Three on a bike

I always look in wonderment at the amount of people that can ride on one bike. The most that I've seen is a family of six with the small children squished in the row of people. Whilst walking by the Yamuna River we stop at a dusty stall for a drink and the owner is really friendly, talking about the area and the aarti celebration in the evening. So we head back there at 5, not taking the easy route of an electorickshaw, but walk through dusty residential streets to get back to the river. He puts down chairs on the top of the river bank and makes us chai in large clay pots and we watch the river from a distance. Nearing the time of the aarti we go and sit on the mat by the river, joining a group of older women who were waiting for the ceremony to begin. As always we're  the only travellers and they greet us warmly. We sit down and within seconds they are quizzing us about our travels and families all in Broken English,  and then we're all dancing, much to the amusement of other locals, who also join in, but this is my second dancing session of the day. After the ceremony we have another chai and admire his Royal Enfield bike, then we all squeeze on the bike and ride through the chaotic streets of Vrindavan, heading back to our hotel before we have to catch the night train. 

Can I have your feedback?

Whilst waiting in the hotel lobby using the wifi we strike up a conversation with the guy next to us, who reveals to us that he is the hotel owner, and asks if we have any feedback. What an opportunity, as there's plenty to improve on! We play a game in hotels and restaurants ....  if you had a budget of $100 what would you improve, so we've already given this though! So we give our feedback, more informative information on show about Uttar Pradesh and the local area, friendlier staff and a better working restaurant, as we have often been ignored when we arrive. It's so interesting to give feedback and simple suggestions to improve the place and not just tut at these issues. 

Dancing in temple

Vrindavan is the holiest of cities, as the place where Krishna was brought up. Temples dot each road and devout Hare Krishna worshippers glide along the streets holding their encased prayer beads. At one of the temples by the river, described in the lonely planet book as looking like a fairy tale castle, we sit and watch some chanting.  Then a small group of women come in and one very enthusiastic lady puts the red powder dot on my forehead and then invites me to dance! Well I do my best in what seems to be a mini aerobic session of steps and turns, ending with us spinning in the centre of the temple. 

Stuck inside

On the actual day of Holi there's huge festivities in the hotel, even new channels are here documenting the activities. We decide to head out and within minutes we have buckets of water thrown over us in the auto rickshaw, we're soaking, and then in the slow crawl of the traffic we are easy targets, more water, a lot of coloured power slapped onto our faces, and when we get out of the auto we are completely surrounded. This is a scary situation, so we quickly agree to head back and flag down another auto, but have more water deluges on our return. Relieved to be back in the safety of our hotel we wash our grey stained clothes and relax. That was a crazy Holi festival and by the afternoon the streets are safe to walk in, with the roads are covered in coloured powder and it's all back to normal!

Off to the villages

Given that we are in such a spiritual region we head to the outlining towns to celebrate Holi. Visiting other templates and walking through the small winding streets is like a breath of fresh air. There's no feeling of menace, just friendly faces and gentle dabbing of colour on our faces. The colours of the villages are vibrant, with beautiful blue painted houses contrasting with the colours on everyone's faces. 

True Holi experience

On arriving at the Vrindavan we realise we're staying in Hare Krishna accomodation. There's a 30 foot waterfall, a temple and hundreds of rooms. The whole pointed being here is to experience Holi,so we follow the recommendation of the reception and go to Bankey Bihari Temple, the holiest temple in town. Soon the busting steets narrow Into a chaotic mass of people shoving their way towards the temple entrances and we leave our shoes, and join the throng of people jostling to enter. Inside its the most crazy, uplifting and spiritual gathering I've ever seen. As well as being targeted for being covered with paint, we try to cross the temple floor without slipping, as it is awash with water and gloopy powder. This temple is unbelievable, the devout are chanting as one, throwing powder and at fever pitch. We seek solace on the raised platform and watch the activities from a safe place. Wow this is Holi! 

Train delay

Our travel from Agra to Mathura should take less then an hour, so we board the train knowing that we have a short travel time. However we make slow progress and then stop in the middle of nowhere. There is a problem with the train and we're going nowhere. What should have been a short journey turns into a four hour train travel endurance test, but this is India and we easily make friends in our carriage who report back on the progress of our travel.

Train delay

Our travel from Agra to Mathura should take less then an hour, so we board the train knowing that we have a short travel time. However we make slow progress and then stop in the middle of nowhere. There is a problem with the train and we're going nowhere. What should have been a short journey turns into a four hour train travel endurance test, but this is India and we easily make friends in our carriage who report back on the progress of our travel.

Train delay

Our travel from Agra to Mathura should take less then an hour, so we board the train knowing that we have a short travel time. However we make slow progress and then stop in the middle of nowhere. There is a problem with the train and we're going nowhere. What should have been a short journey turns into a four hour train travel endurance test, but this is India and we easily make friends in our carriage who report back on the progress of our travel.

Train delay

Our travel from Agra to Mathura should take less then an hour, so we board the train knowing that we have a short travel time. However we make slow progress and then stop in the middle of nowhere. There a problem with the train and we're going nowhere. What should have been a short journey turns into a four hour train travel endurance test, but this is India and we easily make friends in our carriage who report back on the progress of our travel.

Come and meet my family

Our bicycle rickshaw driver Jugno has worked up such a sweat peddling us through the streets of Agra, that is has decided to take us to meet his family on lazy Sunday afternoon. We bring bananas for his wife and on arrival seem to attract the whole of the streets occupants to come and visit the house! It's an incredible experience, the family are so welcoming, living around a small courtyard brothers family and father living in the centre. The daughter congress up a wonderful artistic momento of an integrate henna pattern of our arm and hands, whist the women make us tea and giggle at us! This is one of those priceless travelling experiences that is not found following a map in your guidebook. You make this happen by being open and interested. I take family portraits that I will send over for them to keep, as memories of our trip.

In search of the best view of the Taj

It's been a stressful couple of months and the thing that has kept me going is knowing that soon I'll be sitting on a rooftop restaurant in Agra, watching sunset over the Taj Mahal. Then in a blink of an eye the time is here, and we've checked into our hotel, just a couple of minutes walk from the Taj, but there is no access to the rooftop, as the monkeys are too dangerous. So we head out on the dusty Agra winding streets and find Lucky restaurant, and although caged in to protect us from the monkies