Meat
So another day in Agra. I am doubting why I decided to stay here 2 nights instead of just one.
While enjoying the sights of Itmad-ud-Daulah, a tomb dating from the 1600s, I strolled along the Yamuna riverbank. I took out my camera and my snazzy telephoto lens to take pictures of the water buffalo lounging in the water and noticed a group of dogs far out in the river on a sandbar. Turns out they were tearing up a dead human body. Nobody else seemed to notice or care. Couples were cuddling along the fence lining the monument and several tourists walked by without even noticing.
I went next to Chini-ka-Rauza, another tomb from approx. 1635. It was crumbling and decaying and was rather depressing. This was once place I wished would charge an entrance fee as the grounds and monument clearly need to be repaired. While strolling the grounds in a far corner of the park I had a nice surprise. First, I saw dozens of parakeets or parrots or some crazy green tropical birds swooping back and forth from a pile of ruins to a large tree. I was about to take out my camera to catch a snap when I gained a traveler. A large white and black pigeon, the kind used for racing, landed on my umbrella. He didn't seem inclined to leave so I walked the rest of the garden with him as my passenger above my head. I felt like one of those cows that lives with a bird on its shoulders. I would have loved a picture of this but my hands were full.
Later I braved the Johri Bazaar and went to see the Jami Masjid. The "caretaker" immediately started showing me around the mosque and giving me interesting information. But before too long he demanded 500 ruppees from me. Not as in asked for a donation, but demanded the money.
I have spent most of the rest of the day brushing off people trying to sell me something or looking for a handout. My rickshaw driver took me to an expensive restaurant which was good but they performed a strange puppet and music show for me and clearly wanted me to leave a large tip. I feel like a piece of meat. Everywhere I go someone wants my money. I am ready to leave Agra and only have like 5 hours until my train.
While enjoying the sights of Itmad-ud-Daulah, a tomb dating from the 1600s, I strolled along the Yamuna riverbank. I took out my camera and my snazzy telephoto lens to take pictures of the water buffalo lounging in the water and noticed a group of dogs far out in the river on a sandbar. Turns out they were tearing up a dead human body. Nobody else seemed to notice or care. Couples were cuddling along the fence lining the monument and several tourists walked by without even noticing.
I went next to Chini-ka-Rauza, another tomb from approx. 1635. It was crumbling and decaying and was rather depressing. This was once place I wished would charge an entrance fee as the grounds and monument clearly need to be repaired. While strolling the grounds in a far corner of the park I had a nice surprise. First, I saw dozens of parakeets or parrots or some crazy green tropical birds swooping back and forth from a pile of ruins to a large tree. I was about to take out my camera to catch a snap when I gained a traveler. A large white and black pigeon, the kind used for racing, landed on my umbrella. He didn't seem inclined to leave so I walked the rest of the garden with him as my passenger above my head. I felt like one of those cows that lives with a bird on its shoulders. I would have loved a picture of this but my hands were full.
Later I braved the Johri Bazaar and went to see the Jami Masjid. The "caretaker" immediately started showing me around the mosque and giving me interesting information. But before too long he demanded 500 ruppees from me. Not as in asked for a donation, but demanded the money.
I have spent most of the rest of the day brushing off people trying to sell me something or looking for a handout. My rickshaw driver took me to an expensive restaurant which was good but they performed a strange puppet and music show for me and clearly wanted me to leave a large tip. I feel like a piece of meat. Everywhere I go someone wants my money. I am ready to leave Agra and only have like 5 hours until my train.
posted by Julep | 2:42 AM
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