VIN GOES TO SEE THE 'TAJ MAHAL' !! (Day 3)

And so finally on Day 3, we were all set to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra. Agra is a city located some 200 kilometres from New Delhi and we can go there by train or bus or even hire a taxi. We opted for a Taxi because it would free us from the 'time-fixes' in all other modes of transport. We opted for the new 'National Highway' from Delhi to Agra. Its called the 'Yamuna-ExpressWay". Yamuna is the name of the river beside which the Taj has been built. It was the neatest and best Expressway I have ever experienced until now :)


THE 'YAMUNA EXPRESSWAY'


So we reached Agra after 4 hours, but it could have been earlier- our Taxi had a tyre puncture! We reached at around 12 noon. New rules!- we had to leave our Taxi at the stand and hire a'Battery-operated' rickshaw. This so, because the Taj was getting corroded due to fuel emmissions. Good thing. The bad thing was , that the fellow who's taxi we hired charged us a whooping hundred bucks for a ride of 3 minutes, when it should have been only Rupees 5 per head!(as we realised on our way back from the Taj). There were also available horse-tongas and camel-tongas, and although Vinisha saw them for the first time, she kept snorting her nose at the smell of animal-crap all around. You couldn't see them(the place was neatly maintained), but you got the stink :/

Then we bought tickets for the Entrance and we had to go in queue while Vineet the Great had Direct Access through the Main Gate with his dad as escort!! He really is a 'Maharajah'!! :D

Entrance to the Taj Mahal

A little tragedy happened here and it had to do with Vinisha's favourite 'Snow-white' Princess doll that she carried along till here in her bag- the security people naturally confiscated it- A doll was good enough to put bombs in it. Never mind it it was 'Snow-white' or a Princess doll, or Vinisha Victor's favourite doll- the lady-constable almost laughed at Vinisha!So I had to go all the way down the road to a 'Locker room' and deposit her doll for a small fee. When I returned, Vinisha was almost in tears and only when I consoled her that 'snow-white' was resting safely in a room, that she felt okay! :D Girls!
So we walked in, and my smile came back- there were ramps all around!!

 

FINALLY!! THE TAJ MAHAL!!!

 

AND THEN CAME THE BLOOPER OF THE ENTIRE TRIP- THERE WAS NO RAMP TO GO UP TO THE MAIN MAUSOLEUM OF THE TAJ

WE WATCHED  HELPLESSLY AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO EXCEPT CARRY VIN UP THE STAIRS.

THE GUARD WAS SO 'UN-HELPFUL', HE EVEN REFUSED TO LOOK AFTER VIN'S WHEELCHAIR HERE, SO VIN'S GRANDMA VOLUNTEERED TO STAY BACK DOWN ('COZ SHE HAD BEEN HERE EARLIER TOO)

 

 

NEEDLESS TO SAY - WE WERE TIRED AND DISAPPOINTED.................

So Vin's dad carried him up the stairs and with much difficulty reached the parapet where people could sit down. After taking a small rest , Vin, his dad and Vinisha went in and walked across through the mausoleum and then we took some pictures. Then we decided to go back down. Uh-Oh! More trouble. The wheelchair was at the Entrance side and the 'Exit' side did not have a Ramp!! Poor dad had to carry Vin some more after climbing down the stairs. He was totally exhausted! Someone Please TAKE NOTE!! Its not as easy as you would like to believe!!

 

 

We left tired and a little disappointed, but took care not to let Vin feel 'our' disappointment..

 

Next me and Vinisha walked to the Locker room again to collect her 'Snow-white' and the man at the counter didn't even check our token! One look at Vinisha and he knew the doll was hers!!LOL!!

:)

NEXT WE WENT TO SEE THE 'AGRA FORT' SITUTATED NEARBY

Here we got ourselves a 'Helper' to wheel Vin around and this was an intelligent thing to do we realised as we went up the slope towards the castle. Here too, we found wheelchair ramps all over the place and my smile came back :))

 

We made a quick survey, watched the Taj again through the castle windows and hurried towards 'Fatehpur-Sikri', a place well-known for being made by Akbar the Great Emperor and the 175 feet tall door called' Buland Darwaza'. It was supposed to be an hour or so ride from Agra and since it was already afternoon, we rushed. We reached just in time for the last bus up the hill to the castle, and Surprise of all surprises- There was a ramp leading up the adjacent door. So we had Vin being able to go up to see a 175 feet tall door called 'Buland Darwaza' made by Akbar the Great!

 

 

THANKYOU INDIA TOURISM DEPARTMENT AND ARCHAELOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA! THANKYOU SO SO MUCH! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR A SMALL BOY ON A WHEELCHAIR!!

 

 YES, THAT WAS AS HIGH AS VIN WAS ABLE TO GO! THANKS TO SOME WOODEN PLANKS AND SOME HUMANE PEOPLE! :)