It was April last year, when I decided I would take my car off to the hills alone. “You don’t even know how to change the tyre, wait, can you even drive in the hills”, voices rang from everywhere.

I was determined; I wanted to see snow so bad. I hadn’t gotten an opportunity all winters, so here I was, on a Sunday evening sipping coffee with my friends and all ready to take off much against their wishes.

While I was dropping Rachit, a friend of mine to the metro station, he offered, “Listen I am worried. I don’t want you going all alone. How about, let’s say, we go see the sunrise on the Taj Mahal and get back. It’s not the same as going to the hills, but this is what I can do for you right now.”

I contemplated, putting my thoughts together for 10 long minutes, finally said no. I dropped him back to the metro and was just leaving when I decided to change plans. So after confusing the little soul, I picked him up again.

We were excited to be going on the Taj Expressway for the very first time. And at 12 in the night, it was as empty as it could be. So empty, that Rachit told me to not drive in the right most lane lest we crash. You see, my friend did not know how to drive, but I can assure you I drive well.

So, we stopped at one of the tolls, filled up on subways and then continued. We went upto 170kmph on the highway and brought the car back to a decent 120kmph.

Source : Yamuna Expressway

We were in Agra by 4 and found out the Taj Mahal opens for visitors only around 8 am. So, we asked a local person if there was any other alternative. He directed us to Mehtab Bagh, the garden opposite the Taj Mahal from where we could glimpse a view across the river.

So we drove across, parked our car, walked over and sat opposite the Taj Mahal waiting for the sunrise. There were way too many mosquitoes and we lasted only about an hour outside.

We checked google for alternatives and found out that the Chambal river was just an hour away. The name must sound familiar, after all Chambal valley was famous for its dacoits, especially Phoolan Devi.

Of course, we were just touching the river connecting Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Driving excitedly towards the river is when the first disaster struck. I took the car over a small pothole and the tyre burst. Thankfully, we weren’t driving too fast.

The dilemma though, was, that neither me nor my friend Rachit knew how to change a tyre. We stood clueless by the side of the road for around 10 minutes calling friends frantically and taking guidance when a helpful soul on a tractor stopped by. He tried the desi way of fixing the jack, changed the tyre and refused to take money for the help. After smiling and talking, we finally were able to make him take 100rs for his effort. Still, just a small amount.

We went ahead to the river; a vast expanse of blue, but shallow enough for camels to cross the stretch. The local boatmen tried tempting us by telling us crocodiles were visible if we took a boat ride a short way down the river. We politely declined since we were short on time.

Source : Chambal river

On our way back to the Taj Mahal, we stopped for a quick breakfast of Puri aloo from the road side vendors. A short while after breakfast is when the second disaster struck. The car started wobbling, it wouldn’t go above 40. With a heavy heart, we checked the car to find that the stepney was an old tyre that burst a few months ago and was sealed loosely. We were on the road with no tyre to spare.

Till wherever the car could go, we took her and found a workshop nearby to fix the already torn tyre. In the sweltering heat, it took almost 2 hours to fix the tyre. By this time, both I and Rachit were tired and sleepy. We had no choice though, we had to keep going.

After getting the tire fixed, we were on the road again and since it was already past office time anyway, we thought we could take a quick break at the Taj Mahal so I got a break from driving.

We ate lunch and bought tickets. After that we were left with exactly 30rs combined between the two of us. Once inside, a photographer pestered us to get photos clicked. So we did and he told us a single photo was for 30rs. So, we told him we would take just once though he took some nice 4-5 pictures. He asked us to buy more but we told him very genuinely we had no money. The look on his face was priceless.

My stupid friend couldn’t find the original photo. He sent a screenshot of the caller image

After the quick tour, it was back to driving the long journey back. After a few kilometres though, the car began giving up on us again. We realised that the torn tyre could not be repaired, it had lived its life.

Thankfully enough, we found a Good Year shop; spent a whopping amount but got a new tyre as there was no better alternative.

We thought that was the end of all troubles. But heaven had a plan for us. The torture endured so far wasn’t enough. On the expressway, we heard a screeching sound and we both prayed, oh god no,  not another tyre now.

Seems like God heard us out. It wasn’t another tyre, but the back bumper this time that had fallen off. We tried fixing it to the best of our abilities and drove back at snail speed all the way back to Gurgaon.

It was an exhausting day. A sunrise ride had become a 24 hour endeavour.

What I did learn from the experience was not to underestimate the road ever; be prepared for the worst and maybe, just maybe, public transport is a better idea sometimes, especially if you don’t know how to change a tyre.

Now, the real information :

How to reach Agra : The best way to reach Agra is drive down the Taj Expressway from Delhi. Easy 3 hour journey with stops for washrooms and snacks after each toll booth.

What to see : Mostly, people go to Agra just for the Taj Mahal but there are tonnes of other things to do as well, that is, if time permits. Go to Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh, Bharat Bird Sanctuary and take a cruise on the Chambal river.

What to eat : Agra ka petha is a trademark sweet dish of Agra. Unfortunately, i don’t have a sweet tooth and I have no idea where you get the best one. But there are hundreds of shops selling it and they all let you have a taster before buying.

Beneath every article, I will try to add information on how to travel and what to do but I will try to keep that to a minimum and instead entertain you with anecdotes and stories.

P.S Sorry. I tried retrieving pics but i hardly have any 🙁 . Google cloud did not exist for me back then.

Featured image source : Wikipedia