The Wandering Chocoholic

Agra, India

So, I saw one of the Seven Wonders of the World today. How did you spend your Monday?

Agra-bound

I woke up this morning feeling the full force of my cold. But I didn’t care, because I was going to the Taj Mahal. I swallowed some cold medicine and powered through, because that’s just what you do when you travel. Sleep is for the weak.

We had a full day planned today, so we departed early, around 6:30 in the morning. The bus navigated around bikes, tuk-tuks, cars, trucks and people to get us out of Jaipur and onto the road. I think I’m getting used to the way Indians drive; I didn’t even flinch when we swerved to avoid a cow.

A short stop at a hippie organic retreat type place for breakfast, and we hit the road again. We made good time to Agra, arriving just after noon.

Agra is far from being the prettiest city. In fact, if I were less polite I’d say it’s a bit of a dump. But it does boast some of the world’s most famous tourist attractions, which is why people flock here by the thousands every day.

Great the Great’s Fort

Our first stop was Agra Fort, a former imperial residence of the Mughal dynasty restored by Akbar, the 16th-century ruler and grandfather of Shah Jahan. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the palaces and courtyards are beautiful and expansive, to be sure. Akbar also included symbols from the world’s major religions at the time, including his own of Islam, as well as Hinduism for one of his wives, Judaism, Christianity and a few others. The design of the logos was probably the original Coexist symbol. For this open, tolerant approach, Akbar was known as Akbar the Great. Of course, Akbar means “great” in Arabic… so he was known as Great the Great? The department of redundancy department would approve.

We spent about an hour or so touring Agra Fort, snapping photos and getting a history lesson. I wasn’t really feeling up to seeing much, and I was trying to save my energy for what was to come. But it was interesting.

Lunch was a rushed stop at a local hotel buffet. And then, it was time for the main event.

The moment you’ve all been waiting for

When I arrived here in the middle of the cash crisis, the main thing on my mind was, okay, I don’t care how else it affects my trip, as long as I get to see the Taj Mahal. Well, mission accomplished!

I have to say, this spectacular building does not disappoint. You can see it in all the photos and postcards you want, but when you actually go there, its magnificence is beyond compare. Truly rating the title of one of the Wonders of the World, the Taj was built by Shah Jahan in the 17th century as a mausoleum to bury his favourite wife, Mumtaz. The amount of work, expense and thought that went into it was a sign of his devotion. Guys, I expect nothing less than a Taj Mahal. Hey, a girl’s gotta have standards, right?

It was pretty crowded when we arrived mid-afternoon, but we queued up and navigated through the stringent security checks. And when we made it through the gate, nothing — not even the French tourists jostling for photo positions — could distract from the view. It’s simply indescribable. You have to see it for yourself.

We walked around the complex for a couple of hours, just taking it all in. Snapping a zillion photos, we strolled the grounds. We found the Princess Diana bench and did our best to re-create the famous photo.

To go inside the main structure, we had to don shoe covers and push your way through a jostling mob. We did, quickly — no photos as they’re not allowed — but the main attraction was outside. Other than the main structure, there are the three gates, which are beautiful in and of themselves. There are also two other structures, one to either side of the Taj; the west one is a mosque, and the east one was simply built for symmetry.

Two of the girls on our tour were wearing sarees that they had purchased yesterday to go wedding crashing (long story). They got asked by all sorts of random people to take photos with them. But the rest of us were wearing regular clothes and we got asked, too. Actually, India is the place in the world where I’ve been treated the most like a celebrity merely for being a westerner. Even in China, people were a bit shy about it, and it didn’t happen very often. But here, everywhere we go, people approach us asking if we would pose for photos. It’s a bit disconcerting, though amusing, too.

So, Taj Mahal? Check. Totally worth it.

Supermoon over the Taj… supposedly

By the time the sun started setting, they were going to be closing soon, so we headed back. By that point we were all pretty tired, especially me with my cold. So we checked into our hotel and had dinner, and then just took it easy. It’s hard to find a spare moment to breathe on these tours, so early nights are appreciated.

Apparently it’s a supermoon tonight, so there was some question of where we could see it over the Taj. But, looking outside, it’s a bit hazy, and the moon seems ordinary. Besides, the only view we get from the hotel window is of the concrete wall next door. So, we’ll just have to imagine it.

More tomorrow, including my first train journey of the trip.