Agra, India

I am happy to report that I did not have to wear a mask last night because our hotel is not moldy. Unfortunately, our air-conditioning did not work. portable fans but were both awake most of the night. We are longing for our clean, cool stateroom.

We have a sunrise excursion at the Taj Mahal this morning so we were out of bed (you will note that I did not say awake due to HOT sleeping conditions) at 4:45 AM.

We met our group in the lobby at 5:30 AM. I am so glad that our group is prompt.

We took a bus to where we were supposed to catch a smaller electric cart to transport us to the Taj Mahal. Raj and our driver noted that the wait for the electric carts was too long and we would miss the sunrise. As a result, we disembarked the van nearer to the Taj Mahal but still had to make a very long walk down a very dark street/alley.

Once we got to the Taj Mahal, we had to line up in a cue to be frisked and x-rayed. Raj picked a great line for us and we were quickly through the frisking and x-raying procedure.

We entered the outer courtyard where Raj gave us background information regarding the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (r. 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centerpiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

We entered through the outer gate to the inner courtyard and were given time to take pictures of the Taj Mahal.

We moved to the right side of the courtyard where Raj explained the death of Mumtaz Mahal who died during childbirth. She was buried and exhumed twice before she was placed in her final resting place in the Taj. The shrines that visitors are able to view are replicas of the actual shrine. The actual shrines which are located directly below the replica shrine are closed to the public.

Pictures are not allowed inside the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is truly impressive. The decorations are made of inlayed precious and semi-precious stones. The carving of the marble and sandstone are amazing.

After time touring the inside and outside the Taj Mahal, we exited the Taj Mahal and took an electric cart back to the van. We then were transported back to the hotel.

We had breakfast at the hotel.

Dale is not feeling well so we gave him some OTC and are hoping that he gets to feeling better soon.

We had a bit of time after breakfast so I ran back to the room and a bit of time for some maintenance and packing.

After checking out from the hotel, we went to a marble factory where descendants of the family who installed the inlays and carvings at the Taj Mahal. The demonstration of the hand carving and shaping of stones was very interesting. We were given the opportunity to purchase souvenirs. I could see some of our group grumbling once again. I would have liked to have more time to browse. This art work is amazing.

Our next stop was Raj's house. Raj had warned us that there is a pond close to his house where the village dumps their trash. He indicate that the government is trying to educate the population about trash disposal. It is hard to comprehend the amount of trash thrown everywhere. We have had a lot of discussion regarding the environmental impact of the pollution in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Africa.

Raj's house was small but extremely clean. We met his wife, children, and sister-in-law. Raj brother's family lives in the same complex.

We toured his yard and garden before walking a short distance to his parent's house. His parents live separately because of Indian cultural norms. If Raj's father lived in the same household, his wife would have to be veiled in his presence. The solution is to have his parents live a short distance away.

Before departing the village, we met Raj's uncle who ran a small store in the village. We gave Raj some money for the children to purchase a treat from the store.

The visit to Raj's village is one of the highlights of our trip. It is so wonderful to actually see how people live.

Upon departing the village, we began the 4-5 hour drive to Jaipur.

Jaipur is called the Pink City. Jaipur is Rajasthan's capital. Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in India, forming a part of the west Golden triangle tourist circuit along with Delhi and Agra. The city has two World heritage sites of Amer Fort and Jantar Mantar. On July 6, 2019, the city was named to the World Heritage Cities list.

Before we reached Jaipur, Raj gave us the option of stopping at another temple. This temple, Galta Ji, has been overrun with monkeys. Several of us said that we wanted to stop.

As we entered the temple complex, we saw several monkeys playing with discarded clothing. There are several pools which are thought to have healing properties. As I climbed up the stairs by several pools, I caught a glimpse of a family bathing in the water. It really made me sad because it was clear that this family was using the pools because it was their only source of water to bath. The water was less than clean.

Raj, Carol and I continued to the top temple structure observing the monkeys playing and grooming. Carol was brave enough to fed a monkey and have it climb on her shoulders.

When the three of us made it back to the van, we continued our journey to Jaipur.

As we entered Jaipur, there was a sporting event happening. As a result, the traffic was horrendous causing a major delay in arriving at the hotel.

In Jaipur, were staying at the Hilton. I am looking forward to this stay as I think the hotel will be mold free and, hopefully, have working air conditioning.

We checked into the hotel, had a shower and went to bed.

Photos will be uploaded as soon as I get a minute.Leggi altro