Memories from my trip to Pune last year are a blur of work, dinners with the teams, an Indian amusement park and the amazing breakfast at the JW Marriott. This time around I wanted to do a little more than just work, so I opted to tack on an additional 36 hours over the second weekend to go see the Taj Mahal. After a week of work, I was going to fly from Pune to Delhi Saturday morning, drive to Agra that afternoon, relax at the hotel that evening (including a massage at the spa) and then have a guided tour of the Taj Mahal at sunrise the next morning followed by a quick stop at the Agra Fort. All with the aim to head back to Delhi before 1pm Sunday afternoon to make my flight home that night.
It sounded reasonable in my head when I was planning it, but man it was exhausting. And after the full week of work (similar to last year) I even started questioning the idea before it began. I was ready to get home and see the family.
But off I went. On a 36 hour journey that included some highs, some lows and a few big reflections.
Lows included my driver for the trip getting lost on the way to the hotel, resulting in a late check in and a stressful start to the massage. First world problems aside, I also started to feel really alone in my travels outside of Pune (after a week at a business focused hotel, moving to a hotel filled with retired couples or honeymooners was a shock). In addition to being physically alone, each person I interacted with was surprised to learn I didn’t have a husband or family traveling with me; I went quickly from being an independent experienced traveller to being more than a bit insecure that I was in fact a woman traveling alone in a country where that isn’t that normal.
The highs included the 15 solitary minutes I had sitting just outside of the craziness of tourists at the Taj Mahal to watch the sunrise and take a moment to enjoy the moment of calm. And of course the high of hearing my tour guide suggest that I go back to the hotel after the Taj Mahal to have breakfast before we went to the Agra Fort (I needed food and a coffee since I didn’t get a chance for breakfast before the Taj Mahal).
And reflections, man did I have a few over the course of 36 hours: on life, work, what motivates me, what scares me. I learned what it means to really miss home and not just my family at home but home of my country… After a week of travel, I was ready to spend time with Americans where I didn’t have to be on my best behavior, interpret and translate every action, concentrate on the conversation to avoid mishearing or misunderstanding the context through an unfamiliar accent and ensure I am not making a cultural faux pas. It was at the Taj Mahal that I realized that there is a level of comfort that comes with being home. A realization that I never fully appreciated until now. I always thought I could be happy anywhere and not miss my hometown, country or culture. I was wrong.
In the end, I am glad I went to Agra and got to check out one of the seven wonders of the world. And my tour guide Zahid made the experience so much better (I would highly recommend him to anyone), but I was ready to get home to see my family. After 8 days of travel, I was ready to complete my journey around the world (continuing east via Singapore) which funnily enough reminded me of the kids favorite film right now “Around the World in 80 Days” (the Jackie Chan version).
A few parting thoughts on the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort:
The entire tour my guide pointed out all of the says the Taj Mahal was a architectural achievement and a tribute of Mughal emperor Shah Jahanto to his wife; and each one was impressive: the flowers made of over 60 marble pieces, the optical illusions for created for the Koran writing on the walls, the magnifying glass the emperor had installed at the Agra Fort so he could see the Taj Mahal from his bedroom, and the fact that the entire property is symmetrical with the exception of the emperor's tomb, which is laid just to side of his wife’s tomb making it therefore off-center.
I love how after 2 hours of hearing about the emperor's love for his wife, Zahid casually mentioned the emperor’s second and third wife and their temples.
Agra Fort is not a fort, just like Yosemite isn’t just a park. It is a sprawling 94 acre palace on par with, if not better than, most castles in all of Europe. To call it just a fort, is a gross understatement in the English language.
The fort is a study of smart architecture: windows positioned to capture the cool breeze off the river (the summer rooms with windows facing east to get the breeze and air flow, winter rooms without windows to keep the warmth in), hooks on the floor and ceiling to hang reed based curtains that hold water to create coolness and many other features that should be used today instead of relying on AC.
Eat: everything the Team gave me plus some (I gained 5 pounds after my last trip from eating all of the amazing food and expected the same this time around.
Pray: for safe travels, there had been way too many plane crashes the past few weeks so I was extra nervous about flying. I also prayed that air India wouldn’t be as bad as people said it would be (it was) and that I would make my connection between Delhi and Pune (I did not)
Love: clearly the love the emperor had for his favorite wife (the second and third… not so much)
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