12/5 The Taj

Woke up at 5a with tea and an omelet.  Then set off with my driver Naveem for Agra.  I settled in for a four hour drive expecting to rest, read or write, but instead I found my self in awe of every building, person, animal, street intersection, etc.. Before I know it we are stopping for tea at a tourist trap.  I decided to buy some post cards and a warm pashmina (ironic because I left six at home).  Back on the road,. and again I can't stop taking in all the people, animals, fruit stalls, traffic, .... it may seems mundane but for now every single bit of it is fascinating.  The traffic starts to back up as we arrive in Agra.  Across the river, a brief glace of the white dome ... powerful even from that far away.  We drive by the Agra Fort.  Incredible.  I would like come back here for some sketching.  We pick up my guide who promtlty asks me to call him cha cha ji (sp?), or uncle.  He's older and definitely a veteran.  We take a bicycle rickshaw to the tourist entrance, or VIP entrance.  Glimpses of the white minirets are like a hidden but so obvious treasure.  The gardens before the grand entrance to the Taj are not quite as crowded as I thought.  The only annoyance that I keep forgetting is that with a tour you always get hit with "oppurtunities" to buy, buy, buy.  So "government approved" photographers swarm and for a moment I think "What a great idea". Ha! Only 2400 INR.  A few no thank you's, and we are on our way.  Standing before the main gate to the Taj, is like looking through a small door at a glowing treasure covered in milky diamonds.  Stepping through the gate, well, magnificent is the only word I can think of, but of course this is not adequate.  If you know me, you will know that it was only natural that I cried.  I stood in total awe and cried.  Hopefully, I wasn't too obvious;)  Recently, I was with a group of friends and we were all asked to talk about the most amazing thing we have seen.  Someone said the Taj Mahal and I was surprised.  Now, of course, I understand.  It is without a doubt the most magnificent thing I have ever seen.  We walked around the gardens to the read sandstone structures to the south.  Then around back to look at the Yamuna River which makes me think of the movie "The Fall".  There is more to say about the tour but I don't want to bore so I will write more about that later.  (I still have two days to catch up on;)) I tried to prepare myself for the inevitable stop at the shops.  I ended up spending about an hour with the marble salesman more to prove to myself that I could do it which was so not worth it because I was exhausted by the end of it.  Thank god I walked out empty handed.  Lunch was overpriced but very good - daal, alu ghobi and a beer.  Then the drive home.  I again settled in for a long drive.  All was well until we hit the Delhi entrance booth.  How can I possibly explain the mayhem?  It was night and what seemed like a million people were trying to reach the city via a road that was a "work in progress for a better  future" which consisted of a two lane rocky rutted dirt road. Mind you there were about four "lanes" of real traffic.  I hope to upload some video soon.  It took about two hours to go two kilometers.  By the time I got to my hotel, I was done ... a typical irate American tourist, demanding change, laundry, upset that my room wasn't clean etc... Who would have known I was lucky enough to see one the the wonders of the world just hours earlier;)  So I took a shower and went to bed .... feeling a bit ashamed but very grateful.