D104 -- Taj Mahal

Today we met our driver for the next few days. He's a 30 year-old man who goes by Bunty, a common nickname here, and we heard about him from a post on the Lonely Planet website. We hired him to drive us to Agra and throughout the state of Rajasthan. It felt weird to be meeting a complete stranger that we'd be spending hours and hours with, not to mention having a driver period. Luckily, Bunty was a nice guy. We didn't talk too much on the way to Agra, though. Thomas was feeling sick and losing his voice and my stomach was cramping hard.

We stopped at the Mausoleum of Akbar the emperor. The first thing we noticed once we passed through the impressive gate was all the deer and monkeys hanging around the grounds. I had a great time watching them and taking pictures, though I was careful not to get too close as I was nervous after seeing the ones in Delhi on attack. The actual mausoleum was very pretty but since it was hot out and we felt rushed to get to Agra we didn't dally long.




When we got back to the car there was a man sitting next to it holding a mongoose on a leash with a basket in front of him. He opened the lid and a cobra came out. Whoa! It's Rikki-tikki-tavi and Nag! He wanted me to pay him to take a picture but I declined.

We made our way into Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Bunty drove us as close as he could, but they've closed off traffic in the last few years to help slow the discoloration of the building due to pollution. Of course as soon as we got out we were met with a wave of touts. Some selling postcards or jewelry, but most wanting to drive us in bike or auto rickshaws to the gate. We walked the 10 minutes instead, passing camels and monkeys along the way. I got through the gate after just a quick body frisking, but the men's security line was much longer. Poor Thomas had to deal with tour guides harassing him for work and a strange man behind him in line that decided to rest his hands ever so gently around Thomas' waist for no apparent reason.

So we make it through the hubbub outside and enter a courtyard surrounded by red sandstone buildings. One of these was the entrance gate to the Taj - very beautiful and impressive. When I looked through the doorway of the gate I saw in person the iconic building I've dreamed of seeing for years. It was a really nice moment.


Some people have told me they expected it to bigger or more beautiful, but it definitely fulfilled all my expectations. Yes, the ponds in the garden are dirty, there are disposable shoe covers littered around all the trash cans, and the place was packed with tourists (mostly Indian). Still, it was awesome. The main building is actually a mausoleum surrounded by four minarets. Shah Jahan had it built for his second wife, Mumatz Mahal, after she died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Apparently he was heartbroken and wanted to build her a monument commensurate with his love and grief. It's composed of white marble with beautiful inlay work and ornate carvings. You don't really notice all the detail in the pictures, nor do you see that it's flanked by two gorgeous sandstone buildings – a mosque on one side and an identical building placed on the other side for symmetry. Muslim architecture is all about the symmetry.

Inside the Taj is one large room with a beautiful carved marble screen that encloses the mock tomb of Mumatz Mahal. She and Shah Jahan are actually buried beneath.

By the time I was done taking pictures the crowd was thinning and the sun was setting. We sat in front of the mosque staring at theTaj Mahal and listening to a man behind us singing a call to prayer. It was peaceful and beautiful.


And how did we finish off such an extraordinary day? At Pizza Hut, I'm ashamed to say. The fast food industry may be evil, but it is a slice of home. Thomas LOVES Pizza Hut and we hadn't eaten there in months. We ordered the “Treat for 2”: 2 sodas, garlic bread, 2 personal pan pizzas, and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream all for 150 rupees. That's about $3 US! The food was delicious and man did I enjoy my Nestea iced tea. Just like I used to make back in the trailer in the brown Tupperware pitcher. Of course, I shouldn't have been drinking tea that was probably made from tap water, but what the hell. I'm already on Cipro. The service was good, too. On the way out you are supposed to ring a bell if you had a good meal and the staff all says thank you in unison. Thank you!

-Elva