2.11.18 Delhi - Agra

The day started early again with a treadmill session. We enjoyed breakfast with omelette and poached eggs. I made a mistake at the buffet when I thought I was taking rice pudding, but it turned out to be an appetizer... Ramesh picked us up promptly at half past eight in the hotel and we headed to Agra, a journey of almost 4 hours. Towards the end of the drive, things got a bit uncomfortable. Ramesh missed an exit and didn't want to take a 20km detour, so we turned around on the shoulder and became a wrong-way driver. We felt very uneasy and relieved when it was all over without incident. That's India for you.

In Agra, we were warmly welcomed at the Trident Hotel and could settle into our rooms, which were beautiful once again. Our local guide arrived and we visited the Red Fort as well as two tombs. The Red Fort is magnificent and was built in the 17th century by the then Moghul of India. The highlight was the first view of the Taj Mahal from there. Unique and enchanting. The two tombs were also very impressive and beautifully decorated. Our guide provided us with a lot of background information, which I found fascinating at least. In the end, we fell into a real tourist trap when we were shown a place where the elaborate mosaic inlays were made and we could have bought everything from the tabletop to the smallest knick-knack. We got through it as quickly as possible, as Patrick's enthusiasm for such a purchase would be limited. Finally, we returned to the hotel tired and went straight to the pool to relax.

The dinner at the hotel was once again delicious and the buffet had some tasty options for both of us. The Indian veggie curry was sensational!! We ended the evening with a spicy Indian chai tea as a nightcap, toasting to our second chance at life after the wrong-way drive!!