Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
In order to get to the taj bright and early, the hotel arranged a van to take the seven of us at 6:30am. What was supposed to be a 2.5 hour drive, we realized on hour 4 would be more of an expedition. With space to spread our legs, nap and relax we didn't get too antsy until the stop and go traffic turned into gridlock and the overcrowded roads became increasingly dysfunctional. Since we essentially weren't moving--people selling stuff and begging harassed us throughout our windows. This added to the commotion of beeping vehicles and cars moving in every which direction. I was startled to look up and see a monkey being pushed inches from my faces and concerned when we pulled over for tea and saw a monkey decked out with heavy make-up and a sparkly dress. By the time one o'clock rolled around, our driver (and his odd "assistant") communicated to us that we'd better wait a few hours until the traffic cleared. Frustrated and exhausted we decided to make the best of the situation and stopped for lunch at a fancy looking touristy hotel that stood out from its surroundings of dirty roads, wandering kids and dilapidated shops. Enjoying the A.C. and kicking it with some Masala Dosa we ordered drinks which after 2 months of not drinking and on empty stomachs—hit us embarrassingly quickly. By the time we finished our leisurely lunch and our whiskey sours we made our way back to the van laughing, imitating our crazy driver-duo and discussing how drunk pictures in front of the taj would look 20 years from now. By the time we reached the Taj it felt like our journey was a pilgrimage and despite the obscene traffic (common to India) we were just as energetic to see this world wonder as we were at 6:30am. Whisked away by a tour guide organized by the hotel, we followed a jolly man who gave us our own tour of the taj. He guided us through the enormous walls and entrance that was a beautiful site in-and-of itself. After walking for five minutes we were instantly drenched in sweat but could only think about the enormity of the property we were setting foot on. The Taj itself attracted all the eye's attention. The grandness of the pure marble structure left my jaw-half open for the entire time we walked on and through the mausoleum. While during other tours or museums I've been to in my life I felt hurried, the fact that it is off-season made the experience peaceful and enjoyable—like I never wanted to leave. After finally leaving the property we had the opportunity to see a local craftsman carve and set marble with the precious and semi-precious stones used to construct the taj. It was mind-boggling how much labor, precsion and time the work took—and gave me that much more of an appreciation for the beauty of the Taj Mahal.
- comments