After finally leaving delightful relaxing Udaipur, we caught an overnight train to Agra - home of the Taj Mahal. Nothing can quite prepare you for the sight of this amazing building - it is a magnificent, imposing sight that needs to be seen once in your life. The inside of the mausoleum is rather disappointing given the beauty of the exterior, but it is a tomb not a palace! We spent a peaceful hour sitting under the shade of the main Taj dome, entertaining and being entertained by Indian tourists, and engaging in much mutual people-watching and photography/videography. The rest of Agra is pretty grim, not helped by the fact that the ticket office for the Taj Mahal is about 1km away from the actual Taj, through a gauntlet of rickshaw wallahs, touts, beggars and people trying (well, telling) you to buy stuff from their shop.
The 2-hour train to Delhi ended up taking 6-hours, made slightly worse by our less-than-ideal tickets in a 3-tier sleeper cabin with confusing seat numbers (I saw 3 signs claiming to be seat 67). Delhi, despite warnings from other travellers, turned out to be quite attractive and not anywhere near as chaotic we thought. Connaught place in central New Delhi was reminiscent of Sloane Square. Our final night began watching Ross Taylor hit a brisk 46 for Royal Challengers Bangalore, as we cheered each shot with Indians in a sports bar. Cricket, beer and mexican food - a great way to spend a last night in India!
I am currently in Thamel, the tourist area of Kathmandu in Nepal. As Nick has returned to Abu Dhabi, Ben and I are here preparing for our trek up to Everest base camp beginning tomorrow. We have secured the guiding services of Chandra, a 46-year old enthusiastic Nepali previously used and recommended to us by our friend Chi. The excitement is mounting for this epic trip, and we are looking forward to leaving bustling south Asian cities for the remoteness and cool mountain air of the Himalayas. I will endeavour to post again up the mountain, as I think that Namche Bazaar has internet cafes.
(In breaking news there are two Nepalis fighting outside the internet cafe. Why? Who knows...)
Apologies for the lack of photos. I am ready to smash my defective card reader.
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