Leaving Jaipur and heading to Agra via Ranthambore

So after spending a fantastic couple of days in Jaipur at the lovely Dera Rawatsar hotel (See their website here http://www.derarawatsar.com) we were heading off in the car again to Ranthambore national park in search of the almost mythical Indian Tiger!!

We stayed overnight at the Hotel Ankur Resort (hotelankurresort.com) which is a basic but clean place to rest your head. 

Sadly I was by now in full grip of hideous chest infection and cold picked up in Jodphur and also a rather gripey stomach so not a happy combination!!

Needless to say we didn't see any Tigers - but we did spot a leopard in the distance, thrilling if somewhat small . . .

But then we were heading to the highlight of my North Indian odyssey, Agra and the TAJ MAHAL!!

After a pleasant night at the Howard Park Plaza hotel we were ready and raring to go. Only to find the fog has descended yet again!!

Determined, we visited the Agra Fort first and waited for the fog to burn off. And it was worth the wait! 

There's so much said about the Taj Mahal, so many superlatives, so many poetic descriptions, and often, things are never as good as you hope they'll be. But this was. 

From the minute you board the electric bus to be taken to the gateway (no polluting vehicles are allowed within the vicinity of the Taj) there is a palpable sense of excitement.

Through the security gates, where any food, drink (and as my other half discovered to his horror tiny teddy bears) are confiscated, to the epic gate way. 

Then we were there, admittedly it was still foggy to begin with . . . But it was still amazing!!!!!! It is hard to put into words how it feels to be stood in front of one of the most iconic buildings in the world.



Then the fog cleared . . . .

Then we were back to Delhi, via endless road blocks and cross country diversions, and so ended our North Indian leg of the journey.

Hopping on a plane we were headed for Kerela. From 8 degrees to 32 in a four hour plane journey . .