The Taj Mahel is well camouflaged by the dirty, noisy, tourist area surrounding it. Even standing one block from it, you wouldn’t know it was there unless you were at one of the many rooftop restaurants. The view from these restaurants makes for an interesting clash with coke ads partially obscuring the view of the immaculate Taj. The area surrounding the Taj is (supposedly) motorized-vehicle free to keep the Taj from turning black, but it was no less stressful to walk down the street since each rickshaw seemed to be replaced by someone selling a tacky souvenir. It was not quite as bad as Paharganj in Delhi, but the narrow roads were still lined with open sewers, covered in animal shit, and very busy. Our hotel however was a lovely, tranquil oasis with a beautiful garden
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