Day 5
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Day 5: Tuesday 3rd December

Early Taj Mahal; train to Allahabad.

First thing in the morning Fran's resolve is broken and she elects to depart early back to England.

A very early start so we're given a kick-off cup of tea/coffee in reception before going by cycle-rickshaw in the snappy cold morning air to The Taj Mahal [and p2].

We go through 2 sets of metal detectors and 2 searches: Andy loses his cigarettes, Caro has to leave her mobile phone, and Susan is directed into the man's queue!!!!

The early start is worth it - there's simply no-one else here! The views are empty, apart form the prolific mist that rolls over the base of the Taj itself and throughout all the lowlands around it. Atmospheric indeed.

We manage to hog Princess Di's seat for the team photo (minus Kirby - we lost him!), and then do all various combinations.

Back to hotel via our cycle rickshaws who are all hell-bent on brand loyalty (they make sure we all stay loyal to them!), and then bid them goodbye. Have breakfast at the hotel, then sign out.

Back onto the coach, which scrapes its way off the car park to Tundla, for the train station - we're off to Allahabad.

The station is crazy - the train's late, and while we wait many of us get tea from the platform tea shop (the disposable cups are terracotta!!!). I am travelling in one compartment (seats 6) with Carolyn, Jo, and Alison. Carolyn evicts a sleeping Indian from her seat (he props himself upright against the window while his mate sleeps on upstairs!). We play "Do you listen to Clare?", cards, read, and invent a quiz (Sally, in the next door compartment). We **do** appear to listen to Clare, collectively at least. The Indians on-board beside us laughed at "chai-wallah", "Oh shit!" (from a lady), and "The chai stops here" when the chai-wallah couldn't get through because of bodies. We play "Guess the age/surname/weight" of various members of the group, fed titbits of fact by Clare from her dossier - we learn that one member - Gill - is having her birthday the day before the last of the holiday... There are numerous biscuit, crisp, and chai-wallahs wandering up and down the train (we eat lots of biscuits), as there are beggars. One small girl demands change from us, and curses us, but the man with one finger gets sympathy (in the form of a packet of crisps) from Caroyln. Clare, unhappy with the tea/coffee balance, demands coffee from a chai-wallah - soon after the (probably only) coffee-wallah appears.

The arrival at Allahabad sees us rushing the door with copious amounts of baggage before the hoardes of travellers pack further into the train. We are met by a local tour guide, who positively runs out of the station, losing tourists with wild abandon, getting a stern talking to from Clare. Our transport to the hotel is by auto-rickshaw. I think we stop off en route for Chris and Gill to get film...?

The Hotel Allahabad Regency is in a plush (lawyer-ridden) area of Allahabad (it's the one with the seperate dining room building). It looks good, but has peeping toms (Frances & Alex), betel nut stains on the carpet, mosquitoes, and a 'silly man' on reception who Clare 'charms' into submission. There's a kids party in progress as we arrive.

Dinner is at the Kwality Restaurant, by auto-rickshaw. This is a western-style restaurant - complete with fluorescent plastic menu board above the kitchen - offering burgers, titbits, curly chips, and a good selection of ice cream. Clare goes out to collect booze in readiness for tomorrow; gin is popular!

Our rickshaws transport us back to the hotel; some of the group go to bed, others (Graham, Jo, Lynn, Andrew, Kirby, me) go for a 'brief walk' along the road.

Curiosity keeps us loitering outside a wedding party, a few doors down from our hotel. We get invited in by some party-goers, and view from the side; we're invited in further, then for coffees, sweets, then a dance and to meet the bride and groom; we decline the last two (tho' Kirby's up for it), but later we find out the girls (Gill, Chris and Clare) got the whole works, including photos on the podium!!!! Everyone from our wandering troupe, though, continued to walk around the block (there's more weddings!!!) and return to the hotel for a pre-bed drink in my room.

This is the point where, fearful of a loose stomach (shall we say) during the Ganges sailing I try sampling some Imodium. Hmm... little effect... until later...