Agra

Red Fort, Agra
Originally uploaded by qiubuo.

From Delhi we headed to Agra by car, arriving mid-afternoon. The road was surprisingly smooth, though this is perhaps not surprising considering how many tourists visit the Taj Mahal each year. Agra itself is not a very attractive city, except of course for the Taj and for the beautiful Red Fort. We spent about two hours exploring the fort, which provides attractive views of the Taj Mahal and is very beautiful itself, especially at dusk.

We made it to the Taj Mahal on Wednesday morning. The Indian authorities noticed that the white walls of the monument were turning grey some years ago, so they banned gasoline-powered vehicles from the area around the Taj. Now cars must be parked in a lot near the monument, and tourists can then choose between an electric car, a camel cart and a pony cart to travel the one kilometer to the entrance. We wanted to walk, but were told it was not allowed. However, this was probably a misunderstanding. Indians never tell foreigners they can walk - when we ask directions they just say it's too far. So we took a pony cart.

Taj Mahal side view
Originally uploaded by qiubuo.

The Taj Mahal costs $15 for foreigners, which is a large amount of money in India. Usually we spend half that for a hotel room. But it's a fair price considering the fame of the building, which was constructed in the 17th century as a tribute to Empress Mumutz Jehan, who died giving birth to her 14th child. The Taj Mahal, perhaps the world's most expensive tomb, took 22 years to construct and required the labor of twenty thousand workers. Its walls are inlaid with precious stones and inscriptions from the Koran. We took our own picture in front of this "monument to love," of course.

Taj Mahal
Originally uploaded by qiubuo.

It was almost Valentine's Day when we visited, which almost rescued Gilles' Valentine's reputation, but not quite (last year we spent it with his ex-girlfriend, and this year with his parents). French men think they can just cruise through on the romantic count, it seems!

A lesser-known attraction in Agra is the so-called "Baby Taj," a smaller tomb along the banks of the River Jumina. This peaceful site is far from the hawkers and beggars that incessantly follow tourists near the famous monuments of India;

The Baby Taj
Originally uploaded by qiubuo.

lovers sit on its tranquil steps and women wash their clothes in the river below the small garden. We visited in the late afternoon, spending a quiet hour watching the sun set over the monument's graceful turrets.