Agra, India

At the ass-crack of dawn we got on the tourist special, Delhi to Agra train. Agra has several cool palaces and tombs, including the Taj Mahal. The train was a special tourist train and it was fairly nice, like a low-end European train. The train certainly wasn't the stereotypical Indian train with people packed like cattle and other people riding on the top, but we did pass by some of those trains. When we got off our train we headed for our van where a band was playing traditional Indian music and dancing. Kind of cool. The van took the eight of us to Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb first. The tomb was a sprawling palace with great views of the Taj Mahal and we learned a lot about the place from Kami.

After the Itmad-Ud-Daulah Tomb we hit up Agra Fort. From the Itmad-Ud-Daulah Tomb to Agra Fort we had a virtual safari. We saw water buffalo being herded in the river wash, monkeys playing in the trees, goats walking the streets, horses pulling carriages, and of course, cows walking everywhere on the streets. Like other Indian forts, Agra Fort isn't a fort as much as it is a palace. It was a sprawling complex with rich history and some great sights.

A nice lunch followed the Agra Fort, which Mark and Helene (our adopted parents) graciously paid for. After lunch we visited the Taj Mahal. To protect the Taj Mahal's marble, vehicles are not permitted within two kilometers. So we were carried by a horse drawn cart to the entrance of the Taj Mahal. Very cool. The Taj Mahal isn't a single building. I would describe it as two complexes, with the well photographed white building having two smaller buildings on either sides and a separate, fort-like complex at the opposite side of the reflecting pool. All visitors enter the fort on one side and the path to the Taj Mahal is on the right side, about 50 yards away. From the fort, the path to the Taj Mahal has an entrance gate and it is only when you approach the entrance gate that you see the Taj Mahal. When you first see the Taj Mahal from the fort it is truly awesome. The walk from the entrance gate to the Taj Mahal is almost a quarter-mile of well kept gardens and the large reflecting pool. We slowly made the walk and got to the Taj Mahal. The line to get in the Taj Mahal was about 1000 people long and we waited for about an hour. I have to admit, waiting in line at the base of the Taj Mahal watching the sunset isn't the worst thing in the world.

Our wait in line was an hour, but it would have been a lot less if Indian tourists weren't as bad as first graders in terms of cutting. We quickly realized the strategy they all had. Send a little old lady who doesn't understand English, or at least acts like she doesn't understand English, right in front of a bunch of American tourists. Since most Americans aren't going to get upset about an old lady cutting in front of them they don't make any comments. After a few moments all the old lady's family members join her and in a matter of a few minutes 20 people have cut. This worked once on us. After the first time we weren't too kind to old Indian women. Helping our cause were the half-dozen Central Indian Security Forces personel with machine guns and whistles that would whistle and yell at people caught cutting.

Inside of the Taj Mahal is tomb of Emperor Shah Jahan's wife. It is a simple white marbled box about 2' x 2' x 5'. According to Islam, graves should be very simple, as they believe all people are created equal and a king's tomb should be the same as a pauper's tomb. Thus, the body of the Emperor's wife is actually in the dirt below the Taj Mahal and the box inside is just a symbol. Surrounding the tomb is a fine white marble lattice that prevents people from touching the tomb, but allows people to see it. What was amazing was that almost all the Indian tourists would push and pull their way to see the tomb and then walk out just as fast. Because the tomb is in the middle of the chamber you can easily walk around it. Lara and I walked to the other side of the tomb and we were practically the only people there. It was very odd but we enjoyed it. We explored some of the other rooms in the Taj Mahal and since all the Indian tourists were only interested in seeing the tomb and then leaving we were left alone to spend some quality time in the Taj Mahal. We left the Taj Mahal with dozens of great pictures and smiles on our faces.

The following morning we got up eary again to watch sun rise over the Taj Mahal. Our guide took us to the opposite side of the river from the Taj Mahal to watch the sun rist. Watching the sun rise against the Taj Mahal was another incredible moment. It was extra cool because that morning was a special festival for the local Hindus and there were lots of people on the river bank shooting off fireworks and playing music. When the sunrise colors were gone we left the Taj Mahal and headed for Jaipur.