Patti and I traveled from Hong Kong to India last December the 31st of 2015.
I want to give you all a very brief summary of our trip to this point in time.
To begin our trip we landed in and we visited New Delhi.
Then we traveled South to visit Agra the home of the Taj Mahal.
And to visit our wonderful friend Jeevan Lal who I have known over 25-years.
Back to New Delhi we went and then South to Arambol Beach in Goa on the West Coast of India.
After Goa we two visited Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu on the East Coast of India.
What a room we enjoyed in Pondi!
Pondicherry to Chennai
I seldom get into details of the many and assorted challenges of traveling. It is an understatement to say that there are many.
IF I made one single-best-decision on this entire trip it was this: To take a taxi from Chennai to Pondicherry and return by taxi to Chennai.
Prior to this trip I have always looked-down on the many travelers who use a taxi to travel between Chennai and Pondicherry.
No longer do I feel this way!
I have got to be honest. Taking the bus between Chennai and Pondi is a real 'grind'.
First you have a timing-issue. The buses leave on a fixed schedule. The buses can, and do, 'fill-up' with no more passengers able to board. So to be-safe you have to leave your hotel about three hours earlier if you take a bus. If you can't board, there you sit waiting in a very uncomfortable venue, the bus station.
In Chennai, going or returning, you have to travel between the Chennai Central railway station and the bus station. In Pondicherry, going and returning, you have to travel between your hotel and the bus station.
These inter-city trips alone are a challenge. You have to hire a taxi or auto rickshaw to go from one to the other. This is always a hassle!
Then you have to handle your luggage. Load and unload it into / out of a taxi or auto rickshaw. Load and unload it onto / down from the bus.
The bus trip is a full hour longer. Even in the deluxe air-conditioned top-of-the-line buses you do not have the space and the comfort you have in your own taxi.
The taxi? Air conditioned comfort
We have arrived at Chennai Central railway station.
There is a saying: A photo speaks a thousand words.
Patti's expression speaks volumes.
The two of us, having been sick during much of the visit to Pondi, even with a nice air conditioned taxi ride into Chennai, we two were both absolutely dead-on-our-feet when we arrived at Chennai Central railway station.
We had a full three-hour wait before we were able to board our train. You can NOT allow yourself less time than this because of all that can and does happen on the trip, taxi or bus, between Chennai and Pondi.
Look again above at Patti. Both of us totally exhausted. Now several photos of Chennai Central.
Chennai Central.
Differently Abled Persons? Disabled maybe? I Love these signs.
I would never say: This is for everybody.
At last. At LONG LAST.
Chennai to Agra Cantt by train.
In Hindi.
In English.
Time to board our train. The Tamil Nadu Express Train 12621.
First Class Air Conditioned .. Patti! You sure look tired!
A.C. FIRST!
In English.
In Hindi.
We are on the train. We are on our way North to Agra Cantt.
Keep in mind we have two separate cities. Agra, the home of The Taj Mahal and Agra Cantt where Jeevan Lal lives and where I call home when I am in India.
We pulled out of Chennai Central at 10pm in the dark of night. So we first slept the night through. Below are photos of the train ride during the daylight hours the next day.
On the trains you are constantly passing local road-crossings. These photos show you what they look like.
I have grouped several road crossings together in this one series of photos.
On the trains you periodically stop in larger cities. It is so nice to get off the train and stretch and explore the locale.
Another in a never ending sequence of towns and scenery. Do you see the pretty red flowers ahead on the right?
I snapped them as we roared past.
Rice paddies.
Rice paddies.
Rice paddies.
Rice paddies.
A change of scenery.
The town and two photos thereof as we passed through.
Very pleasant scenery.
Our train.
Sunset. The end of our day.
Agra .. The Taj Mahal
Talk about a very special place! Even your entry ticket into The Taj Mahal is special.
Below are several 'typical traditional common' views of the Taj Mahal. These are views that you all are 'used-to-seeing'.
