Agra - Day 3

This is a link from my blog about my trip to India in 2014
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david63
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Agra - Day 3

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Post by david63 »

Last night’s dinner was a brilliant experience that you cannot get every day. We were asked to vacate our room for an hour before the meal and when we went back there was a table set out on the balcony (later noticed that it was on wheels!) with candles all around the balcony. We also had our own personal waiter serving the multitude of courses – and the champagne/wine.

So starting today we started out at 07:00 for a trip to Fatehpur Sikri before being driven to Bharatpur to catch the train to Ranthambore.

Fatehpur Sikri is the abandoned capital of the Emperor Akbar and was abandoned after only 14 years due to a lack of water. This was yet another impressive palace made all the more impressive due to the fact that at first we were the only ones there and had it all to ourselves.

So now it was onward to Bharatpur for the train. Now I know we have been to a railway station before but last time it was pitch black and we did not have time to really take it all in – this time was different. First of all Indian railway stations are enormous (they need to be for the length of the trains (20+ carriages is the norm). Indian railway stations are yet another prime target for the H&S brigade – people just get off the train at either side and walk across the train line!

We then found out that there was a problem with our train and it was going to be an hour late, which actually turned out to be an hour and a half. Fortunately we had sent our luggage with our drive which meant that it would arrive about three or four hours after us – but that was a better option. Sitting on an Indian railway station for a couple of house can, at best, be a little tiresome and boring. Anyway our train eventually arrived and this is where the shock started. We were booked into a “air conditioned sleeper class” carriage. So when we were directed to our compartment (yes good old fashioned compartments are still alive – not sure about them being well though) only to find that it was set out as beds with one young chap sat cross legged on one side, so we sat down on the other. After a couple of minutes the ticket inspector came and crossed us off his list. He later returned a couple of minutes later with obviously someone who deals with beds who converted the bed that we were sat on into a seat. By this time another young chap had arrived and also sat cross legged on the other bed.

The compartments holds four persons so when all the bed reconfiguring was complete those that knew the procedure locked the door from the inside. I have to say that this was one of the most (no it was the most) depressing train journeys that I have ever done – the carriage was gloomy, there was only windows on one side (the door had a curtain across) and we did not really know where we were going. Fortunately the two young chaps, both of whom could speak some English, took us under our wing to make sure we got off at the correct station – which also the “bed maker” did. Anyway we arrived at the station nearest Ranthambore at about 14:00.

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GillD46
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Re: Agra - Day 3

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Post by GillD46 »

I sed to really love the old compartment trains, and we were on on in France not so long ago. Yours sounds - hmm, adequate :D

I am enjoying your reorts, thank you.
Gill

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