We were up at dawn for our early breakfast after finishing our packing.
The hotel was very quiet as we walked down and there were just a few people in the dining room. The chef once again cooked us a delicious omelette and came to our table to make sure that we had enjoyed it.
We returned to our room and called for the luggage porter and then went down to reception to clear our account, complete the questionnaire and wait for our driver, who arrived shortly after 8:00.
The luggage was loaded into the car and we said our farewells today the very smart concierge and his staff and off we went on our journey towards Agra.
The haze was with us as we travelled on an occasionally bumpy road until we reached the expressway. We went through two tolls and then stopped at a service station for a short break and a welcoming cup of coffee. We met a couple that we had seen in the “over 60’s queue” at immigration. They were on a Trailfinders tour, but we are expecting to see them at Ranthambore.
We left the expressway and drove once more into the chaos of a very crowded road with manic driving, with the shanty shops interspersed with new shops and the odd hotel. They were building a new road towards Sikandra, which was why it was so dusty and chaotic.
On arrival at the mausoleum site, we paid our tourist entrance fee of 310 rupees each and were met by a government guide who showed us around and told us all the historical facts about the monument. We had left our socks in the car, so had to hop on our toes to reach the inside of the mausoleum.
Akbar had the very sensible idea that all religions should be united under one God and so married three wives of different faiths, but his view did not prevail after his death and they all went their separate ways which resulted in the subsequent religious wars. His tomb had a rectangular domed symbol on top, while female tombs had a square top.
Our driver was of the opinion that the fee asked for by our guide at $10 (700 rupees) was too much, we suspect that he might have taken us around just for his entrance fee!
Back into the cool of our car and to the Coral Court Homestay, where we arrived just under 6 hours after we had left Delhi. The homestay is an absolute delight, beautifully decorated and with a very warm welcome from our hosts. Our Audley rep was also there to greet us and check that we had the correct rail ticket for tomorrow. Passports were copied and then returned to us, as we completed their guest book. We were asked for vouchers, but we had not been given any, but this seemed OK once the Audley rep had spoken to them.
The agent told us that our guide for the Red Fort would arrive at 3:30, so we had about 1.5 hours to chill out before meeting him. We explored the roof terrace where there was a good view of the Taj Mahal, and some weightlifting equipment for the energetic guest.
We have arranged to have our evening meal here (cash only accepted) as we have an early start tomorrow. Gauvin arrived on time and we were driven to the Red Fort.
We passed the Nehru public park on the right and the 9-hole golf course on the left, we reached the fort and our guide obtained our tickets. There was no fee for camera, but there would have been a fee for video.
We passed through the three gates separated by ramps curves to slow down advancing elephants and entered the main courtyard, constructed in 1545 by Emporer in sandstone, and extended by Shah Jehan in white marble and where Akbar was improvised by his son and could view the Taj Mahal.
We returned to our homestay where we enjoyed a traditional vegetarian meal of potatoes and peas, aubergine and lentil curries with rice and naan bread. All washed down with Sprite. This was followed by sweet pumpkin desserts rather like Turkish delights (high sugar but no fat). One coated in sugar the other with chocolate.
Off to bed early with the alarm set for 5:00 am.