From the tractor to the taj!

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So out of the rural and into the radical. India really has it all, and i'm starting to believe that my 5 months could well be 5 years and still not enough time to understand this crazy, wonderful land. Learning basic hindi in the village has helped me more than i could have expected, and gets you some respected recognition among the locals. The phrase 'Mujhe dari barani hai', translated as 'I am growing my beard', has got me so far into looking like one of the hairy bikers! :-)

A bumpy, bum numbing bus journey from Chandausi to Agra got us to the place people call one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal (after 8 hours on potholed roads my bum was full of wonder...wonder at why i'd put it through so much pain!) Expecting to be disappointed by a monument so hyped up and publicized, I was amazed at the sheer beauty of the Taj Mahal. The guy that spent 20 years building it with over 20,000 workers was either madly in love or just plain mad. It's an awesome example of architectural genius, set high above the palace grounds so as to only have the clear blue sky as a backdrop. Symmetry from every angle, this building is about as photogenic as they get, it's just a shame you feel like a disneyland devotee, hustling and bustling with trigger happy tourists trying to pick up the taj with their fingers for that 'extra special' photo.

As great as the taj is in it's pristine garden grounds, it was sunset that got me feeling the 'real' truth of the taj. A tiny back lane down to the river yamuna lead me to a single wooden rickety boat taking locals across the river, venetian gondola 'budget india style'. Just me and the river (and the boatman and a policeman...in case i fell in?). Dirty, polluted water, rubbish piled high on the banks of the water, all just yards from one of the greatest monuments in the world. This absolutely optimized India for me. Full of beauty, depth and charm, living side by side with struggle, pollution and poverty. The two seem to mesh together like fresh watercolours on a palette; separate identities merging together to create something new, mixed with elements of each other in an honest an open blend. India is crazy like this, and seeing the taj mahal in the backdrop of the honest polluted mess that is everyday india was such a great example of this.

Plus, it cost me 50 rupees for this boat ride (a bargain as it was 750 for the actual daytime taj entry), with a chance to steer the boat, nearly crashing the poor wide-eyed boatman's life and soul into the shore...some things in life are priceless, for everything else there's mastercard (although i'm not sure the boatman would agree!) :-)

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