Finally The Taj Mahal

Well after and extremely bumpy ride to Agra, we finally saw the Taj Mahal. It is a really beautiful building. We discovered that Saturday is not the day you want to visit it. It was so crowded it was closterphobic. The touts (what they call the people trying to sell you something or take you somewhere or guide you through the Taj) were obnoxious and followed us everywhere like pig pen's cloud of dust. We had eight or nine people some carrying necklaces, bracelets, and key chains, others carrying T-shirts and others carrying real whips (I don't understand the signifcance to the BIG WHIPS and the Taj Mahal). Others dragged their rickshaws along side us while we were trying to walk to the Taj and still others were offering to guide us through the Taj. It is ridiculous to the point of laughing, but Gani was worried about us so we fianlly decided to take a guide just to get everyone else off our backs.

01 Taj Mahal Entrance

It turned out to be a good thing because there are no signs explaining that you have to buy your ticket first and then stand in lines, one for women and one for men, apparently Kenny Lee qualified for man, and they search you just like at the airport. You aren't allowed to take all sorts of things into the exhibit such as, food, cell phones, playing cards, art or sketch books and I don't know what else. I had playing cards and my art book in my backpack. So, Toni and Kenny Lee made it through, and I got kicked out. The guide showed me where I could check in the stuff I wasn't allowed to take in, and then he got me back through quickly so I wouldn't have to go through the huge line again. He also got Kenny Lee through quickly even though the men's line had probably over a hundred men ahead of him. So, it was worth having the guide just to get into the palace. It was CRAZY!

02 The Taj Mahal

We took lots of pictures though.

03 Taj Mahal Front Door

04 Detail View of Taj

05 Another Detail View