#raineyasha blog – day 5 – Saturday 29 October 2016
This morning we had a VERY early start with breakfast at 5.30am. This is because we were leaving at 6am to travel to Agra situated south of Delhi.
We were real tourists for the day and visited both the Red Fort and one of the 7 Built Wonders of the World – the extravagant Taj Mahal.
It was a 4 hour journey to Agra and we used this as opportunity to have a much needed rest, especially the boys because they were absolutely exhausted! On the way we continued to see the poverty, realising it’s not only within Delhi but throughout the entire country of India.
Before visiting the Red Fort we went to the 5 star hotel “The Trident”, where we enjoyed refreshments.
We then left the hotel with our informative tour guide for the day-Husain. He provided us with some fascinating historical information about this very beautiful collection of different exquisite red bricked buildings.
However, we all agreed it is nothing compared to the Rainey building! Whilst inside the Red Fort we could see in the distance the Taj Mahal awaiting our arrival later on in the day.
After a delicious buffet back at the Trident hotel, boasting typical Indian dishes, we had time for some sunbathing before we headed to our next destination- the Taj Mahal. Upon our arrival, we walked through the breathtaking gardens, many impressive buildings and passed the ‘Princess Diana’s bench’. We were all in awe of the symmetry seen throughout the Taj Mahal, down to each individual engraving. Husain was extremely friendly and explained much of the architecture and design. We were able to enter the Taj Mahal, the resting place of Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal was built by her husband Shah Jahan in her memory. It was incredible to finally have the privilege of being in and around one of the Seven Built Wonders of the World. We were treated like celebrities because of our white skin as many Indian locals approached us to have photos taken with their children!
However, on leaving we were soon brought back to the harsh realities of India, with many beggars and street sellers approaching us. We returned once again to our favourite eatery McDonalds with the other two schools Wallace and Methody. We eventually collapsed onto our bus seats and talked about our busy day through the long journey home.
By Cara and Sarah Paul
