We left Delhi under a bit of unfortunate circumstances. Jackie became ill (she thinks from a beverage), making the 4 hour drive from Delhi to Agra less than awesome for her. (I suggested the option of staying in Delhi another day and flying to meet us in Jaipur/Rajasthan, but she didn’t want to miss the Taj Mahal, so she soldiered through it.). Max also became a bit ill — I”ll spare you the gory details — but he managed to make it out for the two sightseeing activities on Day 1 of Agra: The Agra Fort and the Mehtab Bagh (the “Moonlight Garden” overlooking the Taj Mahal).
Agra Fort: The Agra fort was built in the second half of the 16th Century (1565-73??) and was the residence of emperors of the Mughal Dynasty of India until the capital was shifted to Delhi in mid-1600’s or thereabouts. It is a beautiful structure combining sandstone and marble, and is really awe-inspiring to see. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site as well, located about 2 miles from Taj Mahal (with great views of the Taj). The Taj Mahal was not open to the public today — we go to visit the Taj (and its interior) tomorrow. Below are some pics from the Agra Fort:
Zoe, the movie star: One interesting thing that happened at the Agra Fort — people kept approaching us to ask if they could take pictures of their children with Zoe. Apparently, Zoe was viewed as something of a novelty — and she was asked roughly a dozen times (more, actually) if she would pose for photos with them. Our guide suggested we not agree to it when the men approached, and at one point when a line of men started forming, I had to pull the “dad” move of saying that we were done and had to go. Here are a few pics of the Zoe phenomenon:
Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden, overlooking the Taj): The next stop was the Mehtab Bagh gardens overlooking the Taj Mahal. While beautiful, the obvious show-stealer is the Taj in the background. We went to this place to see the Taj Mahal late in the day, as we have been told that it looks VERY different at different times of day — evening versus sunrise — which is why we will also see the Taj Mahal at sunrise tomorrow. Below are pics of it from the Gardens (the north view, I believe):
Poverty: We have heard much about the poverty in India, and indeed, everywhere we have gone, we have encountered children (and others) begging in the streets, usually at tourist destinations, which is likely because that is where they have greater success. This was true in Delhi, and was true in Agra as well. As we drove around, we saw what seemed like miles of ghetto, including tent-ghettos… I can only imagine how difficult these conditions must be in the 100+ degree heat through the summer. (Below is a video of a small segment we passed).
The Taj Mahal: Today, we got up before sunrise so that we could visit the Taj Mahal as the sunrise was occurring. Except for the very sad fact that Jackie remained too ill to go with us (she is better now), it was pretty awesome experience. No more words, just pictures!
We are about to go for a LONG drive from Agra to Jaipur, so we are unlikely to have internet connectivity for some time. Be back soon!
