Abhaneri Step Well

Breakfast was good and abundant. After it was over, our guide asked the waiters to help us understand traditional dhoti garment and turban worn by Indian farmers (for the dhoti, think Gandhi), and the scarf/shawl worn by women in this area. They brought in long (like yards long) pieces of cloth to show us, then started dressing us all up. It was a little bit silly, but all in good fun.

After we'd taken far too many photos of each other in costume, we had a lesson from our guide and these same guys on the Indian national religion, the game of cricket. This is one of the few things the British left behind that Indians appreciate. Using a tennis ball, which is far safer than a real cricket ball, we all got a turn at bat. It was a sticky wicket.

Driving only a short distance from the OAT camp, we entered a town and parked near an obviously ancient Hindu temple. But we walked, not to the temple, but toward a larger, slightly less ancient looking building next to it. We walked in via a narrow door through an atrium of multiple arches in Mughal style, and out onto an open portico. But walking just a little further we could see that there was some sort of pool or lowered area which the portico surrounded. A few steps more and it became clear that the pool was actually a huge inverted pyramid cut deep into the ground, with a crisscrossing pattern of steps going down on all sides.

This enormous step well fills during the monsoon. Then, as the water level goes down, people can climb lower and lower, to a depth of 75 feet or more, to reach the water level. The king who constructed it also included a multi-level summer palace for himself and his queen(s) that would provide a cool spot along the water's edge at most any water level. This well, built in the 10th century, was originally decorated with intricate Hindu carvings, most of which were defaced by invading Mughals several hundred years later. It is truly an amazing structure.

Brick kilns, seen everywhere, belch black smoke. They burn everything from straw to used tires. No pollution control.

We returned to the bus for the long drive to Agra. Our guide entertained (?) us with more information about the caste system, arranged marriages, problems with domestic abuse and honor killings, child trafficking, drug, and other social ills. Most of these are certainly not unique to India, but are exacerbated by poverty and caste. The lunch stop exposed us to some new dishes, some good, and some (like French fries) clearly trying too hard to please tourists. Our guide turned the subjects of his talks to more positive topics, such as pointing out the differences between language, native dress, and culture between Rajasthan, the state in which we have been touring since landing in Jaipur, and Uttar Pradesh, the state into which we have now crossed.

A"nilgai" or "blue bull" antelope along the roadside -- one of the most commonly seen wild animals of central and northern India

We entered Agra, and went directly to the Moon Garden, which is directly across the river from the Taj Mahal. It is only from this side that one can see the entire Taj complex, complete with the red sandstone mosque and royal pavilion either side of the central dome. Despite the haze and the unfavorable position of the sun for photography, the site was breathtaking.

View of the Taj complex from the Mahtab-Bagh (Moon Garden) across the river.

After checking into our large and rather plush hotel, we had the evening free. For exercise, we walked the spacious hotel grounds, had a beer at the bar, and then went back to the room to do laundry and write this journal.