"Yes Mumtaz?"
"Yes Mumtaz! I heard one of my readers say, 'Ho-Hum' show us something new Captain!'. Mumtaz I am so very sorry your feelings are hurt!"
The Taj Mahal is located on the River Yamuna.
I first visited The Taj Mahal in December of 1990.
Here it is, February of 2016. Doing-the-math twenty-five (25) full years have elapsed since my first (of many) visits to The Taj Mahal.
Thank You Forever Gullible for suggesting to me ..
"Cap! Why don't you go across the River Yamuna from The Taj Mahal, and shoot some photos from Mehtab Bagh."
In twenty-five years of visiting I had not ever heard of Mehtab Bagh.
It took Gullible to gently suggest to me that I visit Mehtab Bagh.
Check out Gullible's incredible web site.
http://gullible-gulliblestravels.blogspot.com/
"Jeevan, have you ever heard of Mehtab Bagh?" .. "Of course Sir."
"Tough Cookie, have you ever heard of Mehtab Bagh?" ..
"What! Are you some kind of stupid? Just give me all of your money!" .. "How nice to see you again Tough Cookie!"
Jeevan set Patti and I up with an auto rickshaw and off the two of us went to Mehtab Bagh.
MEHTAB BAGH
Mehtab Bagh is one very special venue.
Mehtab Bagh is an enormous, absolutely beautiful park, located directly across the River Yamuna from The Taj Mahal.
What a happening venue Mehtab Bagh is.
There is a very busy footpath along the side of the River Yamuna.
Looking downstream at an area visitors are not allowed to enter. I tried to innocently just wander downstream. A uniformed soldier with a rifle 'stared-me-down'. Then he gestured to me .. NO! If you look carefully you can see him in the distance. Just let your eyes follow the top of the wall below. See him?
Below are views of The Taj Mahal looking back across the River Yamuna from Mehtab Bagh.
My Dearest Patti .. I think you enjoyed our day at Mehtab Bagh!
I can not think of three better photographs to end this or any post with than the above photos of Patti.
I sign off as speechless! .. Cap
I want to give you all a very brief summary of our trip to this point in time.
To begin our trip we landed in and we visited New Delhi.
Then we traveled South to visit Agra the home of the Taj Mahal.
Back to New Delhi we went and then South to Arambol Beach in Goa on the West Coast of India.
After Goa we two visited Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu on the East Coast of India.
Pondicherry to Chennai
I seldom get into details of the many and assorted challenges of traveling. It is an understatement to say that there are many.
IF I made one single-best-decision on this entire trip it was this: To take a taxi from Chennai to Pondicherry and return by taxi to Chennai.
Prior to this trip I have always looked-down on the many travelers who use a taxi to travel between Chennai and Pondicherry.
No longer do I feel this way!
I have got to be honest. Taking the bus between Chennai and Pondi is a real 'grind'.
First you have a timing-issue. The buses leave on a fixed schedule. The buses can, and do, 'fill-up' with no more passengers able to board. So to be-safe you have to leave your hotel about three hours earlier if you take a bus. If you can't board, there you sit waiting in a very uncomfortable venue, the bus station.
In Chennai, going or returning, you have to travel between the Chennai Central railway station and the bus station. In Pondicherry, going and returning, you have to travel between your hotel and the bus station.
These inter-city trips alone are a challenge. You have to hire a taxi or auto rickshaw to go from one to the other. This is always a hassle!
Then you have to handle your luggage. Load and unload it into / out of a taxi or auto rickshaw. Load and unload it onto / down from the bus.
The bus trip is a full hour longer. Even in the deluxe air-conditioned top-of-the-line buses you do not have the space and the comfort you have in your own taxi.
The taxi? Air conditioned comfort
We have arrived at Chennai Central railway station.
There is a saying: A photo speaks a thousand words.
The two of us, having been sick during much of the visit to Pondi, even with a nice air conditioned taxi ride into Chennai, we two were both absolutely dead-on-our-feet when we arrived at Chennai Central railway station.
