On The Road Again

Day 18

An early start for all of us today, but Ewan, Dom and I made it to breakfast for some pancakes. After finishing my sugared omelet we thanked the proprietors of the Laxmi Palace for an awesome stay. We had a driver booked for the next few days to drive us to Agra and then on to Delhi.

We set off from the bumpy streets of Jaipur city just waking up. We soon made it to a duel carriageway where finally smooth tarmac and actual road signs were a pleasant change. This was not long lived. Our 240km taxi to Agra posed us with many dangers. Deep holes, excavations really were dotted along the duel carriageway. In some places there were random speed bumps in a 90km per hour designated speed zone with no prior warning. Farms herded their cows and goats alongside the road and more were being transported in trucks.

Motorists didn't seem to abide by the white center line road markings with some even going against the traffic with only a horn to protect them. We followed a truck that struck a wandering cow on the road. It was split from the herd on the central reservation and was still alive but immobile as we swerved to avoid it. Further along there were lanes blocked by truck drivers either swapping spare wheels or stopping to sit in the shade, oblivious to their tying up of one side of the carriageway.

60km outside Agra we stopped to stretch our legs. Keoladeo National Park seemed like a perfect place. Tranquil surrounds of grass and marsh and a place where no motor cars were allowed to enter was a pleasant change from the dusty streets of the days before. We hired old, battered and frankly uncomfortable push bikes to enjoy a sociable ride in the midday sun. We acquired a guide too, a naturalist, very knowledgeable and a very good spotter. Even with the goofy teeth that stuck out further than his chin he spotted some unbelieveable things. We caught a glimpse of an owl sleeping up in a palm tree and submerged turtles with his keen eye to help us.

The park also had many other species in their element. stalks in mating season and nesting in the park. We saw butterflies, dragonflies, kingfishers, pond herons, indian robins, doves and bluejays. Bee eaters were also in abundance with lots of food on offer as many trees had colonising beehives. We stopped at a checkpoint to enjoy another drink, much needed in the burning sun.Campa, another brand of coke, was all that was on sale, so we went with it and carried on through the bush.

Several crashes from George later and our cameras packed with photos of a parakeet porno we headed back for food and finally a comfy seat. Indian roadside meals left a lot to be desired as we found in a dark and dingy indian Little Chef equivalent where we had perhaps the worst meal since the Mumbai train. Cheese on toast really was cheese on toast. Not melted cheese or even warm toast but I needed the calories after our three hour bike ride.

We crossed several toll booths over the state line. The cars now read "UP" on the number plates but the "RJ" of Jaipur's cars were still on the road, in a traffic jam as we were. Luckily I was asleep for this and missed the rest of our trip through the outskirts of the city.

The center of Agra was again different, cleaner again and more westernised. More adverts were on billboards shops and cars and every shop seemed tourist orientated. The signs and road marking still remained right into the city center so at least we could roughly find our bearings.

We arrived at our hotel finally after our driver had asked several bystanders for directions. The wait was not worth it as we arrived into an abysmal hotel, God knows how Hostel World even endorse it let alone give it a good rating. There was a gecko in our air con and millions of flys he could feed on. The reception was dark damp and smelled. We had to remove our shoes, God knows why, maybe so we cleaned up the ants as we walked. We sat in the room and couldn't wait to leave. Ewan was electrocuted in the shower and there was a socket hanging from the wall where there had obviously been an electrical fire.

We decided to take refuge in a Pizza Hut we had passed so we could have a taste of home. Passing low hanging wires, sparking junction boxes and flickering street lamps we made the 15 minute walk unscathed. Several power cuts meant that some of our meal was in the light of the emergency exit glow, but the pizza was eaten never the less.

Reluctantly we made it back to the hotel through the blizzard of flies surrounding the bare lightbulb hanging in the hall. Dom and I opted for a baby wipe rubdown and a jungle spray shower rather than risk death in the only bathroom I've seen with a rusty mirror and a wardrobe next to the toilet. We settled down with our next homestay in Delhi booked hoping it could not be any worse than at the 'Nirvana' hostel. Harry Potter supplied the entertainment as we got into our sleeping bags, hoping to make the Taj Mahal for sunrise.

Tom