Trip to India
I took a relatively cheap tour to India in 2009. We visited three cities, Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. I flew by myself to the airport in Delhi, where I met an Indian guide. He spoke Japanese and took care of us well. He always spoke to some young girls, though.
We stayed at a hotel in Delhi. A boy guided me to my room, even though I had declined it. He unilaterally explained things about the room and asked me for some tips. I complained about a towel with a stain that looked like blood. He brought another one and asked me for tips again. The bathtub was dirty and the outlet was broken.
On the second day, we visited some places in Delhi. We visited Qutub Minar, the tall minaret constructed by the first Muslim ruler of the city. We visited Humayun’s Tomb of the second emperor of the Mughal Empire. We visited Rajghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. We also visited the independence gate dedicated to the victims of World War I.
Our bus took a highway. It was supposed to be only for vehicles, but some people were walking there, carrying something. A tractor came from ahead in opposing traffic. Our driver dodged it as if nothing had happened. Maybe it was par for the course. A reckless car came from behind and overtook us after honking a lot. He left at breakneck speed, and at that moment, a herd of cattle started crossing the road far ahead. The car stopped and patiently waited for them.
We arrived in Agra in the evening and stayed at a hotel. The lock for my room was broken. I asked them for a room change, but the new room didn’t have a bathroom, so I asked for another change. Some members of the tour were complaining the following day that they hadn’t had any hot water in the shower.
On the third day, we visited some places in Agra. We visited the Taj Mahal. Honestly, it was the only place I had known about India before the trip. Shah Jahan, the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, constructed it for his wife. I entered the mausoleum in my free time. “No photo!” An employee was shouting. When I stayed there alone, he let me take some pictures. He demanded a whopping amount of money.
We visited Agra Fort, constructed by Akbar, the third emperor of the Mughal Empire. After stopping at an inlay shop, we visited Fatehpur Sikri, the ruins of the old capital constructed by Akbar.
We arrived in Jaipur in the evening. We stayed at some different hotels. My hotel was nice and the dinner was delicious. A member who stayed at another hotel suffered from food poisoning and ended up sleeping all day the following day.
On the fourth day, we visited some places in Jaipur, such as Amber Fort and the City Palace. We went back to the airport and the tour ended.
※この文章はアメリカ人の先生の添削を受けて修正済みです。
