Fatehpur Sikri was built on the top of quite a steep hill/mountain in 1571, but was only occupied for about twenty years as not enough thought was given to the supply of water and it all ran out!!

Because this part of it is a mosque it is required that everyoone take off their shoes. The stones were absolutely burning hot and we had to keep trying to explore the place around the shady bits!!

Most of the time guides and people trying to sell things at these sorts of places take 'no, thank you' for an answer (certainly after a ouple of times!) and leave you alone to visit and enjoy, but the entrance to this mosque was teaming with potential guides, and touts of all sorts of food, refreshments and souvenirs. It was impossible to move and at times quite scary as we tried to struggle our way through and, to be perfectly honest it did rather spoil the visit to this special place.

But the Palace next door was a different cup of tea altogether. The mobs of people were outside but not allowed through the entrance gate. So this was a haven of serenity and beauty and we were able to enjoy it.

The people of India are trying hard to encourage tourism and they have so much to offer, but scaring people off by pushing, pushing themselves at you to accept their services is not the way to go about it. Hoever, it is necessary to remember that this could possibly be the only way that some of these people can earn a living.