Day 266 – Agra, India

October 30^th, 2019

Today was a really awesome day!  We got up at 4am to get ready to go to the Taj Mahal for sunrise when it was supposed to be significantly less crowded.  We walked from our hostel, got our tickets and waited in the security line outside the East Gate until they opened their doors.  We went in and were able to get some great pictures before tons of people were in the background.  The Taj really is quite spectacular but all the smog from the pollution does dampen how cool it looks.

We had fun going around and taking pictures from all different angles.  I had told Brendan I wanted to have some pictures from this trip where we don’t look completely haggard from either hiking or just the backpacker life. I feel like we have gone to such amazing places with pretty views but we are always filthy or look like we just got done doing the hardest thing we ever did, in either intense heat or bitter cold.  So, I bought a new dress for the occasion and wore makeup for the first time in a while.  Brendan wasn’t on board with getting a new outfit like I was, but he did his best with his long sleeve Columbia shirt and of course the Boyce & Sons shirt is a must anywhere we go. 

We spent some time hanging out and taking in the sights before making our way back to the hostel.  Brendan wasn’t feeling well today so instead of going back to New Delhi we decided to stay in Agra another night.  We had a comfortable room and bed at Madpackers and thought one Wonder of the World in a day was good enough.  We didn’t have to feel bad about not doing more sight-seeing.  I had a couple days of not feeling well in Pushkar so I knew it would be good for Brendan to be able to rest and sleep it off.  We had a great free breakfast at Madpackers and then went back to bed. 

I had read from The Broke Backpacker that there are two things in Agra to do.  The first thing was to eat at Joney’s Place for the best food in all of India.  Then the second was see the Taj Mahal.   Of course, this made me laugh to compare a dive Indian food café with the Taj Mahal, but oh my gosh he was pretty much right!  It was absolutely amazing food and super cheap.  For $6 Brendan and I both had dinner and a soda, and I dare say, I think it was my most favorite meal of our entire year of traveling!  If anyone is coming to see the Taj,  Joney’s Place is an absolute must do.  It is family run and one of the oldest restaurants in Agra.  The guy serving us was the grandson of the founder, and three generations have worked together running this place serving the most amazing Indian food.  The kitchen was literally the size of a non walk-in closet and known for being the smallest kitchen in Agra.  It was great looking through the guest books they had of travelers from all over the world writing about how good Joney’s was.  The grandson said he has volumes of those books at his house from all the years.  Many people referred to Joney’s as an 8^th Wonder.  It was really great!

The way to Joney’s was also an interesting experience.  My maps took us on a walking route that went through small streets instead of the main tourist drag that leads to the Taj Mahal.  Getting off that mega tourist street where everyone was trying to sell rickshaw rides and Taj Mahal magnets was a totally different experience of Agra.  We walked through what some may view as a questionable area but I did not feel unsafe at all.  It was another eye-opening experience and a peek into the way so many people live.  It of course stirred up a lot of thoughts and emotions for me and I was once again filled with deep gratitude.  Gratitude for not only the experience of being led through these streets by my directions but getting to see what parts of real India are like, and gratitude for my own way of life and all the luxury and comfort I have.

There were a lot of animals and the streets were filled with people and little kids.  The little kids don’t do high fives as much here, but they all want to run up and just shake your hand.  Every kid would run up excitedly saying “hello” and reach out for your hand.  They would get very happy when you would shake it.  One little girl who couldn’t be more than four years old, took my hand and then kissed the top of it.  It was really sweet.  All the adults would smile and also say “hi”.  It was very apparent we were outsiders.  They are pretty infatuated with people who have light skin and one person even told me they loved me as I walked by (lol).  It was a weird feeling being looked at like a celebrity… someone from a different world who just walks through in a lackadaisical way to gawk at the way these people live and then return to the lap of luxury.  I never thought of my upbringing as being royalty-like or that my current lifestyle of living out of a backpack in hostels would represent such riches and extravagance, but it completely does in comparison.  I have written a lot about the “lack of comfort” I have put up with in order to do this trip, but it is actually kind of laughable when you put it into perspective of the way millions of people live.  These kids didn’t do or not do anything to be born into this environment.  Just like I didn’t do anything to be born into comfort.  I only live this life by the grace of God and it stirs up a lot of thoughts about the way the world is, and why it is like this.

The amazing and inspiring thing about this little walk was from glancing at it, you would think of it as being sad and depressing to see the conditions these people live in.  But actually, that wasn’t the feeling I got.  I did not get an air of oppressed people who are enduring tremendous suffering.  People were smiling and laughing amongst each other.  Kids were playing and running around.  This is just the life they know and are accustomed to.  I’m not saying that these people do not have suffering or that it is “okay” to have these living conditions since they do not know anything else.  I am just impressed at how strong and resilient human beings are.  Those who have been following my journaling know that I am an advocate for change and improvement.  I desire for improvements to be made in people’s health, living conditions, environment etc.  I think the amazing ability for people to adapt and carry on with their life in conditions that others find deplorable is a remarkable display of a built-in defense mechanism for survival. 

The women here are incredibly strong.  We have noticed that women in particular seem to be the ones doing the most manual labor within these communities. It is really different from anything I know.  There were some comments made by the Mom and Daughters in our cooking class that made both Brendan and I cringe a little bit about the woman’s “role”.  It would be extremely difficult for someone like myself who knows another way of life, to come live in a place like this and be “happy”.  After about five minutes of the constant horns, I’m already on the verge of pleading with God to just end my suffering.  I would be ready to “give up” on whatever it was I was doing.  I am impressed with the people here even though they often do so many things I am not impressed with. It goes back to the “Love India, Hate India” saying.  There are many contrasting feelings while being here.  At least for me.  

Seeing the Taj, resting, having a unique cultural experience, and then having the most amazing food made it a really awesome day.  I liked this day so much I told Brendan we should do it again tomorrow.  He laughed at me when he realized I was being serious, but since we are staying a second night in Agra I thought why not go see the Taj at sunrise again and then go to Joney’s before we have to go back to Delhi?  He may think I am crazy (and maybe I am) but how often are you in walking distance from a Wonder of the World and your most favorite meal of the year?