The train to Agra was about 3 hours late leaving the station and by the time we arrived in Agra the gap had grown to 6 hours. Fortunately I was in the 2nd AC class for this ride, a much roomier, more comfortable, climate controlled cabin, so the wait was a piece of cake. We finally arrived around noon and I dropped my bag off and was at the Taj Mahal (my only reason for passing through Agra) within an hour.
Everything about the Taj was amazing: the size, the detail, the grounds, the symmetry of everything. It had been suggested that I hire a guide when I got there to make sure I got the full experience, so I did. At first I was learning some interesting things about the Taj being built by the King for his deceased wife, the symmetry of the entire complex (down to a real mosque on the left of the Taj, facing mecca, and an identical 'fake' mosque on the right side just to maintain the symmetry but never used), the time it took for the amazing marble screen on the inside (10 years). After a while, due to a combination of travel weariness and being tired of seeing monuments and buildings, I largely tuned the guide out and finally sent him away while I spent another hour walking around the grounds on my own. Having spent three hours in the complex I was tired and decided to skip the Agra Fort and retired to my dingy hotel room to sit under the ceiling fan and watch loud Bollywood movies...I'm finally starting to appreciate them. Despite being worn out on monuments the Taj was still an amazing site...at least now I can check the box and say I passed through India and I saw the Taj...
Photos: Agra
Everything about the Taj was amazing: the size, the detail, the grounds, the symmetry of everything. It had been suggested that I hire a guide when I got there to make sure I got the full experience, so I did. At first I was learning some interesting things about the Taj being built by the King for his deceased wife, the symmetry of the entire complex (down to a real mosque on the left of the Taj, facing mecca, and an identical 'fake' mosque on the right side just to maintain the symmetry but never used), the time it took for the amazing marble screen on the inside (10 years). After a while, due to a combination of travel weariness and being tired of seeing monuments and buildings, I largely tuned the guide out and finally sent him away while I spent another hour walking around the grounds on my own. Having spent three hours in the complex I was tired and decided to skip the Agra Fort and retired to my dingy hotel room to sit under the ceiling fan and watch loud Bollywood movies...I'm finally starting to appreciate them. Despite being worn out on monuments the Taj was still an amazing site...at least now I can check the box and say I passed through India and I saw the Taj...
Photos: Agra
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