Fog

With India being a country of virtual continental expanse, it should come as no surprise to discover that the weather at one extremity can be entirely different from that in a distant location.

In European terms, think journeying from Turkey to Finland and I guess you are somewhere in the ball park.

January in Mumbai has seen temperatures hovering around a pleasant 32 degrees in the day with humidity quite acceptable. Perfect pool weather really.

Winters in Delhi on the other hand can be chilled cold air sliding down from the Himalayas across the Gangetic plains.

The inevitable result of this is fog. Thick fog.

My flight to Delhi last week was delayed due to a heavy duvet of moisture which had settled over Northern India.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday thankfully offered clearer skies and crisp, almost spring like weather.

On the Saturday Sue and I ventured from Delhi to Agra, a 4.5 hour road journey through the poor backlands of Uttar Pradesh to the feted ex-capital of Shah Jahans Moghul Empire.

Agra is was where Shah Jahan left his mark before shifting his capital to Delhi, but it retains more than it’s fair share of historical notage, nothing so more than being home to the Taj Mahal.

The marble monument to love is a mausoleum dedicated to his favourite wife and is billed as the most beautiful structure ever created by man. Don’t get me wrong, the North Bank at Vetch Field came a close second, but at the end of the day it’s toilet facilities were a bit, well, pissy.

Given the nature of the architectural behemoth and all the mythology of love surrounding it, we decided to push the boat out and stay at the Oberoi Hotel which at a mere 600M distance commanded spectacular views from its lofted position atop of a slight incline.

The hotel is the nearest of the top end options to the Taj Mahal itself and being surrounded by beautiful gardens with all rooms offering a Taj Mahal view, it is able to charge a significant mark up of £350pn for a room.

Now, this isn’t my usual price category and I would usually be searching for a figure with the “3” lopped off the front, but as I say, it did command unparalleled views of the Taj Mahal and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to stay in a place offering such 5* splendour.

Imagine the excited knot in my stomach then when on the Sunday morning I rose around dawn to a faintly familiar light. It was like the light of a snowy winters morning.

I drew back the curtains and there it was…..

Fog.

Thick, smothering, all encapsulating fog.

Views of the Taj Mahal? This not so fine morning my £350 didn’t even get me a view of the garden.

The fog was so thick it was impossible to make out anything beyond the balcony. What a bummer.

We decided to have breakfast in bed (not inclusive) and wait for the fog to lift.

I checked every half hour and by 9.30 there it was, just about visible to the naked 20:20 eye.

My £350 view in all it’s glory.

Now this fog, thick though it may have been, wasn’t the thickest fog I had experienced during the week.

No, the title of “Fog of the Week” went to an unexpected cloud which descended upon our offices on the Monday lunchtime.
Someone from the Mumbia Corporation had given licence to a likely ill-educated local to approach any buildings in the area without prior warning and spray toxic insecticide inside and out.

Sat as I was on the mezzanine level I had to feel my way through the choking fumes, part blinded by the sting of the gas.
All but two of my work colleagues found it very funny. Nobody seemed to be considering the fact that this was likely causing damage to eyes, skin and respiratory system.

As soon as they could tolerate the fumes they went back inside and continued their lunches.

Sue, a wise young lady from our design team and myself decided to stay outside in the relatively fresh Mumbai air in order to give our bronchi and bronchioles at least a fighting chance.

T.I.I. as the phrase goes.

This is India.