Taj Mahal Baby!!!!

---

Geo: 26.9847, 78.1019

The drive
through Agra to our hotel was not all that inspiring, considering it was the
city of one of the most, if not the most famous building in the world. The
street sewers were overflowing; the smell was and still is indescribable, as whiffs
of decaying rubbish and poop (politest way of putting it!) filtered through the
windows and the gag reflex of all the passengers was triggered. The road of our
hotel, is definitely not designed for larger vehicles either, as we drove down
the road we managed to block it in both directions, with people stopping and
staring/ waving/ begging… the horns were unreal… we were not looking forward to
the hotel!

Fortunately,
this place is a little enclave, with a courtyard in the middle, sheltered from
the noises and the majority of the smells outside. Our little piece of peace!!The Taj
Mahal was the only thing really on the agenda for here, as there are plenty of
bazaars and forts in the town, however I am all shopped and buildinged out for
the time being! We left the hotel at 5.30 to arrive at the site for opening and
with the morning sun still catching the pinnacles. At a cost of 750 IRs to go
in, to us it seemed extortionate… the majority of things being 100IRs at most to
gain entry, but in reality, this is only about £10, so we really shouldn't complain,
especially after what we charge foreigners to see the sights of London. As we
entered the west gate, there was a slight apprehension of seeing ‘THE' Taj
Mahal…. Such pressure to take the perfect photo, that would go down in history
and be shown to your grandkids! As you round the corner to the main gateway
into the grounds, you see it, framed by the gate itself, standing elegantly against
the azure sky. It really is a breath taking sight. The girls and I were dressed in
our Indian suits so to attempt to look the part… decided against the sari due
to the heat!

To be honest
for the rest I will let the photos tell the story. It is truly hard to describe
the pure size of the thing. Simply and beautifully carved and embellished. A
true wonder of the world… but give me the mountains any day!

---