Oh my ...

There will not be enough adjectives for today ... I'm just going to say that upfront!

An early morning start today. We had our alarm set and were out of bed, dressed and in the lobby to meet Yash and Rajan at 6.30.

And then we were off to the Taj Mahal! To say that I was excited about the day is an understatement.  The anticipation of seeing it close up after glimpsing it yesterday was very high. 

We arrived just as dawn was breaking. We travelled from the car park to the entrance of the site via an electric rickshaw and then we walked the rest of the way.

Arriving at security (there is a lot of security at all of the monuments, temples and forts) we discovered that Echi and Platy were not allowed to enter, so Yash ran them back to a friendly shop owner who was happy to look after them until we returned.

Entering into the grounds of the Taj Mahal is incredible. You are swept away by grand entrance gates, carved from sandstone from Rajistan, the gate (one of four on each of the sides of the grounds) is itself very impressive.  Again the designs carved into the sandstone are elaborate and intricate.

And then you pass through the gate and the beautiful glory that is the Taj slowly emerges until it is there, right in front of you, and you need to pinch yourself that you are actually there. I am not too proud to admit that I welled up with tears. The gardens are set out in a geometric pattern with central pools. We took some time to just sit and soak it all in.

There are no words to describe the Taj. Well there are but I am sure to botch any attempt to truly reflect its beauty. It took 22 years years to build this dedication to the beloved wife of Shah Jahan who had bore him 14 children. It is built from white marble with detailed carvings and delicate designs inlaid with stone.  The four minarets that surround the main building tilt ever so slightly outwards so in the event that they were ever to fall they would not damage the mausoleum. Cyrillic writings surround the arched entrance to the inner tomb. We needed to wear booties on our shoes when were on the upper layer and in the main tomb.

Inside the mausoleum are several ante chambers until you reach the main chamber where two marble sarcophagi representing the resting place of the queen and her king (even though they are actually resting well below that level). These jewel encrusted marble sarcophagi sit behind low marble walls that have carved inset frames that mimic curtains to allow the light to filter into the inner chamber. We were not allowed to take photos inside  ... but to be honest I wouldn't have wanted to.

After visiting the tomb we were able to remove our booties and explore some of the outer buildings of the Taj before heading back to meet Yash, reconnect with Echi and Platy (and thank their new friends for looking after them) and head back to the hotel for breakfast.

Breakfast was a splendid affair ... another fabulous buffet of Indian cuisine. Again we were adventurous and tried a whole lot of things that were new to us. This time the labels, like last night, were more detailed so we had more of an idea of what were eating. After breakfast we headed back to our room for a final pack and then checked out and were ready for our next leg of the journey. 

Saying farewell to Agra, Rajan pointed the car in the direction of Fatehpur Sikri, which whilst also being a bustling town, is home to the abandoned palace complex of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Built around 1569 it was the residence between 1571 and 1586 when it was then abandoned. Why they left such an incredible location is not known but what they left behind was incredible. It reminded us a lot of some of the palaces we have seen in Korea as well.

This next section is written by Ian ...

The last and longest part of our day was the 4.5 hour drive from Fatehpur Sikri to our accommodation at Ranthambore. It was only 250km but the drive is slowed by the many entertainments. Cows, dogs, goats and sheep on the road, and occasionally a camel- drawn cart. Many many small towns where markets, stalls, vehicles and crowds of people spill onto the road. Hundreds of workyards in a 10 minute stretch carving sandstone ornaments and blocks for sale. Crops of wheat, potatoes, mustard and canola. Guava trees, bee hives. Tuk tuks with only 2 passengers (not 10). Buses with people hanging out the doors, or sitting on the roof. Plains and mountains, rivers and fields. And we all arrived in one piece! A joyful result thanks to Rajan.

And so ... settled in our room now at the hotel. The room is strange ... solid, thick walls making it feel clammy and cool. We may in fact need a heater on tonight! But we are settled after a fabulous day ... and we were blessed with a glorious sunset.