1/22/2006 Day 3 Continued: Agra

Lunch was nothing amazing. We went to the restaurant, which I'm sure has an agreement with the tour company. There were two kids dancing outside. I hate watching little kids put to work. One feels pretty helpless.

After lunch, we went to a place that make the marble inlays. Every step and every tool is done exactly as they did to build the Taj and the workers are direct descendents of the artisans and constructors of the Taj Mahal. I bought a chess board and jewelry box. I wanted to go crazy but, the stuff was heavy and pricier than I wanted to spend on the trip. Although, they will pack and ship anywhere in the world. The marble is the same marble as the Taj Mahal so you can shine a light through the marble and and you can see it on the other end. This is why the Taj looks pink at sunset and blue on a full moon. Each item takes at least a month (if not more) to make and they are infinitely cheaper than what it would cost if I were to buy something like that at home. One of a kind stuff. Not the trinkets that Rameesh was pushing us to pay. The store was government run so, they were not allowed to badger us and the prices were fixed.

Afterwards, it was Agra Fort. Seventy-Five percent of Agra Fort is closed because the Indian Army occupies it. There is no way we'd have the time to tour the whole thing even if we had a full day. The place was HUGE! This is just a small area of the entrance into the fort. This was the palace of the Moguls. Their stamp is all over the place but, Akbhar and Shah Jahan had a great respect for other religions and incorporated their works in various places. From Agra Fort, there is a view of the Taj Mahal.
Shah Jahan spent the last years of his life under house arrest here by his youngest son who overthrew him, killed twelve of his brothers and sisters and left one to care for his father in his final years.

I was dead tired. We stopped for tea where we had breakfast earlier that day and I didn't even want to get out. I think the guys were pissed that we didn't order anything to eat.

I tipped our guide Rs. 200 and our driver was kind enough to drop me at the hotel. I gave him Rs. 50. Our guide didn't even ask for a tip. Trust me, we were throwing money at him. He did take us to a shopping place in the end but, I think it was almost an obligation. Besides, most of the people on the tour, this was their only free day to get something because they were in Delhi on business. I got back to my room, gave out t-shirts to the staff and fell dead asleep.


*INTERESTING OR UNINTERSTING FACT OR PASSING OBSERVATION OR MAYBE I'M SNIFFING GLUE*
When travelling around, especially on a long day trip like this, go to the bathroom when you can. If the bathroom is half decent, use it! You don't know where your next pee break is or what the state of the bathroom will be like. On our guided tour, we had enough stops. Breakfast had a relatively clean, Western style facilites as did our lunch place and then at nite we were back to where had breakfast. I usually carry anti-bacterial lotion with me and always have tissues. Living in New York, I tend to be a bit freaky when it comes to keeping my hands clean. Don't be alarmed if you walk into a stall and there is water all over the place--even if it's a Western style toilet. Indians use water to 'wipe' and use their left hand to do it. Water is used to flush everything down. Toilet paper might not be available. Which is why Indians always eat with their right hand and not their left.

1/22/2006 Day 3: Agra

Agra tour was amazing! After our late start, we got away towards Agra. We picked up three more passengers--two Russians and a man from Toronto.

Our guide met us at Akbhar's Tomb. Akbhar was the grandfather of Shah Jahan-the builder of the Taj Mahal. The place is also a preserve. Monkeys were crawling around all over the place and there were herds of deer grazing everywhere. Our guide was a slight young man with a ready smile. He ended up being a fount of knowledge on all our sites and was helpful, personable, and witty. He said his name once, but, I couldn't hear because I was in the back of the bus. One thing I've learned about the moghuls is that they were readers, mathematicians, and avid builders. It's amazing to think of life back then.

We couldn't take our bus all the way to the Taj Mahal. We had to change to a battery operated vehicle. The pollution lawas are pretty strict around the Taj. Anything that might mar the look and grounds of the site is prohibited. They are also very strict about what you are allowed to bring in. Food, cellphones, electronics of any sort (except for cameras) were not allowed. The place is immaculate. A sharp contrast to the streets of Agra. After we got our tickets, our booties (to put over our shoes as we walked around the Taj) and a bottle of water, it was off to security. Yes, these ladies were thorough. She was even nice enough to press hands intimately on my breasts and in my cleavage.

After feeling the need for a cold shower, our guide explained the gates and the buildings flanking the Taj Mahal. The moguls believed in symmetry--symmetry was a way of being close to God. I see a lot of sense in that. In most religions, at the core, there is a mention of balance. So, if one gate is built, there will be four total. There were buildings flanking the Taj Mahal On the left was a mosque, on the right, an empty one. Built for the sake of symmetry. This was true of all the Mogul sites we vistied--buildings built to keep symmetrical even if they weren't used.

I was allowed to take my video camera through the gate and stand on the dais. I was late in joining the group as they all took their pictures next to the Taj but, my tour guide took this one for me. Another guy kept snapping pictures while my guide took this one. In the end, the strange photographer tried to sell me the professionally finished photo but, my eyes were closed. When I told him my eyes were closed, he kept saying I was just looking down. As if I didn't know when my eyes were closed in a picture. I told him even if I was looking down, why would I want it--I still wouldn't want to show it to anyone or look at it myself.

The Taj Mahal is an absolutely stunning piece of work. To see the whole thing and to realize it's COMPLETELY composed of white marble is mind boggling. The inlay and carving all done by hand. Twenty-two years it took to build. Now, that's love. The only thing not symmetrical is Shah Jahan's tomb. It is out of symmetry with the rest of the site. Shah Jahan was going to build a black marble Taj directly across the river from the white Taj for himself. The clearing set for the black Taj can still be viewed across the river from the back of the Taj Mahal. His youngest son convinced the people that Shah Jahan was wasting their money and the money should go to the people. Shah Jahan was placed under house arrest for eight years before he died and was put to rest beside his wife--which makes the tomb out of symmetry. The money never went to the people.

The Moguls thought of everything. The Taj's towers are all leaning a little to te outside so in case any of them fall, no damage is done to the main building. The foundation is made of teak wood that are like shock absorbers in case there is an earthquake. The foundation also has 126 empty wells in case of a flood. Everything. I can't help but think that we have lost a lot of knowledge somewhere along the way.

I did have a moment of panic as we left the Taj Mahal. We lost two of our group. My first thought was, "Are we still going to get lunch?!" Selfish, I know but, I was starved! We ended up finding them outside the entrance gate. Right after they had bought t-shirts for a ridiculous amount of money (ridiculous for how much they were worth). Our tour guide told us to hold off till we got to a government run gift shop so we wouldn't get cheated. I was just relieved because we were headed to the restaurant.



*INTERESTING OR UNINTERSTING FACT OR PASSING OBSERVATION OR MAYBE I'M SNIFFING GLUE*
If you are not an Indian citizen, prices for admission to sites are quite a bit more than if you were. Still, coming from the U. S. it is not outrageous and at the Taj Mahal, one could exchange a $5 dollar bill as part of their admission. U. S. currency is welcome at a lot of sites as part of the exchange. There is usually an additional price for video cameras and digital camera usage. At the Taj and some other sites, I was not allowed to take my video camera past a certain point and was also charged to store the camera. Make sure you have enough smaller bills on you and in large quantities. These little fees add up.