The Taj Mahal

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Hey! We finally got photos on our last entry...check it out first!

We departed Delhi this morning with our driver Jatinder in a small 4-door sedan called an "Indica". Jatinder is really nice, and from Rajasthan so he should be able to offer some great info along the way. He always has great advice, like "you only need four things to drive in India: a good flag, a good God, a good Horn, and a good Driver." We didn't question him about his rank ordering - he bought some India dashboard flags as we left Delhi (good flag), he has a picture of Durga, mother goddess and fierce destroyer (a lethal combination - good God) on the dash, we definitely have a great horn that shows no sign of wear, even after four hours of continuous use (good horn), and Jatinder? Well, he hasn't hit anything yet (good driver). We're set.

We rolled into Agra in the early afternoon, and stopped off at Akbar's Mausoleum before getting to the guesthouse we had booked a couple days before (Tourist Rest House). At the Mausoleum we met a guide who unbeknownst to us had been arranged for us in Agra. He did a great job showing us around this magnificent monument. The acoustics were awesome, the architecture magnificent and definitely interesting (having had wives of all different major religions, Akbar decorated with architectural aspects of all combined).

The guesthouse was definitely worth it - they have internet, cafe, central green (and peaceful) courtyard, and a decent room for 350 Rs. After an hour of rest we headed off, once more accompanied by our mysterious guide, to the Taj Mahal.

What a place! If you never go there, all you have is a kitschy picture that everyone's seen....it's hard to really appreciate how wonderful this HUGE building is, made completely of white marble and inlaid with precious stones. We can't describe it any more than that right now, except that it was definitely worth braving the masses of people and the constant harrassment outside the gates. And it's even more impressive inside (though they don't let you take photos inside). Inlaid mosaic workmanship is so amazing inside - one example is a lotus flower mosaic that is maybe 3 or 4 inches big and containing 64 individual pieces of red stone (perhaps coral?) that glows under flashlight. Other stones included onyx (black) and lapis lazuli (blue) and jasper (brown). Breathtaking!!!!

Shah Jahan built this place in the 1600's after the death of his favourite wife....a lasting monument to love. He was obviously TOTALLY whipped. Oh well, she bore him 14 children in 18 years, so at least she was pulling her own weight.

We went in the afternoon, and stayed till just before sunset....a brilliant time to go since we were treated to some amazing natural lighting. A good thing we made it here today though, since it's closed on Fridays...no one told us that.

Tomorrow we're off to Jaipur in Rajasthan....hello Pink City! We're looking forward to seeing the wonderful cultural sights in Rajasthan, and hoping to find a good cooking course to settle into so we can stop being tourists! It's just too tiring for us right now, simply being tourists, constantly hassled every step we take. And besides that, what kind of cultural ambassadors would we be if we didn't bring home some stellar Indian recipes (and leave them with poutine).

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Photos

Akbar's Mausoleum
Persian elements and arch for Islam, Star of David for Jewish, Cross for Christianity, Lotus flower for Hinduism

Not as big as we thought...
"What is this, a school for ANTS?!?"

Comments

[tobin and zandar]

let the good times roll
Hey guys! Keep on truckin', the blogs are a great joy to recieve. I enjoy living vicariously thru them. i just had a skype conference call with mom and allison, we are now so technologically savvy. Have a great time in India and i can't wait to get the next blog. Looking forward to more adventure.ENJOY! love tobin and zandar

[Eric]

Zoolander
Great pics, loving the Zoolander reference!