Travel
A journey to the Taj Mahal Joe Keane and his wife Cora embarked on an adventure which for most of us would be the trip of a lifetime..
It was middle of May 2018. This was high summer. My wife Cora and I, had come to India via Abu Dhabi for the purpose of visiting one of the most iconic mausoleums in the modern world -the Taj Mahal. But first we would experience New Delhi, a city which in many senses shares a historical past similar to ours. But any resemblance to its colonial heritage, is not apparent in the very modern infra-structure of the airport, which is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Having studied the internet assiduously before we came, we were wary of the many negative comments to expect in India, when we arrived. To our relief many of those did not materialise. Modern toilets are fast replacing the traditional squat systems, so often associated with Indian culture. The airport has the general appearance of being hygienic and is on a par with any similar facility in the modern world. As we had an eVisa (as opposed to a traditional one), we were forewarned about the extended queues, and people prostrating in the sweltering heat. Air conditioning if it existed at all, we were advised, is
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not very effective. Again, this advice was inaccurate and misleading. We experienced no undue delay, and the usual airport formalities were performed expeditiously and professionally. Soon, we were excitedly looking forward to our first glimpse of the intriguing metropolis, a city that has excited the expectations of travelers for centuries. But it must wait a little longer! First, we had to choose one of the many options of travel from the airport to Connaught Place - the soul of the urban sprawl - and the location of our hotel. I am not certain if we made the most prudent decision, at least from the point of view of personal comfort. The light rail artery to the city is contemporary and effective. But negotiating the tortuous route to the ticket office is a different story. We took the elevator from the departure hall, and went down to the next level. To our dismay, we had to descend a further twenty steps carrying our luggage, before we got to the ticket booth. At this point two very disheveled wanderers were struggling to retain their composure.
