I Went to the Taj Mahal. Yep.

The Taj Mahal is smaller than you think it's going to be. That's not to say it isn't gorgeous. It's definitely gorgeous. Probably the most gorgeous building that I've ever seen. I actually tried to think of something more gorgeous just now and came up empty, so there you go. But it isn't all that huge as far as gorgeous buildings go.

Guidebooks strongly suggest an early start to the Taj Mahal to take advantage of the morning sun and avoid the crowds that grow throughout the day, and we had fully intended on doing just that until our train decided to arrive in Agra several hours late. Never, ever count on your train being on time in India. It won't be, and you'll be sorry. Instead of a 6 a.m. hotel check-in, quick shower, and an early start at the Taj, we ended up checking in around 10 a.m., having breakfast, and then waiting around for a few more hours until the sun dropped down a bit. Nothing like a shadowless sky to make a bunch of photos mediocre.

When we were ready to embark on the grand tour, our rickshaw driver suggested that we start in a park across the river to get a less obvious shot of the back of the Taj Mahal first. It was clear that he just wanted us to have to pay him more for the extra time and distance, but we went along with it and weren't disappointed. I think the barbed wire adds a little something extra, don't you?

The late afternoon ticket line just to enter the Taj was daunting and I worried that we wouldn't even get inside in time for the sunset, but we did (after the security guards made Brendan take the shotgun mic off our camcorder and check it into a locker beforehand, for no explicable reason). Once inside, the grounds were absolutely crawling with people and there was no chance of getting that perfect, human-free shot, but even packed with tourists it's still pretty damn photogenic. B and I attempted to out-artsy each other, but eventually had to rely on a reluctant third party for the one shot we'll probably frame and put on the mantle. Whatevs. I went to the Taj Mahal. I'm a happy gal.

The rest of Agra was lost on us as we had no spare energy to explore the city after dark, and were back on a westbound train heading to Jaipur early the next morning. It may have been just as well, though, because every other traveller we've talked to who has stayed more than a day in Agra has regretted it and advised us against doing the same. Maybe it's one of those "#1 tourist destination city in India" curses?

Jaipur will mark our first stop in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan, where B and I will be spending about a month riding camels, exploring palaces, buying silver jewelry, and blogging. Always with the blogging.

:)

s

PS- Anybody going to Brazil for Carnaval this year? If so, we'll see you in Salvador!

Comments

[Patty]

Nice pictures! I am going to the carnival, but in Ensenada, Mexico, jaja, Good luck in Brazil.

[John]

That picture with barbed wire, lol. As a matter of fact, all those pictures are really good. The Taj Mahal is stunningly beautiful when you compare it to all this watts you guys just visited. It's so up kept and clean. Funny story, I telemarketer from India called me the other day, but I turned the tables on him. We had like a 30 minute conversation about India and things to see. I couldn't hold him for to long, as he seemed to insist I was not happy with my long distance service. Keep blogging, always keep blogging.

-John-

[Jen]

It is definitely beautiful! I hope to see it one day!

[Liana]

Wow - you are right, Sarah - it is absolutely beautiful. I guess I've never really taken the time to REALLY look at it before. It's just been the Taj Mahal, something I've always known about and seen on the Discovery and Travel Channels, but it really is stunning.

[Howard]

You're at the most beautiful man-made structure in all the friggin' world, and the husband zooms-in his camera to properly frame the real beauty that he sees in his viewfinder: Sarah Moran!!!

[DAD_2006]

http://sarahlane.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/the_one_shot.jpg
Smile Brendan!!

Uh, the building is gorgeous too. Ah India, are the two of you going to visit all the offshored US jobs over in Bangalore?

[Sean]

This photo: /out_artsy_eachother.jpg
is absolutely the best pic I think I've seen of you. I've been to 21 countries myself, but your adventure outdoes any of mine by a mile. Stay safe and happy.

[Joseph]

I absolutely love those pics of the Taj Mahal. You have such an eye for photography. I'm jealous. :-) Hey, do you think you can visit one of those massive call centers companies have opened up over there? Is there anything more captivating than Hindus learning to talk like an American?

[Greggy]

I agree with ^Dad. That is a spectacular picture. Take that picture, convert to B&W and throw it in a frame. It looks like Brendan out did ya!