Rain! 

We woke up this morning to a new sensation in India - rain. We were just saying the other day that we’d not seen our rain jackets for a long time. However, it was still too warm for jackets, even if the cold front had dropped the temperature to 30°C (86°C). 

The dirt on the roads certainly kicked up a bit, and we were soon starting to look like Paris Roubaix survivors. Our bicycles had also acquired a covering Indian crud. 

All this meant that when we arrived at our hotel in Agra, the gate staff looked quite sceptical about whether they should let us in. After a radio conversation we were dispatched to the underground parking area, where a nice man with buckets and cloths helped us clean our bike, and ourselves.

The hotel is The Mansion Grand, which lives up to its name. It also appears to be hosting one of the candidates in the election, which led to a lot of pomp in the lobby, and a lot of men with guns. 

Time to chill now, gaze at the Taj Mahal from the rooftop infinity pool before going to check it out tomorrow.