Delhi

Delhi is our final location and we leave in about 20 hours.

Many people in Mumbai spoke negatively about Delhi but we have found it to be as good, and interesting, as other locations.

They seem to think tourists don't want to see old Delhi, masses of people and chaos theory in action but 6 of 8 on our tour loved it.

Traffic is a laugh a minute in old Delhi with all vehicles willing to enter an intersection simultaneously even if it leads to an impossible letreset to unravel.

Interestingly we think there is a little less rubbish around Delhi, although it would still be a nightmare for clean freaks.

Old Delhi 

Fantastic Sikh community food service 

Cover up for the mosque but interestingly not cover hair.

Rickshaw travel - when motorized options are pointless. We even had to abandon them at a totally blocked intersection. 

India Gate (shut down to prepare for independence day on 26 January.

Quick, repaint the fences, the President and Prime Minister are coming. 

Another very interesting step well.

Our final tour dinner last night.

Red Fort Agra

The morning after the Taj Mahal we visited the Red Fort (Mughal empire era) before leaving Agra, bound for Delhi.

It is another impressive place to see from history, albeit partially damaged by subsequent marauders (including the British).

I don't have copies but again we were asked by many locals to join their family photos. 

We didn't feel completely like aliens but it's close. There really haven't been many 'pale' European looking people around during our while trip. 

Carpet shop (trap). We were also escorted to jewelery and textile traps. I described them as the lowlight when asked by the tour leader. 

Food tour

Can't afford a van.

Can only afford a shared bike with my mates.

Red Fort

Tall gate to enable elephant passage, with glorified seating.

Impressive ventilation structures, including rose petal infused water channels.

....now on to Delhi

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is everything you were told to expect; it is very special.

I preferred the appearance from a distance, rather than the walk in and around the mausoleum itself.

We didn't fight for time on the 'Diana seat'; there were too many Instagram folk and locals wanting time seated or lying on it. 

In a country where community is typically filled with rubbish in open spaces the Taj Mahal is a beautiful haven to behold.

Agra has a regulation of no fossil fuel vehicles within 5km to protect the structure, but this is a bit naive. The next day smog had blocked out the whole area (we were looking across from the red fort)

It doesn't offer the variables of the Mughal forts and royal palaces but it is the place where you could sit for hours just looking at it. 

Through the gate

First entry 

Guide taking our photo

From the platform where Diana sat, half way up the garden 

Near the entry

Entry

Behind, on the river side.

Looking back to the gate

Tour group photo.

So good.

Ranthambhore National Park

Yesterday we drove down to the Ranthambhore National Park for 2 sleeps, which enabled almost an entire day in the park observing wildlife. 

Tigers were the premium target for funding. 

We had a morning shift at 6:30am! For 4 hours, followed by an afternoon shift from 1:30pm.

They allocate zones that you can visit on the day. Zone 1 in the morning was ok but a bit limited really. However zone 3 is clearly the premium allocation because it felt like a reserve should in terms of the range of landscape and we encountered far more animals, including one tiger sighting albeit from about 200m.

It was good to see plenty of 'tiger tucker' roaming about because none of the vehicles that we rode in would stop a hungry tiger from adding human to the menu.

Our accommodation in the park.

The cold morning shift. With a confident, hungry, little bird.

Heaps of these monkeys were around.

Many birds, with peacock dominating the numbers.

Tiger bait

Owls

His majesty.

Our vehicle was like this. 

Small groups can pay for little jeeps.

Locals moving firewood around.

Other locals commuting to work (this was on the to Ranthambhore).

Sheep and goats aren't taught about which side of the highway to use.

You either need to read fast or drive slow to absorb some signage! 

We head to Agra tomorrow and the marvelous Taj Mahal. 🙏