March 3, 2016

March 3, 2016

Our train ride last night was a couple hours long and surprisingly we were served snacks, a meal and later ice cream.  Aimee and I both thought it was pretty good.  By the time we got our luggage and took the bus to the hotel, it was almost 11pm.
 

Aimee and I go straight to bed because we have another early wakeup call.  We are on the bus at dawn for the short ride to Agra’s main attraction, the Taj Mahal.  From the parking lot we have a long walk to the western entrance and its long security line.  Inside, we pass through a large ceremonial gate to our first glimpse of the Taj.  It is very beautiful but we are greatly disappointed. Three of the four surrounding minarets are covered in scaffolding!  That is one of the uncontrollable vagaries of travel I hate.

We take a group photo and then walk up the long reflecting pool toward the Taj.  While there are not millions of tourists, they are numerous enough to make taking a good photo difficult.  Taj Mahal means “crown of palaces” but it is actually a mausoleum.  When we enter the dimly lit Taj we see the tomb of one of the three wives of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.  He loved her so much he built this most beautiful memorial of all time in her memory.
 

The Taj is flanked by a Mosque and a mirror twin.  There are a bunch of Rhesus macaque monkeys running around the exterior.  As I am untying my shoes to enter the mosque, a macaque runs up, grabs a Flip-flop and starts chewing on it.  I can’t stop laughing.  Aimee decides she doesn’t want monkey spit on her shoes so she holds mine while I go inside.

The Taj is constructed of white marble decorated with inlaid gems and semi-precious stones.  To explore this art, we stop at a nearby factory that still practices this craft.  They demonstrate how it is done and then we peruse the showroom.  The tabletops are gorgeous but unfortunately large, heavy and pricey.  And the salesmen, like all in India, are very annoying.  They think if they hound you enough they will wear you down and you will pull out the wallet.  Indians have not learned the art of the soft sell.

From the factory we head back to the hotel for breakfast and then on to Agra Fort.  Agra was the first capital of the Mughal Empire.  It was also where Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj, was imprisoned after his son usurped him.  The fort is made of red sandstone with tall walls and surrounded by a moat.  Inside the vast complex are a couple palaces and a mosque.  The main palace is princely with a courtyard garden and marble walls and like the Taj, inlaid gem decoration.  Seeing how fine the palace is, I am thinking Shah Jahan didn’t have it too bad being imprisoned here.
 

From Agra Fort we went to the home of a local Indian family that runs a Bed and Breakfast in their home.  The family introduces themselves and then serves us a snack of Indian spice tea and Samosas.  A samosa is deep fried dough filled with a spicy mix of potatoes and chickpeas.  It resembles a tiny version of the Cornish pastie.  While we eat we ask the family about Indian home life and then get a tour of the house.  Aimee really likes the experience.