TAJ MAHAL!!!

This morning I woke up very early and left the hotel at 7 because today I am going to see the Taj Mahal!

I stayed awake most of the time as we passed through the country; it was all so beautiful, green and peaceful.  I did fall asleep though after we made a quick food stop along the way.  When we arrived in Agra the thing I noticed the most were all the animals, not just dogs but piggies, donkeys, monkeys and the beautiful Brahma cows.  The cows have got to be my favorite of all the animals that roam around the streets of India… they just look so relaxed and wise.

Out of the fog appeared the Taj… it looked like something out of a fairy-tale.  We took a tiny bus to get there and when I stepped through the gates the Taj Mahal seemed so perfect.  I got a photographer to take pictures of me all the Taj, it was just like a photo shoot and I was the model.  During the photo shoot a little Indian girl grabbed my hand and asked if she could take photos with her family and me, I wasn’t going to say no.  I sat down in the middle of her whole family on a bench and got the photo taken, I had the biggest smile on my face during that photo.  

Seventh Wonder of the World... and the Taj Mahal is in the photo too

So many photos!

After my photos were taken we continued with the tour and the story that is behind it…

The Mughal Emperor was walking through the markets one day and noticed the most beautiful girl sitting outside a jewelry shop, he asked her to marry him right there because he had never seen a more beautiful woman.  Soon enough they were married and the queen gave birth to 13 children, the Emperor and Queen were madly in love.  When giving birth to her fourteenth child the Queen died.  As she died the Emperor held her in his arms and asked if she had any last request; she told him that he may never marry again and to build the Taj Mahal to show his love for her.  It took 22 years, working day and night to complete the Taj Mahal.

AHHHHH!

The marble is amazing

Monkey...

So much detail

Stone inside stone

These are the flowers

You can actually feel the love he had for his wife as you look at the incredible Wonder of the World.  The architecture and marble flowers that are designed into the walls are just stunning; they almost look real.  This place honestly took my breath away.

I got my photos before I left and then headed for lunch… no doubt it was Indian food again.

After lunch we went to the home of the Mughal Emperor, it has the perfect view of the Taj.  Again the designs on the marble were extraordinary, I loved walking the halls of the palace.

Red fort

The library, no books though.

A prison for the Emperor

Can you see the Taj in the far left corner covered by fog?

Then we headed to a marble emporium and got to see men using the very same tools as they did on the Taj.  The techniques are past down from family to family, it looks like very hard work.

Hugh, I wish I could do this.

There is mother of pearl in this one, can you see it?

How beautiful.

Stopped at a sweet vender on the road before going home... I have yet to get sick.

Soon it was finally time to go home and the moment I put my seatbelt on I fell asleep… I don’t even remember closing my eyes.  I was so happy to get back to the hotel but my day wasn’t over yet… I still had to get my SIM card.  The guide and I went out on foot through Delhi to find a phone store.  It honestly seemed like the guide got lost a few times but he found his way eventually.  Getting the SIM card was a much faster process and it wasn’t long until I was back at the hotel showering and in warm jammies.  I got to Skype my parents again and watched a movie about the Buddha before I went to bed; I stayed up a bit later tonight because tomorrow touring starts at 10:30.

I was so happy to get to bed.