October 29th, 2019
Last night we walked to our bus which was a very confusing experience since it is usually just on the side of the road somewhere, and not often at a designated bus station. We finally found the bus that was stopping in Ajmer which is where we are supposed to get off and transfer to a different bus to go to Agra. We got to the bus and I was sooo relieved as it was the nicest sleeper bus we had ever been on. It had ample room where we could stretch all the way out. The pad was more comfortable than most mattresses we have been sleeping on. It was a clean and beautiful bus. I knew Ajmer was only like 30 minutes away but I thought it was a really good sign that we booked this quality of bus.
We got to Ajmer just when I was falling asleep. I hoped the next bus was going to be just as good because Agra was eight hours away. We got off the nice bus and were pointed to the Agra bus. It was far worse than anything I could ever imagine. By now my standards for things are pretty low and I have really learned to live with a lot of filth and discomfort, but this bus was on a different level. Brendan and I were crammed into this top cell (literally, it was a cell with bars around it). The cover over the sleeper pads was completely worn through so this bare, disgusting pad was exposed that looked like it had layers of filth and grime on it. I’m pretty sure there was rat poop, or some kind of poop in all the creases. Our cell was filled with old trash of bottles and snack wrappers. I didn’t want to touch anything, let alone lay down on that pad but there was nothing else to do (there is no room to sit, you have to lay down or you wont fit). I looked around and on my Google maps to see if we could just get off and figure something else out, but we weren’t even in the town of Ajmer. We were just pulled over on the side of the road somewhere and it was 10pm at night. I had zero confidence that if we got off this bus I would be able to arrange anything better or even anything at all.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and we tried to settle in. We got out our dirty clothes from our backpack and put them down so we could lay on top of them. Brendan said sleeping with his face on his dirty underwear would be far better than whatever was on that pad. Since we left all of our big luggage in Delhi for the week and just had our small backpacks, I was not equipped with my normal pharmaceutical supply. I felt so stupid and didn’t even think to bring the sleeping medicine that has been a life saver for me on overnight buses. I looked at what I had, and I did have some of Sadie’s old anxiety medicine that I carry around for some kind of extreme panic or stress emergency. It was used for Sadie 30 minutes before a scary event. I’ve only ever had to use it once on our whole trip and that was to give to cousin Taylor when we were stuck in a scary protest in Guatemala. I gave it to her to avoid a panic attack and it did the trick. I wasn’t going to have a panic attack but I thought anything would be better than nothing if it helped me settle into this uncomfortable situation for the next eight hours.
I noticed anytime I gave Sadie the medicine, if she was already anxious it would not do anything for her. I think I must have already been too stressed for the medicine to work as it didn’t make me feel sleepy or relaxed at all. Luckily for Brendan, it knocked him right out and he slept like a baby. Must be because he is always so calm to begin with. I was so jealous at one in the morning, and the bus was just getting packed with more and more people from the side of the road and there are all these guys literally yelling at each other in the aisle of the bus. Our driver just laid on the horn for god knows what reason and more explosive bombs were going off from this never-ending Diwali festival, and I looked over and Brendan is just sawing logs. I woke him up when we got to Agra and he said it was the best sleep he ever had.
We got to Agra around 5:30am and took a tuk tuk to our hostel. I didn’t have a room reserved until tonight but this is a brand new Madpackers hostel and it is super nice. It had great couches in the community area so we just came in and went to sleep until later that morning. I was of course exhausted after being up all night. The owner is super friendly and had us come up for the free breakfast even though we were not booked until tonight. They had a really nice rooftop café with views of the Taj Mahal. The only unfortunate thing was the air being so polluted we could just barely make out the outline of the Taj through the smog even though it was really close by.
After breakfast we went out to see Agra and went on a Taj Mahal “nature walk”. It was basically just a park with some trails and Taj Mahal viewpoints. It was nice just to be off the street with the car horns.
By the time we got back it was time to check into our room. We got a great private room with a comfy bed for $8. After so much moving around we decided to just chill the rest of the day and get up early to go see the Taj at sunrise when it is supposed to be less crowded.
I cannot believe the hardships you guys have endured and the situations you have found yourselves in! You must’ve questioned a million times how and why you signed up for “This!” Your posts from India and even the wrap up about Nepal have been a shared heartbreak. What a horrendous travesty that hordes of people live and perpetuate such dire conditions. I’m sure you are right that they become immune to the filth, the noise, the chaos and the total lawlessness acted out in their “normal” behavior. It causes me to deeply question those who are making decisions for the people (their government) and where all the money is going that should be put into infrastructure and education. We complain about the problems we have with corruption in government in America, what you are experiencing is the result of long-term abuse of leadership! Now I understand why SO MANY immigrants risk their lives to make it to a better country. You guys are truly amazing to have endured such a journey through paradises unknown and Hells unfathomed! The treatment of animals (cows, elephants, dogs etc) that you’ve witnessed is beyond SAD. Is it better for a cow to slowly starve and thirst or to die quickly as food for someone … Oh Lord Jesus, Come Quickly to restore righteousness to this Earth!