We got up at 6:30 and made our way down to the coffee shop where we met a few of our fellow tour members, plus Brian Bland, our leader, and had a surprisingly varied buffet. We packed and returned to the lobby. This was the tense moment in which we were to find out what the bus in which we would be traveling for the next two weeks was like. Often on bird tours we end up crammed on a bus just able to hold all of us and low enough that at least two people have to straddle a wheel well. There was a large bus waiting outside, but Bob assured us that it couldn't be for us...but low and behold, Exotic Tours, Sunbird's ground agent in India, had made this luxurious bus available for us! It has 36 seats which means that every one has two seats and I can switch sides depending on the sun in order to take photos. Really cool!l
Brian Bland is quite a famous bird tour leader who originated the idea of "Birds & History" and "Birds & Music" tours, and, at 77, this is his last tour! He has conducted over 1000 tours and says he is unable to get insurance at his age which he needs to run a tour apparently, and so is forced to retire. We have to be on our best behavior so his final tour will be a good one!
It was really hazy/smoggy as we drove out of Delhi at 9 AM and the visibility was only about 1/2 mile. When we got into the countryside, we could vaguely see enormous apartment complexes being constructed to house the ever-growing population. We were to go to a wetland to start our birding, but Brian said it had been degraded and he decided to skip it and get on the new toll road to Agra. After 1 1/2 hours the visibility increased to several miles, and we could see real farmland with miles of plowed fields with some thatched huts, herds of cattle, carts hauled by oxen and stacks of round dung patties.
We finally reached Agra at 1:30 and hit snarled, chaotic traffic of trucks, cars, small jitneys and crept along for another hour before we suddenly saw a large red sandstone building ahead: the Mausoleum of Akbar, the greatest of the Mughal emperors.
Akbar's tomb
We passed through the entry gate with its three-story minarets into an enormous courtyard filled with Blackbuck, an antelope species in which the dark males have long curly horns and the females are buff-colored, and families of Rhesus monkeys frisked around. In the center of the courtyard is the building containing the simple tomb of Akbar.
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| Blackbuck Antelope |
As we were leaving, Hilary suddenly collapsed in a faint! Fortunately I was beside her and caught her before she hit the stone pavement. Hil hadn't eaten since early morning and was affected by dehydration and low blood sugar, I think. She recovered but with some stomach problems for a few days.
About 3 we arrived at the Clarks Shiraz Hotel. We went to the dining room and caught the end of the lunch buffet: rice, noodles, veggie and meat dishes which we ate rather quickly as we have a full afternoon ahead!
We drove to the Red Fort started by Akbar in 1565. It is surrounded by a moat that used to be filled with crocodiles. If armies got by that, they were met by huge doors and inside that downward-facing slots for archers and places for boiling oil and rocks to cascade down! Akbar's grandson turned the fort into his castle, building living quarters for the royal family of white marble, intricately carved and inlayed with semiprecious stones.
White marble screen
Large screens were carved out of a solid sheets of marble and beautiful inlaid flowers decorated the walls. We could just see the Taj Mahal in the haze from the balconies.
It was six by then but we had one more stop - the Kohinoor Jewelers. The first floor is dedicated to the art of three dimensional embroidery. Cotton is embroidered over and over until the thickness desired is reached and then colored silk is embroidered over that creating 3-D images.
Shams-style embroidery
We were shown priceless pieces covered in jewels that were quite old and newer ones, created by the students of Padmashri Shams who invented that technique, that were for sale. Then we went up an escalator to the second floor where jewels are designed and sold. The owner showed us an emerald necklace that had been owned by Mumtaz Mahal, the wife for whom the Taj was built - and he let us try it on!! Can you imagine the Smithsonian letting visitors drape themselves with historic, precious jewels?? Some of our group bought rings, but almost everything was over $1000, and not quite my lifestyle so I resisted!
We finally returned to the Clarks Shiraz, ate a quick dinner and retired. We're to meet at six tomorrow to get in to the Taj early before the crowds.
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