Iconic India

Of course, when talking about visiting India, the first thing to come to mind is the Taj Mahal- today was the day!

As this was a rail journey tour, we left Delhi on the Gatimaan Express, a high speed train that got us to Agra in less than 2 hours - by road it probably would have taken 4 hours. Efficient - yes! Luxury - no! Pulled down the tray table and thought eww! However, it was comfortable and we had arrived at our hotel in Agra before noon.

As our rooms were not ready, we toured the other renowned building in Agra - The Agra Fort. Built in the 16th century it was a residence to emperors of the Mughal dynasty until the mid 1600's. Later, Shah Jahan was under "house arrest" in the fort (by his own son - this was how transfer of power was done at this time) and he was able to gaze upon his tribute to his late wife, the Taj Mahal which was only a couple of km away. Today, the fort is a World UNESCO site, made of red sandstone and marble and contains many separate courtyards, rooms and garden areas.

Later in the day we visited the Taj Mahal at sunset. It really is a magnificent building and we were not disappointed. It is larger than what I thought, all marble with elaborate carvings and other decorations made with inlaid semi-precious stone. Inside the mausoleum was highly ornate however no photos allowed. Brad managed to get a fairly good photo of the reflection in the pool - an iconic shot.Read more