We had a full three-hour wait before we were able to board our train. You can NOT allow yourself less time than this because of all that can and does happen on the trip, taxi or bus, between Chennai and Pondi.
Look again above at Patti. Both of us totally exhausted. Now several photos of Chennai Central.
Chennai Central.
At last. At LONG LAST.
Chennai to Agra Cantt by train.
In Hindi.
In English.
We are on the train. We are on our way North to Agra Cantt.
Keep in mind we have two separate cities. Agra, the home of The Taj Mahal and Agra Cantt where Jeevan Lal lives and where I call home when I am in India.
We pulled out of Chennai Central at 10pm in the dark of night. So we first slept the night through. Below are photos of the train ride during the daylight hours the next day.
Agra .. The Taj Mahal
Talk about a very special place! Even your entry ticket into The Taj Mahal is special.
Below are several 'typical traditional common' views of the Taj Mahal. These are views that you all are 'used-to-seeing'.
"Yes Mumtaz?"
"Yes Mumtaz! I heard one of my readers say, 'Ho-Hum' show us something new Captain!'. Mumtaz I am so very sorry your feelings are hurt!"
The Taj Mahal is located on the River Yamuna.
I first visited The Taj Mahal in December of 1990.
Here it is, February of 2016. Doing-the-math twenty-five (25) full years have elapsed since my first (of many) visits to The Taj Mahal.
Thank You Forever Gullible for suggesting to me ..
"Cap! Why don't you go across the River Yamuna from The Taj Mahal, and shoot some photos from Mehtab Bagh."
In twenty-five years of visiting I had not ever heard of Mehtab Bagh.
Check out Gullible's incredible web site.
http://gullible-gulliblestravels.blogspot.com/
"Jeevan, have you ever heard of Mehtab Bagh?" .. "Of course Sir."
"Tough Cookie, have you ever heard of Mehtab Bagh?" ..
"What! Are you some kind of stupid? Just give me all of your money!" .. "How nice to see you again Tough Cookie!"
Jeevan set Patti and I up with an auto rickshaw and off the two of us went to Mehtab Bagh.
MEHTAB BAGH
Mehtab Bagh is an enormous, absolutely beautiful park, located directly across the River Yamuna from The Taj Mahal.
There is a very busy footpath along the side of the River Yamuna.
Looking downstream at an area visitors are not allowed to enter. I tried to innocently just wander downstream. A uniformed soldier with a rifle 'stared-me-down'. Then he gestured to me .. NO! If you look carefully you can see him in the distance. Just let your eyes follow the top of the wall below. See him?
Below are views of The Taj Mahal looking back across the River Yamuna from Mehtab Bagh.
My Dearest Patti .. I think you enjoyed our day at Mehtab Bagh!
I can not think of three better photographs to end this or any post with than the above photos of Patti.
I sign off as speechless! .. Cap
I will ever be SO grateful for your decision to get us a taxi from Chennai to Pondicherry when we came to the East Coast from Arambol Beach, and then again when we left Pondi back to Chennai. These pictures DO depict just how drained we both were from having been sick in Pondi. The photos from the train remind me of how much I enjoy the train trips. Once in Agra, it was very special to travel by auto rickshaw to the other side of The Taj Mahal, across the river and see her from that view. YES, I enjoyed our visit to Mehtab Bagh. Nameste my dear one ... love, Patti
ReplyDeleteThanks to YOU I myself .. Should I ever go back to Pondi .. Will never again take the bus either way between Pondi and Chennai. The bus ride is long with only one brief stop and at best is very tedious. And when I do some math the taxi is not-all-that-much more expensive because of the intercity auto rickshaws needed. Just avoiding the hassles with luggage is another advantage. Then too if you can work it out people share taxis.
ReplyDeleteNo question Jeanne greatly enhanced our Taj Mahal experience by helping us to discover Mehtab Bagh. So happy you like yet another long Post. Love Cap