Originally Posted by
Ericka
OBEROI AMARVILAS –
Outside the Taj, we were expecting to run into very aggressive touts. We had heard this about Agra in general. But instead, we were greeted by a young man named Raja. He took the time to introduce himself on our way in. He greeted us again on our way out, and I realized he couldn’t have been more than 12 years-old.
I met Raja as well. Quite the little salesman. You are right, definitely not at school. Very engaging kid. He asked me where I was from, I answered Australia, and he promptly pulled out a small stuffed koala! He made me promise to buy postcards from him on my way out of the Taj which of course I did.
I felt really sorry for some of the kids selling this kind of stuff in India and bought a number of chess sets & backgammon boards. They all ended up going in the rubbish bin I am afraid, friends and family in Australia would have been horrified if I returned from overseas and given them a chess set instead of perfume/wine/cigars, etc.