According to the various online mapping services, it is less than 300km to Haiderpur Barrage from Agra. I’m of the opinion that it feels as if it is more than twice that distance. Getting out of Agra on a busy morning is an absolute nightmare. The traffic is bumper-to-bumper for kilometre after kilometre. Tens of thousands of cars and trucks compete for scant space with a myriad motorcycles and tuk-tuks. Throw in the occasional horse- or ox-drawn cart and disaster is bound to ensue.

When we eventually make it to the main limited highways, they aren’t much better. Again, the traffic is very heavy and, as we are heading in the general direction of Delhi for much of the route, much of it is heavy transport. The only consolation is that lunch is very good and the beer is cold. We actually take little more than the estimated time of five hours to make it to Haiderpur but then we are scheduled to go bird-watching for a couple of hours.

I suspect that, as a first place to see the Ganges from, Haiderpur Barrage isn’t one that instantly springs to mind. Still, on reflection, I don’t think I would have it any other way. The barrage (read dam) was built to help to control the annual flooding of the Ganges and, along with an extensive series of levees and irrigation channels, it manages to take the sting out of the flow of flood-water when required.

Currently, the road over the barrage carries the highway, but just downstream one can clearly see the foundations for a new bridge. Driving on the bridge – or indeed either of the two side-channel bridges that are associated with it – allows for a good view of the lifting mechanisms that manage the height of the water behind the barrage.

It is this barrage that has created the truly massive expanse of wetland habitat that has made Haiderpur a world-famous location for the keenest of bird-watchers. No idea what I’m doing here then! Actually, if it wasn’t so far from anywhere, it would be a very popular bird-watching centre. Sadly, it is little known and little visited. We saw at least another dozen species toad to our list, including a pair of Sarus cranes. Unfortunately, it was getting close to dark by the time we found them and my couple of distant photos are little better than blotches.

Both JP and Sunil were obviously keen to get us to our hotel for the night before it was fully dark. Something I can only agree with, as driving in the daylight was bad enough. Our hotel, in the next town to the east after the barrage, looks imposing and modern.

Sadly, it turns out to be disorganised, dirty, badly run and a little shabby. Something like Fawlty Towers, but by the Ganges. It’s the first time I’ve ever been in a place that looks so good but is actually terrible. My bedding was musty and grimy, the floors were dirty and there was rubbish in the storage closet. Chris had a fridge in his room, but it was half-full with food of indeterminate age that had begun to show signs of trying to escape.

To add insult to injury, we had been switched from a different hotel because they had a big wedding on that day. Well, it turns out that this hotel did too. I was on the back side of the building and the noise of the celebration didn’t bother me too much, but the constant banging of doors throughout the night was unacceptable. Chris and JP, on the front side, had it much worse.

We went to dinner with uncertain expectations, but with JP and Sunil both helping with choices, we put together something that we all felt safe with. While we waited for the food, Sunil ran into town in the car and got us some beer – yes, another dry hotel. We drank out of the cans, uncivilised to be sure, but safer. I have to admit, I’ve never stayed anywhere where I was afraid to use the drinking glasses in the room, but this was one of those places that didn’t instil any confidence whatsoever. The only thing to do was get an early night and then have brunch on the road. Luckily for anyone reading this, you don’t have to worry about winding up in such a forsaken hovel. I’m pretty sure they’re on borrowed time and it’ll probably close down or fall down soon. Either way, I’ve no desire to ever return and probably no real reason to, unless to see better sightings of the Sarus crane.