This picture was shot during our bus ride to Fatehpur Sikri, a walled city in India.

I couldn’t see much because the driver was blocking my view but, “you really don’t want to see what’s happening out there!” Al exclaimed. 

I could hear it at any rate, horns blaring, and this made for a thrilling ride. (This was one of many scary rides on the roads of India.) Entrance to the fort was free and I wasn’t overly impressed at first glance. We had just spent the morning at the Agra Fort, and in comparison this was just another red fort, and not in as good condition as the Fort in Agra. I had my hair covered with a ‘chiffon’ like the local Hindu women, but had to add something that looked like a bread basket on top of that in order to enter the area with the tombs. This woman is wearing her ‘chiffon’ like a shawl but it is easily tugged up over the hair – I used mine all the time and consider it a valuable addition to the wardrobe when visiting Moslem sites.Shoes were a problem as well, we were not even allowed to carry them into the inner sanctum, the tomb of some holy man. Another wardrobe note – bring shoes that are easy to get on and off when visiting religious sites all over Asia.
There were several tombs, many scattered with rose petals.
We were chased out of a mosque.A boy about 10 followed us; he was informative and not too pesty. At the end I offered him 2 rupees and he turned up his nose – 50 rupees he wanted! So nothing for him!

Architectural features included colonnaded walkways.Tourists standing in the red sandstone pillared hallway of the fort.A reflecting pool.Pierced stone window screens called Jali.Geometric Islamic pattern in the red sandstone walls.Domed ceiling from inside. Interesting features on the doorways. Sign from the Archeological Survey of India: ‘Thank you for not scratching on the monument’.Another sign, this one leading to the toilet.After exploring the fort and palace we headed outside the walls and wandered through the market trying to find a local bus to take us back to Agra. Bejeweled goat.Bags of spices.View from a clothing stall.No wonder the horns were so loud! We found the bus and the ride to Agra was another thrill a minute…

NOTE: UNESCO World Heritage Sites are thick on the ground in this part of India. Fatehpur Sikri was the fort and palace of the great Mughal emperor Akbar; it took 15 years to build and he inhabited it for just 14 years. The Mughal Empire was founded by Babar, a descendant of Tamerlane (father) and Genghis Khan (mother). Babar’s son won and lost territory, but his grandson Akbar consolidated power.

More of our trip to Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan in 2010.