The Taj Mahal
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This was our last time traveling in India (well, as far as we can tell). I guess we decided to save the best for last and see the Taj Mahal just a few weeks before we leave India. Maybe it's because we're cheap, or maybe it's because we must be somewhat masochistic, or maybe it's a little of both, but we decided to travel again by train. From Bombay to Delhi an express train is overnight and seventeen hours. I can't say it's the most comfortable I've ever been; I'll just leave it at that.
We spent the first day in Delhi and wandered around a few more sights that we had missed in previous visits. The next day, we took the 6am train south to Agra.
The Taj Mahal is actually in Agra, one of the many, many Indian capital cities. Agra is almost entirely supported by tourism, which usually makes for an easy time for tourists, but here it is just the opposite. A foreign traveler cannot walk two feet without being harassed or solicited for something; perhaps a ride in a rickshaw, a ride on a camel, a cold drink, a precious geode rock, a handcrafted miniature Taj snow globe, the ubiquitous, "come look at my shop." There are also a dozen scams that exist here so, as a traveler, you always feel on edge. I already know that we paid way too much for some ice creams that we got off a street cart, suckers.
Our first day in Agra we went to the Agra Fort and left in time for a sunset view of the backside of the Taj Mahal. The Taj backs up against the Yamuna River and on the other side of the river there is a viewing garden. We reached the garden and were stopped by guards who told us that we were not allowed to go beyond a certain point because VIPs were inside the Taj and photography was prohibited. The shots we did get were apart of what I called a "covert operation."
The next day we woke up early to visit the Taj at sunrise. For those who don't know, the Taj Mahal is actually a memorial tomb built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his second wife who died during childbirth. The contrast of serenity to what exists just outside the complex walls is unbelievable. It was truly an amazing sight to see.
Later in the day we took a car out to another former capital city (1500s), Fatehpur Sikri. We only spent a few hours here, but it was enough to completely drain us. That night we headed back to Delhi, and the next day back to Bombay. It was a whirlwind trip.
posted by Seth & Hannah at 12:26 AM
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