Date: 25-Apr-14
Agra Fort
Our plan for today was to visit Agra Fort and Jama Masjid. Also, we had to return to Delhi in the afternoon train. Our checkout time in the hotel was 12.00 PM. So, we packed all our bags and decided to start early in the morning. We went for breakfast in the hotel canteen at around 8.30 AM. They took lot of time to prepare breakfast. By the time we left from the hotel, it was 9.00 AM. We decided to visit Agra fort first and enquired the autowalas about the price. They were asking 100 Rs. Agra fort was just 4 km from our hotel. So, we did not go for 100 Rs. Finally we got an auto who came for 50 Rs. The weather was too hot. The fort was looking too good from outside and it was not that crowded. The entry fee was just 10 Rs. As we entered the fort, we were surprised to see the huge area inside. We did not even think that there will be such a huge area inside the fort. It was very neatly maintained. We explored the place inside. It was never ending. The marble art and the domes were too beautiful.
Both of us were feeling very tired as it was too sunny. We had forgotten to bring water and we were feeling very thirsty. Drinking water was available inside the fort, but we did not have the bottle to carry. We explored the place for some time and decided to leave. The burning sun had taken all our energy and we did not have enough time. So, we cancelled our plan to visit Jama Masjid. We decided to leave the fort at around 11.00 AM and planned to do some shopping near our hotel.
Inside Agra Fort
At around 11.15 AM, we reached near our hotel. We went to a marble shop where an old man was selling the marble show pieces. He explained us the different kinds of marbles and about the showpieces he had in his shop. He looked genuine. So, we bought 5 marble items from his shop. By the time we reached our hotel it was 12.30 PM. Luckily, the hotel owner did not charge us extra for checking out from the hotel with half an hour delay. Our train to Delhi was at 3.15 PM from Agra cantonment station. The station was far from the hotel where we stayed. When enquired with the autowalas near the hotel, he told the price to be 150 Rs. We felt that was a pretty reasonable amount and left in that auto. The auto was in a too bad condition, but the auto driver was a friendly person. He was telling us the history of Agra. We checked with him if we can get the famous Agra Petha anywhere on the way. He took us to a famous shop where we got the tasty Agra Petha. It was yummy. We bought 2 packs of different flavored petha.
By the time we reached Agra Cantt station it was only 1.15 PM and we had two more hours for our train. The crowd was less in the station. We went to the waiting room and sat there for some time. We had lunch in a hotel in the station. It was an AC Hotel and it was all empty. We spent time there till 3.00 PM. At 3 o’clk, we went to our platform and the train arrived at around 3.30 PM. This time, we had side berths for us. So we felt very happy. The train journey was too good. We had not booked any hotel in Delhi. In the train itself, Thilak found that a hotel called Maanvi would be cheap and best for one night stay. The hotel was in Paharganj. Both of us had not liked that place earlier. But, that place was the only familiar place for us and it was near to the railway station. So, we thought that Paharganj would be the right choice and also, the rating for that hotel was good in Trip Advisor.
We reached Delhi Nizamuddin Railway station at around 7.30 PM. When we came out of the train station, I was very sacred because the place was too crowded and everyone was looking like rowdies. We could see a pre-paid auto counter nearby and Thilak bought a ticket for Paharganj. The price for auto was 115 Rs which we felt reasonable. The auto driver did not know the hotel. After checking with the shop keepers and the people, we found the hotel in a crowded area. The streets were too narrow. The place was not at all good. But, for us, it was a matter of one night. So, we decided to stay in that hotel. The hotel was looking good from outside. There was no problem while checking in as we had already booked the hotel. The hotel owner and the staff looked bit unprofessional. When we got into the room, I was satisfied with the way it looked. But, Thilak was highly disappointed. He told the hotel looks shady. I believe his sixth sense more than mine. When we checked the room properly, I also felt the same. The bathroom was not clean. The switch boards were broken. TV was not working. Both of us felt angry, but we decided to stay in that hotel for one night and Thilak decided to write a bad review about the hotel on the websites. We ordered Chapathi curry for dinner in the same hotel. They were so unprofessional that they took one hour to deliver the food and that too after reminding them 2-3 times. After having dinner, we slept off.
We had a great time in Agra fort and while traveling in the train from Agra to Delhi. At night, we were feeling very sad as we had only one more day to return.
- Route Travelled: Taj Plaza > Agra Fort > Taj Plaza > Agra Cantt Railway Station > Nizamudding Railway Station (Delhi) > Maanvi Hotel (Paharganj).
- Photos: Agra Fort Photos
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