3.11.18 Agra - Ranthambore National Park

Today morning one of the highlights of our India trip was on the program, the visit to the Taj Mahal. For Vanessa, it was the reason to travel to India. After breakfast, we were picked up on time by our guide and Ramesh, the driver. The visit is truly unique, the size and beauty of the Taj Mahal impressed and enchanted us. Of course, we also had to shoot some photos. There were many tourists, but we didn't have to queue anywhere and there is currently no renovation going on. We were very lucky and benefited from Vanessa's travel luck, which she always has. The Taj Mahal is actually a mausoleum and, as Vanessa correctly noted, it is true love to receive such a tomb!

On the way to one of our today's destinations, the Ranthambore - National Park, we visited Fathepur Sikri and the Abhaneri Step Well. Fathepur Sikri is a huge former palace of the Mughal from the 16th century. He lived there with his 3 wives from Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. Our guide told us exciting stories from this time. Architecturally very beautiful and everything very well preserved. Due to a small communication glitch between the two of us, we were extraordinarily generous and donated something in the mosque of the complex, for which we had three wishes left and witnessed a ritual... Well, we book this under: good for karma😉

Now the Abhaneri Step Well was still on the program, an architectural masterpiece.

But now it was time for the long drive to the entrance of Ranthambore National Park. We drove through the countryside, got an impression of Indian villages and what is bustling on the street: people, scooters, overcrowded tuk-tuks and buses, cows, camels, dogs, pigs...and cars. From the safe distance of the car, we find this exciting. We agree that we see a lot of poverty, but not yet the great misery, which is fine with us and which we can still imagine.

Ramesh, our driver, provided us with chips for the long afternoon. He takes very good care of us, nevertheless, we are happy when we arrive at the destination already in the dark after 7 p.m. The journey was bumpy on bad roads.

At the destination, we are rewarded with a hotel that looks like something out of Arabian Nights. An old palace, beautifully made up. Now we are looking forward to the safari tomorrow!!!