I think the reason I loved Mariam Zamani tomb so much is that it was a lovely surprise. It was the first place for the day for me. The pictures don't give an amazing impression.
But it is a decently big building, with a lot of detail, a staircase that leads down to the crypt, expansive gardens, and many repeated archways inside the structure.
I would have loved to get up to the roof but access was locked.
Across the road is the impressive Tomb of Akbar टॉम्ब ऑफ़ अकबर, bike parking 5 rupees, Indians pay 20 to enter, foreigners 250, as per the Mariam Zamani. As always some rando is telling me to put the bike somewhere else, not here, no not over there, here! Can i lock it to the fence? Ya ok.
Some other rando claims to be an official guide. I ask the price by he said up to you. This is annoying as I don't know how much to tip.
I'm interested to know if the script is Persian. I ask if he can read Persian. He explains he's Hindi, so no. I explain I'm Australian and I can. No comment from him. This bullshit is annoying.
3 of the gates are for the look only, and do not allow people through. The white marble is solid from Rajasthan. Italian Carrera marble is proud, but not this.
The emperor had a Hindu, a Muslim, and a Christian wife. Motifs from each adopted in the wall artwork.
The rectangle on a crypt indicates a male defunct. A square is a female. Akbar lays has pointing north, feet to the west, face pointing west to Mecca.
I asked if the tour was done. He said yes, so I gave 500, in line with pricing for Amer Fort, probably too much. It's a relief to be able to go at my own pace.
The parking guy said it's 10 rupee, but the sign said that it is 5. It's just the principle of paying more than the asking price that I find border line theft. I paid 5.
Next stop is at Mumtaz Mahal and Itmad-ud-Daulaइत्माद-उड़-दौला Three is a parking guy who says it's 20 for 2 wheelers and shows me a ticket for a motorcycle. I argue that that is wrong for bicycles but there no board that I saw so I agree that I will pay 20, and resign myself to possible bike theft from this petty crook.
Inside is very beautiful. It's not as big as the other Tombs, but it's a beautiful building, well worth a visit.
It would have been even more amazing back in the day when the river must have been bigger. One of the buildings overhangs the river.
The main mausoleum is white marble with coloured inlays. The patterns are very pretty. Looks like some Persian poetry over the arches, but in any case, it is Arabic script from Mughal times.
Back with parking man, I've guy 20, but I want an official receipt damn it. I had to argue for a while, then he reluctantly gave me a ticket receipt for it. Victory is mine!
In the way home, another guy showed me she too get a photo of the Taj, then also asked for money, which I did give.
Dinner was at Tajnuma ताजनुमा. It's in a hotel, fairly fancy. As a foreigner, I am really tired of being treated like a walking ATM.
The main waiter at the restaurant did not want me to order the Thali. He wanted me to buy the 2199 rupee tasting menu. I'm sick of being pushed to pay for things I didn't ask for. He said Thali is only good for one person. Well I am one person. So I'm getting the Thali. One staff member clicked a photo of me. One staff member is sitting there on his phone loudly listening to memes. One guy comes up to me and says "yes!". I always find this confusing. I already ordered. What do you want from me?
My order was for a mango drink. They brought out a strawberry one. The strawberry drink is delicious. The Thali was well presented and a nice meal.
I don't think they get a lot of customers. The staff hung around in the corner booth, all on their phones. I think the staff should at least pretend to be busy.
Next the 600 rupee meal, with a drink, adding GST, and water comes to 992 rupees, thank you. Then the main guy stated that this does not include the tip. I ask; so you're telling me to tip you? He doesn't respond to this.
It's another place that I cannot wait to escape. I get chased down the street, from time to time, in this country, by people wanting me to buy things that I do not want. This is the overall feeling that I as a foreigner visiting this restaurant.
Dear restaurant owners: the whole reason we come to a nicer place is to avoid being hassled. I do not plan to come here again, that's for sure. Tomorrow is the Taj with Imran. He's expensive, but I don't care as long as you know beforehand, no surprises.
It's nice to be home in a really nice room.
So the next day was with Imran Khan, same name as the famous cricketer. He is a good guide, not too fast, too slow, the correct amount of detail according to what you'd like to know.
The Taj Mahal is impressive, masses of white marble with precious stones inlaid to make the beautiful patterns, eg Onyx (black) from Belgium, malachite (green) from South Africa, Lapis Lazuli (blue) from Afghanistan, the magic orangey stone that catches the light is local. I believe there were diamonds, gold, and jewelled carpet hangings, definitely in the Agra fort at least, that were looted out by the Brits. Some gems were stolen by tourists or locals.
The mausoleum was built by Shah Jahan for his 3rd wife Mumtaz, who have him a son. The 1st two produced daughters. Mumtaz died in child birth. The king was able to build this over a 20 year period, from 1631. It's a sad story.
Over the river he planned to build exactly the same building, but in pure black Onyx. It would have cost 4 times the price.
His son Aurangzeb took power, jailed Shah Jahan, and cancelled the second mausoleum as it would have cost so much.
The luxuriously bejewelled, but sad, wing where Shah Jahan was held captive, overlooks the river and the Taj containing his dead wife. So for 8 years he could have contemplated his dead wife, the child that she gave him, and the betrayal of that son. Sucks to have been the king.
The Agra Fort is a beautiful complex of large walls, palaces, including the main section that was under the gardens near the entry, that we did not get to see.
I can't remember how we started talking about carpet, but the guide tells me he's got one from the factory. Well I'm a sucker for that, so I arrange to go to the factory.
The carpet factory has several families working away calling out colours to make the patterns, and tying off the knots one by one. In the end, I bought one. Marie gave it the OK, cis sge oks every purchase, haha. I hope like hell I wasn't ripped off or fooled into buying some bullshit carpet. We'll see when it gets home.
Third stop was lunch courtesy of Imran, which is very kind of him. All you can eat, which is not so much these days.
He warned me about the rural yahoos who come to town to ask for a selfie, and pick your pockets. After that I decide not to go out at night.
I switched on the hot water service for a shower, then it burst, pouring water out. I tried twiddling the tank's taps to relieve the pressure. Not sure if me touching them popped it under pressure? The tank taps tingled with electricity. Me being dumb, I thought I'll get a quick shower out of it.
When I tried to turn off the shower taps they were then live. I tried to turn them off using toothpaste tubes and got a zap. I used a thick mat and got properly zapped then but got the taps to turn off.
I told the hotel people because I was then genuinely concerned that someone could die getting to use the shower. The owner said he'd call the electrician and pull the (very wet?) plug. The plug is positioned under the shower head, which is the worst place for it, except for maybe submerging it fully in a bath tub. I told him to please do not touch it!! He agreed, because the elec was on his way.
I mentioned getting dinner at the hotel. The hotel owner served up a home made chicken bryani. I offered to pay, but he wouldn't take it. I think he was just happy that I was alive haha. F77k what a night.
I smacked about 3 mozzies with blood, and a few more, then slept with the fan blowing noisily again. Must remember to pop anti malarial pills!
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