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‘Round the World

Agra Fort And Kites At Sunset

Posted by Dave on June 17th, 2008

Entrance to Agra Fort

After touring the Taj Mahal, and grabbing some lunch, Laura, Dan and I hired a rickshaw for the return ride to Agra Fort. It is a large, sprawling complex, with much of the space still dedicated to India’s military.

Inside Agra Fort

It is situated along the same river as the Taj Mahal and each can be seen from the other.

Dan negotiates with the autorickshaw driver as Laura and I look on

Before heading back to the hotel, we agreed to visit some tourist shops as part of our deal with the rickshaw driver. I learned that the drivers can not only earn commissions off what is sold at some places, they can also be given a liter of petrol for simply bringing in new customers. Our first stop was a big store, and we were offered free Pepsi’s to enjoy while doing our best to resist the pressure to buy something.

Laura (white dress) gets caught in traffic

The weather remained clear, and we hung out at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant for the evening. As we enjoyed a few Kingfishers, and the beautiful sun slowly set, I was surprised to find kites filling the air all around us. Adults and kids alike were flying them from their rooftops, and it seemed to be a very popular activity. A call to prayer rang out from a local mosque’s loudspeaker. I couldn’t have asked for a better evening.

A kite flies high as the sun sets over Agra

Dare Me to do something fun, weird, or challenging on the road!

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6 Comments »

 
Comment by Phil UNITED STATES
2008-06-17 14:01:23

That description of sitting at the rooftop restaurant enjoying a drink and a sunset makes me want to be there!

 
Comment by clair MALAYSIA (6 comments.)
2008-06-17 22:06:34

Are you eating lots of curry? Love Indian curry, it’s the best :razz: . A friend of mine who recently visited India complained that the food was too spicy for her.

Comment by Dave INDIA
2008-06-17 23:25:13

Yep, and the funny thing is I am loving the veggie curries more than the chicken ones. Well, to be honest, I’m getting lots of curries with cottage cheese and potato, not the hardier vegetables! Still, they’re authentic and soooo good. I’ve definitely gained wait lately. I’ve had some spicy food, but by and large, I must be ordering the tamer stuff because I haven’t found it overwhelming. Then again, I’ve mostly been in the tourist restaurants where they tone things down.

 
 
Comment by Kango Suz UNITED STATES (39 comments.)
2008-06-23 13:25:26

What a great evening!

@ curries - do you prefer the yellow ones? I love the thicker ones , also the cheese in curry or spinach.

Comment by Dave INDIA
2008-06-23 23:06:26

As long as it has coconut milk, I’m happy!

 
 
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