Train ride from Haridwar to Agra

While sitting on the floor in the Barnes and Noble 'International Travel' section and silmultaneously sipping a peppermint mocha frappuccino  and thumbing through India travel guides- I was elated to learn that I would be able to see the Taj Mahal before heading back home to America!


I had no idea how mobile India actually is. For some reason I had my mind made up that India, being a third world country and all, had no major established comuting routes to safely get tourists from one place to the next that was fast, efficient, or affordable. To my surprise I discovered that India has a multiplicity of short and long distance commuter option available that are both rediculously affordable as well as safe.


~India, my friends, in well connected! ~


Some options seem more modern and clean than others, but for an average of $5.00 US dollars to travel hundreds of miles I will not complain! There are inner city modes of transport such as city busses, taxis, motorbikes rentals, and those cycle riders that ride you around in thier buggy. Then there are a variety of ways to travel long distances which include all of the above, (except for the cyclist or course! That poor guy would wither away- Jayzus!), as well as airplanes, trains, and car rentals.


Since I have never ridden on a train before, and since the train system in opperations seems to run smoothly enough, I have opted to travel by train from Haridwar to Agra before heading back to the states to see the Taj Mahal*


I am very excited about this decision because once I began planning my train trip and found that I have many trip options and will likely see stunning countryside as well as developed mini metropolitan cities with smatterings of anciet temples and places of royal worship. I will see these places and things with my very eyes right in front of me! Can you imagine?


... moment of silence here as I envision the sun setting over a golden town, tucked away in some green landscape with only hints of glittering rooftops catching the rays and revealing the existance of itself - as I watch, rolling by in the train, through the window...


Ok. That was nice~ Now back to work!


According to the following link:
http://www.mustseeindia.com/how-to-reach/from-haridwar-to-agra


Haridwar, which is only a 30 minute bus ride from Rishikesh where I will be staying, is a major starting point for a vast array of trains that travel all over India and back. I will most likely depart Haridwar on Monday the 16th May. That gives me a day to relax after my training ends and I become fully certified as a yoga intructor and consientious practitioner of the art* So it looks like I will be taking the Kalinguatkal Express Train service which has a route which stops in 14 cities not including Haridwar and Agra. I will have a lot to take in!


The sights are as follows:
http://www.mustseeindia.com/trains/Kalingautkalexp-8478


My work now will be to see some history on all of these places. It may be the case that I will want to stay overnight in one of these towns before heading to the Taj. Who knows how this will unfold now that I know how easy it is to travel there*


Namaste~