TO AGRA

POST #36

GWALIOR TO AGRA. We rode 127 kilometers / 78 miles from Gwalior to Agra today. Except for some exceptionally rough road right at the edge of Agra, the roadway was smooth and four-land most of the day. We have pedaled 2,833 kilometers / 1,756 miles since December 30th. With only two full days of riding--plus shorter tours around Agra and Delhi--our cycling days in India are numbered. We came across our Swiss cycling friend Sebastien just outside Agra and rode into the city of 1.2 million people with him. Photo: Raju from Mumbai rides north at sunrise.

THE BANDIT QUEEN. We passed through the Indian “Badlands” about 60 kilometers / 40 miles south of Agra. This is a miniature of the North American Badlands in South Dakota. This area is famous in India for being the hideout and raiding territory of “the Bandit Queen,” for which a historical novel is written. Abused by a landowner as a girl and having watched her father’s land taken from him, Phoolan Devi became something of an Indian Robin Hood. She and her gang would hide in the craggy Badlands and hold up trucks along National Highway 3. She avoided capture for years, taunting pursuing police. Eventually Phoolan Devi confessed, repented, surrendered and was jailed. After her release, she became a member of Parliament. Her amazing story ends tragically: she was assassinated. Photo: The Indian "Badlands" south of Agra, historic hideout for "The Bandit Queen" and her gang.

AGRA AND THE TAJ MAHAL. We can now say we’ve seen the Taj Mahal. There it is, in the hazy distance, its dome just visible between two hotel buildings across the street from our place of lodging. I suppose that’s like saying you’ve seen the Statue of Liberty from the jet on its landing approach to LaGuardia airport. You’ve seen it but not experienced it. Tomorrow, we hope to get a much closer look at this architectural wonder. John’s desire to ride his bike down the steps of the Taj Mahal doesn’t sound like it’s going to be possible, however. No bikes allowed! Not even shoes!

SUPER BOWL UPDATE. On the way to Agra, we checked in on the Super Bowl via phone a few times. John would stop at a roadside ISD phone, pay the equivalent of 50 cents, and get an update from his son, Jared. So, while we do not know much about the game itself, we do know that the Colts won (YEA!) 29-17 and that Peyton Manning is the MVP. We can't imagine what is happening in Indy this week. Pay dirt at last!

Here are a few more photos from today: