After the Taj Mahal, we soon returned to the hotel, where we were blessed with a full breakfast buffet. The omelettes, sausages, pancakes, muffins, and fruit were heavenly. After eating, we had about an hour to pack our suitcases and leave for the Agra Fort. I enjoyed my last few moments of air conditioning and then headed downstairs to board the bus.
In about twenty minutes, we arrived at the Agra Fort, a sprawling complex of red sandstone formerly used as a stronghold of the Mughal empire in India. After passing through security, we walked up sloped entryways leading into the main courtyards. The first several ramps were built in a zig-zag pattern to confuse invaders and provide opportunities for men on the battlements to launch counter-offensives.
The courtyards, on the contrary, were not militaristic at all. The first courtyard featured manicured lawns and bushes with networks of walkways. We learned that all of the arches around the sides were multifoil arches, which are unique for their curvy, rolling frames. Toward the corner of this courtyard was the hall where the emperor would receive petitioners and dispense justice. In front of this hall lies a grave where a former British governor of India is interred. The placement is rather jarring, but we learned that the British-controlled fort was under siege by Indian rebels at the time the governor died, so the British decided to bury him inside the fort.
We then passed into another courtyard with more gardens and arches. This courtyard contained a bit more white marble than the previous, and in the far left corner stood the tower where Aurangzeb imprisoned Shah Jahan. Before we made our way to the prison, we walked past the chambers where the concubines of the emperor would live. Apparently the walls were thin enough for the concubines to communicate with each other.
When we reached the prison, I was awestruck by the same beautiful gemstones and white marble carvings we saw at the Taj Mahal. The king had an elegant place to spend the rest of his days, although I am still moved by the tragedy of wasting away in a fortress constructed with the same art as his most ambitious gift to the world. Our ambition cages us, I suppose. We could easily see the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna river, shining in the sunlight.
After touring the prison, we walked through the rest of the fort, which contained some interesting chambers and rich history. The fort was constructed over 96 years (I think) due to add-ons from each emperor who took power. One fascinating room was an early take on air conditioning: there were channels in the walls to carry water, cooling the air. A plumbing system passed the water behind the walls and out through a drainage hole in the courtyard. Moreover, the room was shaped in a way that forced wind at high velocities through the doors, and the curved walls aided in circulation. I was impressed.
We also saw some Hindu arches in a red sandstone courtyard. One Mughal emperor had a Hindu wife and was relatively amenable to religious pluralism, so he erected an area with traditional Hindu architecture. The Hindu arches were carved to depict the trunks of elephants on either side. It took me a second to see the elephants, but eventually I discerned the eyes and the trunks.
The rest of the group was clearly exhausted from Simon and I constantly stopping the tour guide to ask more questions about the fort, so we relented and headed towards the exit. On our way out, we walked past a large stone bathtub in the center of a walkway, which was rather strange. The bathtub had been moved outside for display from its original chambers (an important point, as I initially thought the emperor bathed in full sight of passerby).
The sun was quite hot by the time we loaded onto the bus again, and most of us were ready to do absolutely nothing. However, I was still extremely excited for our final stop in Agra: a marble shop. I was not sure what to expect, but I was saving my money for something special. I was glad I did.
When we walked into the shop, I could tell that we were immediately immersed in a sales pitch from the shop owner, but I was nonetheless fascinated. We watched several craftsman as they ground gemstones for tables, coasters, and plates. One of the artisans held stones the size of an ant against the wheel, carving its edges for the precise shape he needed for his design. Others were sketching designs on marble or chiseling dents for new stones. To make a product, an artisan must first sketch a design on the marble of choice; then, he must shape the desired gems to fit the sketch, overlaying the gems on the marble; then, he must remove the gems and chisel into the marble to make precise divots for the gems; and finally, he must glue the gems into the marble using the secret family glue I discussed early. We were shown a platter of malachite, mother of pearl, turquoise, carnelian, onyx, jasper, and lapis lazuli as well as a bowl of glue.
After this demonstration, we were led into the shop for another showing. The salesman turned off the lights and showed how the carnelian was special: it was the only translucent gemstone, meaning that it glowed in the light while the others were opaque. Moreover, he casually poured soda on a marble table to highlight the non-porous properties we learned about earlier.
A few minutes of perusing the store led me to a stack of six coasters that I loved. Each coaster bore a large carnelian flower with assorted buds of turquoise, lapis lazuli, mother of pearl, and malachite. I could not wait to share them with my family. Even better, the salesman who helped me purchase the coasters offered a bejeweled elephant as a free gift. I was extremely grateful that I had resisted the urge to buy a cheap elephant trinket from any of the numerous tourist shops I had visited previously.
Happy with my purchase, I returned to the bus, and we pulled away from Agra en route to Delhi. We saw a camel on the way out, adding to the list of animals I had seen in India. My official ranking, from favorite to least favorite: cows, camels, horses, dogs, monkeys, sheep. The monkeys and the sheep are a close call for last place. I will not miss either.
The ride to Delhi was smooth until we found ourselves in rush hour traffic, which was an onslaught of honking horns, mopeds, and skinny taxis darting into small gaps between vehicles. Traffic in India is horrific. We were all looking forward to going home at that point. Unfortunately, a sandstorm rolled into the city, compounding the already thick smog. We were worried that our flight would be delayed, and ultimately it was (but only by an hour).
In Delhi, we stopped at a hotel for two hours to prepare our luggage for the plane and eat dinner. I decided I did not have time to shower, which did not bother me (I made it eleven nights in the wilderness). The dinner buffet was fabulous. I gorged on everything I could find, whereas others ate sparingly to avoid any bowel issues on the plane. I always get hungry when traveling, so I took advantage of the food.
At the Delhi airport, we had a fairly smooth time getting through security. Unfortunately, Ally faced questions about the rocks she was carrying in her bag, and Anita had to part with nail clippers. I momentarily lost track of my passport, but it was in my bag the entire time (I knew it was, but my backpack is an abyss sometimes). We eventually reunited at a restaurant and bar, where we found Vipul and Gaurav jovially drinking beer. Their spirits were high, most likely because they were getting rid of us. Both were flying to the US as well—Gaurav to return home to Wyoming and Vipul for a project in Vermont.
We passed through an additional round of security at the gate and then waited for our flight to arrive. I was in row 53, so I leapt at the opportunity to gate check my carry-on. I was already starting to get tired, which was problematic given my plan to stay up as long as possible and reset my circadian rhythm. The flight took a while to take off, but soon we were in the air. Pretty much everyone on the plane fell asleep the moment the cabin went dark, including Chris, who sat directly across the aisle from me. He looked me in the eyes and said he could not stay awake, then promptly collapsed on his tray table. In his defense, we were up at 5:00 AM that same morning to see the Taj Mahal.
Fighting sleep, I watched half of House of the Dragon, which took me about six or seven hours into the flight. Then, I tried to get some semblance of sleep the remainder of the flight. I think I was somewhat successful, although my brain felt like a vegetable in the Newark airport. Fortunately, I had arranged a carpool with Ally and Hannah, so I took a nap as Ally’s dad drove us home. The drive was the smoothest I had ever experienced. One forgets the beauty of lanes and fresh air after a few days in Delhi.
On the way home, we saw a Wawa and immediately had to stop the car. I ordered a hoagie full of roasted peppers, spinach, and every other vegetable available. Ally ran along the aisles and grabbed bags off the shelves left and right. It was a momentous occasion.
Another twenty minutes of driving brought us to my home garage. I walked inside, hugged my mother and sister, and smiled with relief. Home at last!