We spent a long day on the road from Delhi to Agra which afforded me a good chunk of time to think about my trip so far.

The first thing that occurs to me is that with a couple of exceptions – the rickshaw ride and the presence of hoards of people everywhere – I haven’t felt like I’m in India.  The sights could have been anywhere, the food could have been served by excellent Indian cooks anywhere.  We as a group have been very sheltered in our five-star hotel and on the bus.  Delhi is an enormous city and I am sure there must be grinding poverty but we only got the slightest glimpse now and then as we sped by.

I am happy to be venturing into less urban areas than Delhi.  I have taken most of the photos in this entry from the bus today.  I feel like I am seeing India now.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64513024@N07/20851307020/

The second thing that occurs to me comes as no surprise.  There are so many staff everywhere we go, whether it be the hotel or a restaurant or a monument, which is a signal that wages are very low.  The staff do not look poor or unhealthy so I can only assume that their low wages are sufficient for them to get along.

An example of excessive use of staff (IMHO) is the ladies’ washroom off the lobby of the hotel.  A uniformed attendant opened the washroom door for me, then preceded me to a cubicle that she opened for me. When I was done, she turned on the water as I approached the sink, pushed the soap lever for me and handed me a paper towel when I had finished washing my hands.  It occurred to me, having recently watched a season of Downton Abbey, that royalty and the rich probably do live this way.

The video below is a sadder version of the one above, but it is not an uncommon sight along the road the Agra.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/64513024@N07/20416737104/in/datetaken/

On our way to Agra, we picked up Mr. Deepa Sharma who will be with us for a few days.  He is a licensed guide for the Agra area.  We stopped at Sikandra, the Mausoleum of Akbar, an enormous complex that Akbar the Great started building in the late 1500s.  His son finished it for Akbar whose tomb in inside the belly of the mausoleum structure.

Late this afternoon we got our first look at the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna River.  The day was a bit misty so the photo is not sharp, but even in the slight mist the sight was remarkable.

Tomorrow morning we will go again, and this time we will go inside.