tuk drivers, for a resonable rate.
We stayed in the Pahrvan Ganj area on Main Bazar, which is a mad bustling street from about 6am til 9pm, you can buy anything here, we’d only go up or down this street once a day due to the amount of hawkers. Then at night time all the cows, yes … and lots of them come out to graze on the leftovers of the days activity.
Saturday morning around 9.30 we were woken by what we thought was the other one shaking the bed.. but no, that was the 7.6 richter scale earthquake that hit Pakistan/North India, only after we realised that we weren’t shaking the bed, did we cop on to what was happening… Scary!!!! The adventure has begun! After that we made a trip to Ghandi Memorial, a simple but serene place dedicated to the peaceful liberator of India
Today (Sunday) we arrived in Agra, and this place albeit much smaller is also much quieter, much less traffic and beeping horns… More goats and even saw a boar roaming the streets too!!! Our hotel room (6euro/night) has a great view of the Taj Mahal, which we’ll get to visit tomorrow. Here’s a view of Agra Fort and one of it’s many inhabitants!
Take it easy
J&Q
James & Quene
HI JAMES+QUENE!!!!READ YOUR REPLY!!YOU STILL NEVER POSTED ANY POSTCARDS!!!!!!!!HOLA BEE!!!!!!!!!YOU HAVE TO TELL US ABOUT THE TAJ MAHAL!!!BYE!!!!!!!!WE ALL MISS YOUS SO MUCH xxxxxxx LOVE REBECCA
Hello…!! we will visit the Taj Mahal Tomorrow morning ( for you ) . .. so we will tell you all about it .. we were speaking with Rahul an Indian boy from Agra and is the same age as you .. he says hello..!
Kisses
J&Q
Hi Rebecca !
This is Cristinas’ sister, how are you all?
You see, we are all in India, it’s so funny!
To Quene & James,
amazing feeling that of depend so much in the “Earth good mood”, suggest to thank every step you walk, mum is gonna ask to Padre Rubio and I’ll ask Life to take care of you two.
White flowers wherever you step.
Love,
poned algo en castellano. besos.
… que Gloria y José os leen, y que ya os han bautizado, sois los “Willy Fogs”… juas !
Quereres,
*
Hello janis here,
WOW! you actually felt an earthquake how amazing is that! You really felt the earth move while in bed together;shocking!!!!!
leon says hello;he was watchin it all on the news and got bit worried for the two of you -gas at that age!
well good luck with every step you take!!what amazing steps they are!!
Hi mam here.
Was a bit worried about that earthquake, but u seem ok; We all watched it on tv
it was shocking, there ar thousands of people killed. We had anonher weekend
of carnage on our roads 6 people killed in 2 car crashes in Donegal, all under 25.
Well thats all for now take care .
Hola a todos .
Estamos bien , nos acordamos de vosotros todo el tiempo .. Nos estan acosando todo el dia para vendernos cosas , pero la gente en general es muy simpatica , el Taj Mahal es increible es como estar dentro de una joya gigante de marmol
Besos
Hello every body
We are fine , we are thinking on you all the time. Indian people are trying to sell us everything ,and is a bit hassleling , despite this they are very friendly.
The Taj Mahal is amazing is like beeing inside a giant jewel made of marmol.
Kisses
Como no domino este invento os he informado sobre el huracan de cadiz que no es un boxeador sino una tormenta tropical que nos ha visitado. Buscar en otro de los textos, donde lo comento. . La proxima vez afinare mas. Besos
big bro here,
ur only in india and the earth moved,any cries of “its the chosen one”like something out of the life of brian or were ye practising ur karma sutra,mam says page 137 is interesting!!!!!!!would’nt know anything about that.Anyway ur having a ball,did u nick anything out of the “taj”?Eire are playing the Swiss in a must win to qualify for 2 006world cup,txt u the result.Ann and Luke say hi and we all send our love,take care, the gang..
to Big Bro: I am waiting for you and Ann .You have to do like James and Quene but around theSpanish country. We can do the same trip watching Cuenca, Monasterio de Piedra etc. or going to Alicante. Love from Paloma , beatriz and me to all many Murphys.
