No one ever has anything nice to say about Agra, the town that surrounds the Taj Mahal. Everyone has stories of hassle from agressive touts and scammers, so my expectations aren't that high. On the other hand, everyone has loads of good things to say about the Taj Mahal, and so, as we're finding is the way here, we're ready to take the rough with the smooth. Our delayed train finally pulls into Agra at midnight, there are no touts around and the pre-paid rickshaw stand is still open, so we have an easy escape from the station. We end up at the Shanti Lodge, not far from the Taj's eastern gate, although it's not until breakfast that we realise how close we are. The view from the rooftop cafe is fantastic: the Taj Mahal gleams
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