A journey from Ranthambore to Agra with a stop at the Chand Baori stepwell, lunch at Umaid Lake Palace, and a disappointing arrival at the Grand Mercure Agra with no promised Taj Mahal view.
Ranthambore to Agra.
Today, we left Ranthambore and travelled to Agra. On the way, we visited Chand Baori, located in the village of Abhaneri in Rajasthan.
Chand Baori (Abhaneri Stepwell).
We arrived at the Abhaneri Stepwell and parked on a dusty road outside it. We got off the coach and walked across the road to the entrance. Our guide, Digamber, bought tickets for all of us and gave us some information about the site.
I was wandering around, taking photos, when an Indian security guard approached me and said something in Hindi. I didn’t understand him, but Digamber explained that because I had used my DJI 3 video camera to take photos, I would be charged, since video cameras weren't allowed. I had only been taking pictures, but since they were going to charge me anyway, I decided I might as well shoot some videos. The crazy thing was that I could have used my mobile phone to film without any charge at all.
Digamber spoke to the guard and said he would pay the fee and collect it from me later. Luckily, the charge was only ₹25, about 25 cents in Europe or 25 pence in the UK.
The Stepwell itself was terrific to see, but we were not allowed to climb down into it. I was grateful for that, as it was very steep with no handrails, and I know that if we had been allowed, I would at least have attempted to climb partway down.
We didn’t stay long, and as we crossed back over the road, a very loud truck with speakers blasting music blocked the way. We were told it was a wedding procession, and we watched as guests followed the car through the dust along the dirt road. Once it passed, we got back on the coach and set off for our lunch stop.
Umaid Lake Palace.
The Umaid Lake Palace is a luxurious heritage resort near Jaipur, set amidst 20 acres of greenery. We stopped here for lunch after visiting Chand Baori. The food was quite good, and I could easily imagine the place hosting wedding parties around the large outdoor swimming pool in the courtyard.
Grand Mercure Agra.
My hotel in Agra was the Grand Mercure Agra. I was very disappointed with my room. When I booked this trip, I had been told I would have an unhindered view of the Taj Mahal from my bedroom window, looking out across a park with nothing in the way.
When we arrived, I was given my key and shown to the room by a beautiful young lady. Unfortunately, the room overlooked the staff car park, with bins and motorbikes as my view. I went to the reception and complained to the manager. He told me that JustYou had not booked any rooms with views, but did offer to change my room.
The next room, although on a higher floor, was no better. This time, I overlooked a railway building and the side of a nightclub. I left the room and went up to the bar and pool area on the roof. From there, the Taj Mahal could be seen, but it was far off across the Agra skyline. I realised then that the room JustYou had promised me must have been in another hotel entirely.
Many of the people on the tour gathered on the roof for a drink, but I found it too cold to sit outside and went back to my room to get some sleep before tomorrow’s early‑morning visit to the Taj Mahal. I didn’t fall asleep as quickly as I’d hoped, as the constant horn‑tooting from vehicles and the music from the nightclub next door kept me awake longer than I wanted.
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