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27 June - India - Agra
Up predawn for our train to Agra. The train stations are one of the most unhygienic places on the planet so it's not good place to linger .... So a universal groan goes up as the train is delayed.... Eventually the train arrives & we get on .... But there are people lying in our seats and they won't move until Bhagi comes along & after much talking gets them to move. It's a sleeper train so there are people & stuff everywhere... Anyway we eventually get to sit squashed like sardines for the next 5 hours.
We arrive in Agra, taken to our very nice hotel for a well deserved lunch & rest before heading out to the Taj Mahal.
This is what I have been waiting for.
As we head off in the bus I do ponder the thought that I hope it's not an anticlimax. The security is tight so we have to park a little way away & get ferried down by electric bus. Interestingly, to preserve the colour of the Taj there is a pollution free zone around the area. Periodically the Taj is cleaned with a mixture of yogurt & salt & ?? To draw out the dirt.
I have to say that the initial viewing does not disappoint .... It is truly amazing from every angle, and as you walk closer towards it the beauty & symmetry become more and more apparent. We were able to walk around at our leisure for a few hours so were able to enjoy the ambience & the beauty. We are able to go inside the mausoleum. I was content to sit & look ... It's a special place for me because my Dad had proposed to my Mum via writing on a coconut from there.
As its our final group night together we have a lovely meal outside on the rooftop.
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