Alex's Asian Adventure

Another day, more travel. I got up this morning, packed my crapola, and set off to Delhi. I originally wanted to visit Fatehpur Sikri, a big palace compound 40km from Agra, before heading back to Delhi. Unfortunately, this plan fell through because..... it's 40km from Agra, requires crossing into Rajastan and paying some other ridiculous tax, and I was tired of travelling everywhere. No Fatehpur Sikri this time.

Instead, Darminder & I set off to Delhi with stops at:

• Agra Fort
• Akbar's tomb at Sikandra
• A huge white marble yoga worship centre of some sort

Synposis:

• The Agra Fort is pretty cool, despite the fact that it's occupied by the Indian army and used for some mundane purpose other than tourism. Still, it's amusing to walk around it for an hour or so.
• Akbar's Tomb is set in a massive mausoleum that doesn't rival the Taj, but is impressive in its own right. The grounds are big, spacious, and crawling with monkeys. I like monkeys.
• This yoga worship place is the first place in India I see where no one accosted me, no one tried to offer me tourguide services for a fee, and everyone was super-friendly. Plus, it's absolutely gorgeous. It's nice to end your sightseeing on a high note.

I got an email from Richard (a trek-mate) pointing out that when he was at the Taj a few days ago, all that he could think about was how he'd rather be in the mountains. I can't disagree with that point of view at all. As much as seeing a Wonder of the World is nice, and as much as I think the Taj is special, it's still a building and you're enjoying it in sweltering, oven-like heat after paying an extortionary price by local standards. I'd also rather be in the mountains.

I am now in Delhi, sitting in the non-aircond part of my hotel where the computers are. Why can't they just A/C the whole damn place? I'm melting here. Tomorrow, I have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to the airport (Delhi's is about as appealing as O'Hare or JFK) and spend all day travelling. Not looking forward to it.