THE GREAT TAJ CAPER

A slow day at the studio yesterday gave me a window of opportunity to travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Agra is about a four hour car ride from Delhi but the Shatabdi Express makes the trip once a day in just under two hours. The train leaves New Delhi Train Station at 6:00 a.m. My Lonely Planet guide book talks about the insanity of the station but words do not do it justice. Just when I think my eyes are becoming numb to my surroundings there is always something to remind me that I am on another planet...this time it was the train station.

I thought getting there a half an hour early would be fine but I soon learned that this was not so. Lonely Planet tells you to purchase tickets from one place in the station and only one place. It goes on to warn you of the many conmen who try to lure you away with stories that the window has closed or moved, etc. These men come in all shapes and sizes from shady looking characters with bare feet to men in uniform with i.d. cards that prove their "validity." To make a long story short there is NOBODY to trust.

When I finally found the right counter, it really was closed and the outcome was taxi ride back to my hotel under a cloud of frustration and embarassment for letting this damn place get the best of me. After an hour of deliberation, I decided the best bet would be to hire a car a much higher price and press on.



The great Taj Mahal in all of its glory.



This photo was taken from the base of the Taj.