One final adventure: We Heart the Taj Mahal!

Now my blogger friends, if you recall, back in my December 2007 post about my trip to India, I threatened to NEVER return, unless promised a visit to the Taj Mahal. Well, that destiny was realized when just a few weeks ago, we got the word that Tony had to go to India one last time and he was going to be based in the Delhi area for the trip, so I hopped to it, cashed in all my frequent flyer miles and got me a plane ticket to join in on the adventure!

We left Hong Kong on Friday and after 5 hours (some prep for our upcoming LONG flight home next week!) we arrived into Delhi. We had arranged through our coworkers for a complete escorted journey to Agra, the city where the Taj is located, which is about 4 - 5 hours depending on traffic from Delhi. Complete in our package was a private hired car and driver, personal tour guide, admissions to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, as well as accommodations in a 5 star hotel for the evening in Agra. Everything worked out perfectly! Much better option than trying to take some form of public transportation down there, which if you recall from my last blog looks something like this...Thanks to the man in the back who even gave me a good pick of his nose as I snapped the shot - priceless! Got room for two more? Well there is only one guy sitting on the roof so I guess the answer is YES!

I have to admit that other than knowing that I wanted to SEE the Taj Mahal, and knowing that it is one of the 'wonders of the world' and all, I really didn't know too much about it. History lesson time kids...

The Taj Mahal was built back in the mid 1600's by Mughal (non-magic folk for you Harry Potter fans, lol) emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum (where people are buried) for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. He had three wives in total, but this one lady got the Taj. She apparently also had 14 children of his, so in my estimation, this is the LEAST he could do!

Then entire structure is made of white marble. The decorations of flowers, vines, text from the Qur'an, and everything are all made from etching into the marble and shaping precious and semi precious stones which have been hand carved by the people of Agra and come from all over the world. The colors used include Blue (Lapis-lazuli), Green (Jade), Orange (Coral), Yellow (Cat's eye), Black (Onyx), Turquoise, and Red (Blood Stone). The Cat's Eye Yellow ones were the coolest though - when you lit them up with a 'torch' (that is a flashlight to you and me) they glow like they are on fire due to their transparent qualities. The white marble glows the same way. So pretty! There is also a prevalent theme of 'hearts' everywhere and the Taj is considered one of the greatest declarations of ETERNAL LOVE in the world.

Along with the colorful inside, the Taj glows different colors throughout the day due to its white marble facade: In the morning it looks pinkish, afternoon milky white and in the evening with the sun setting, golden. It is said that these changes depict the different moods of a woman. What moods? I haven't seen any moods around here...

The absolute symmetry is another amazing site. On the four sides of the Taj stands these towers and they were designed to lean slightly out, all at the same angle so in the case for some reason they would fall, they would fall away from the Taj. Also, there is a Mosque on the West side (facing Mecca if you are in India) and a mirror image of the building on the East side which is just an empty building (you only get one west facing mosque).

And unlike the rest of India where there is just garbage and crap everywhere, the inside grounds around the Taj were immaculate. I guess people try not to pee inside here! Also security was very tight, metal detectors and everything. You couldn't bring in anything that may deface the structure including pens, lighters, any electronic equipment except for your camera, no food, no large bags, and a total limit for five items per person. They charge different entry fees for foreigners and Indias too, and we had a separate bathroom which charged us 5 rupees to use.

Before this journey, the only Taj Mahal I really knew about was Trumps Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City (not to be overlooked either my friends!) So I was truly not prepared for the beauty, craft, and money that has gone into this structure. I was completely AMAZED! Enough of my blabbering, onto some Taj pics.

Here is the first view as you enter through the main gate.

Once inside, you stand in front of the fountains for a great pic or two. Our tour guide was also our photographer! Look at me, I am so strong! I can lift the whole thing with my two fingers! I know, everyone has this pic, but I could not resist.

Here's one of Tony a little bit closer so hopefully you can see some of the detail.Here is one of the inside walls of the main area where you are not supposed to take pictures but everyone else was so I got jealous. See the heart symbols? Again, all those colors are semiprecious stones which have been hand carved and inlaid into the marble - just breathtaking!

And one more for you, the lighting was a bit different on our way out (looking golden now, huh?)...this is our attempt at making a heart with our hands...not too bad!

After the Taj Mahal, we were off to nearby Agra Fort (also know as the Red Fort of India). This is where the very same Moghul Emperor was banished under house arrest by his own son who over threw him! It is not so much a fort as it is a walled city, reminded me kind of like the Forbidden City in Beijing....but in FAR worse condition. If the Taj has been preserved to the fullest, the Agra Fort has been left to die. It really needs a face lift! Almost none of the original paintings remain and there is a ton of graffiti on the inside. That and it started to rain when we got here making it look even drearier I imagine....that is rain on Tony's shirt, not monkey crap (the monkeys are everywhere - like squirrels....EW!)One of the most interesting things to me at this fort were the intertwined symbols of religions - you had everything from crosses (christian) to five, six and eight pointed stars (muslin, jewish, buddist, baptist), to lotus flowers (Buddhist) to hindu symbols like the sideways swastika, and they have their own version of the 'star of david' called the Prakit which looks like a six pointed star with a sun and a swastika in the middle. It is crazy to see a symbol (the swastika) which I have hated and dreaded all my life mean something that it is so not - the Nazi's stole it because they thought it meant religious purity but it is actually used as a charm to bring good fortune. In Thailand I remember seeing swastikas on Buddha's feet. And we know that Buddha would never be so hateful toward anyone. Stupid Nazis.And of course there were more symbols of hearts in the structure. Waaaay in the back ground here is a view of the Taj Mahal. Love it!Oh and you remember those not so fancy 3 wheeled vehicles which ride all around the country with people hanging out from all directions? Well in Agra, the land of LOVE, they have pretty heart-shaped rear view mirrors. Cute huh?

And before we sign off for the last adventure, I will leave you with some animal photos. First, this sign was posted on our balcony door of our 5 star hotel in Agra. Can you read it? If not double click for a bigger view. Naught MONKEYS!

Then, there is my pal, mister camel. I saw a lot of him and his friends along our journey round trip from Delhi to Agra. Here he is in the middle of traffic, hauling a load of garbage. Nice eyelashes!

And finally, a flock of a hundred goats which crossed the highway (yes, the highway) forcing us to slam on our breaks and nearly get in a goat accident. I couldn't fit them all in one pic, so just imagine four of these pasted together to get the true goatiness proportions.

And most importantly, I survived another journey to India! I made it! I don't think I will be back anytime soon, now that I have seen the Taj Mahal and all. Plus, I am most excited to report, I escaped without a case of 'Delhi Belly'. Phew! That would have been ugly for 8 hours in the car ; )

So, if you EVER find yourselves in India, you must go see the Taj Mahal as part of our trip. No excuses. It is another wonder of the world which no picture or television show or account by an excellent blogger like me can possible capture - you must see it with your own eyes.

Till next time, I LOVE YOU & MISS YOU!

P.S. I got a blue dot for my head, it matched my shirt :)