To Quene photographer. Did you bring the silvered camera?. It is very useful for long distance maters . Many times confidentiality is granted. I love teleobjetives. And you both
English
To Agustin, Yes I kept the silver camera , it is very useful specially in India where to look at something or taking photographs you have to give Rupis ..
so in Delhi and in Agra I was taking photos from a Roof top restaurant , where nobody hassle you.
Here in Jaipur is a bit nightmarish walking on the street , so I was talking photos on the bus . we will post more soon. The connection in Agra was very slow here in jaipur is broadband.. woooo!!
Spanish
Agustin , si me quede al final esa camara , y me esta gustando laas fotos que hago. Como en la calle no nos dejan en paz , aprovecho cuando estamos a salvo en restaurantes en las azoteas , o en los autobuses ..y con el teleobjetivo puedo hacer fotillos sin que te alarguen la mano para pedir , que hay mucha gente pidiendo y dando la bara para que compres ..etc.
Besos
Becky,
post cards are on the way, might take a few weeks to arrive!!!!
Jan,
tell Leon we’re all right! and we miss him, and all you guys lots already! THe earthquake was a bit of a shock! And yea, an amasing experience feeling the earth move in bed!!!!
Mam,
we survived the rumblings of the earthquake, it was over 600km away, just over the border in Pakistan. Apparently 1 person was killed in Delhi due to the earthquake. Saw a bit on TV and read in newspapers too, shocking! Poor people, god knows how long they authorities will take to get the affected area sorted…
Colm,
nothing to nick in the Taj Mahal, it’s just one big block of marble, and no way you’d get in past security with a pick axe to chip a bit off and post home!!! Not allowed even bring in mobile phones for some silly reason.
Agustin,
que fuerte lo del los huracanes… espero que no hubo muertos como en el golfo de mexico!
Gonna post some moore photos of Agra (Taj Mahal), and Jaipur (Pink City) where we are right now.
Hugs and kisses to all,
James & Quene
Go on ye mad things,
You’ll get used to those tuk tuks fairly quickly, you’ll develop a hard as nails attitude where you’ll just walk away when they wont give you your price.
As for touts and all, we found that laughing and joking with them was the best trick. I had great fun in Cambodia trying to sell these kids my hat (with a serious face)
“good hat, good hat, I give you special price, you say you buy my hat?!!”
each time they ran up to sell me some other useless guidebook, at first they stood baffled then realised I was joking and didn’t hassle us as much, I got a bit of a rep as that mad Irish man.
One of the kids could even reel off Irish phrases to us!! as well as several other languages, mad. That was at Angkor Wat, those crazy kids.
In a rural part of Vietnam (down the Mekong delta) I bought pens in the local shop and word got out in a minute or two (they saw me queueing asking for pens, think that gave it away) and I was running down the street with an arm full of pens and all these kids chasing me. Great fun, or coins, they love foreign coins to collect, so hang on to them but its probably too late to tell you to bring Oirish coins.
Forgot to mention in me last drunken mail that in Vientien in Laos, one “interesting” tourist spot was the Communist museum there, can’t remember its official name, but its great fun for all the anti-american items and pictures with slogans and lies about the “imperialists”. And if there is a school tour on (they give them tours all the time to remind them of the threats from “the great imperialist opressor!!!”) join it and freak out the teacher and kids!!! U.S.A!! U.S.A!!!
Brown sauce, Deadly buzz,
Good luck you guys.
Mr Farrell,
glad you could find the time in your busy hollywood schedule.
Skin is thickening alright, just ignoring them seems to do the trick, absolutely no eyecontact whatsoever, and you get away with most of the hassles.
Rickshaw drivers and bogus tour guides have told me that my goatee is very nice, when I ask them what price would they for it, they too give a puzzled look, and tell me I’m supposed to offer the price first, but then I ask them what they think it’s worth, then they look even more perplexed! Nice messing with their minds a bit… for a change!
Communist museum sounds like a good bet for a days fun!
Take it handy!
Say hi to all those boaters!!!