Is of course Agra's Taj Mahal. Why else would I go India? Taj Mahal makes the 3 wonders of the world that I have seen, Great Wall and Colosseum. Like a 3 course french meal, all the previous locations while great on their own is really building up to the main dish. But if you are coming from Jaipur, it only makes sense to stop at Fatehpur Sikri and Agra Fort before wrapping the whole thing up with Taj Mahal.
We almost have to skip Fatehpuh Sikri but thanks to our guide's death defying driving skills, we made it only to be ruin by the tour guide who
You have to see for yourself how magnificent the carvings in this place - every inch of it. Beware of the holy man grave. To pay your respect you must have your head covered and no shoes. It is said your dreams will come true if the price in form of donation is right. Donation here is disguised as numerous items that you can purchase 10x over their cost price to lay at the grave while making your wish. Obviously the more expensive the better. I have no objection to paying respect but to scam people - just turns my stomach. He is the worst guide EVER!
We came back feeling cross. Luckily the guide for Agra Fort and Taj Mahal turn out ok. Honestly after a few forts, they kinda look almost the same. The architecture is pretty consistent, the carvings breath-taking, there is the king's bedroom, the queen's bedroom, the concubine's room, the bath area and the leisure area.
For the grand finale...behold the Taj Mahal. We were shown glimpses of it from Agra Fort. You need walk a bit to go into the Taj Mahal. Also tourist have to pay more than locals but you get direct access. There are tons of Indians queuing to pay homage, pay more for no queue. On the left of the Taj Mahal, was a mosque build for the workers. Beware of the holy man in there. He is alive and will ask you for money after he helpfully show you all the spots where you can take the Taj from the inside of the mosque. Spots that are not that great and you probably can discover on your own. Learn from my mistake. AVOID HIM AND SAY THANKS BUT NO THANKS. People like this gives bad vibes to the place.
Essentially it's a big size grave. The coffins are display only. The real coffin is underneath to provide some peace and quiet. The whole mausoleum is build of marble. The interesting thing about marble is they glow as they absorb light. Imagine the whole thing must have lit up on a full month back in those days. We spend a good 1-2 hours walking around the place, gawking at the intricate designs.
No doubt it is a befitting end to our exotic-everything-is-possible-India. We also got food poisoning at the final day- goes to say no one can avoid food poisoning in India no matter how careful.
It's a lovely place but I won't be in a hurry to visit it again unless it is a company trip.
We almost have to skip Fatehpuh Sikri but thanks to our guide's death defying driving skills, we made it only to be ruin by the tour guide who
- Keep scratching his crotch every 2 sentence.
- Throw us to the biggest holy man scam.
You have to see for yourself how magnificent the carvings in this place - every inch of it. Beware of the holy man grave. To pay your respect you must have your head covered and no shoes. It is said your dreams will come true if the price in form of donation is right. Donation here is disguised as numerous items that you can purchase 10x over their cost price to lay at the grave while making your wish. Obviously the more expensive the better. I have no objection to paying respect but to scam people - just turns my stomach. He is the worst guide EVER!
We came back feeling cross. Luckily the guide for Agra Fort and Taj Mahal turn out ok. Honestly after a few forts, they kinda look almost the same. The architecture is pretty consistent, the carvings breath-taking, there is the king's bedroom, the queen's bedroom, the concubine's room, the bath area and the leisure area.
For the grand finale...behold the Taj Mahal. We were shown glimpses of it from Agra Fort. You need walk a bit to go into the Taj Mahal. Also tourist have to pay more than locals but you get direct access. There are tons of Indians queuing to pay homage, pay more for no queue. On the left of the Taj Mahal, was a mosque build for the workers. Beware of the holy man in there. He is alive and will ask you for money after he helpfully show you all the spots where you can take the Taj from the inside of the mosque. Spots that are not that great and you probably can discover on your own. Learn from my mistake. AVOID HIM AND SAY THANKS BUT NO THANKS. People like this gives bad vibes to the place.
Essentially it's a big size grave. The coffins are display only. The real coffin is underneath to provide some peace and quiet. The whole mausoleum is build of marble. The interesting thing about marble is they glow as they absorb light. Imagine the whole thing must have lit up on a full month back in those days. We spend a good 1-2 hours walking around the place, gawking at the intricate designs.
No doubt it is a befitting end to our exotic-everything-is-possible-India. We also got food poisoning at the final day- goes to say no one can avoid food poisoning in India no matter how careful.
It's a lovely place but I won't be in a hurry to visit it again unless it is a company trip.
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