you don't think of india without thinking of the taj mahal.
when planning our route, we knew we had to make a pit stop for the night in agra to see it with our own eyes.
so one quick train ride from delhi, and there we were (tip: the train website can be very confusing - we had our hotel in delhi book it for us and just add it to our bill).
one night is all you need (and you want a night, because nothing is quite as special as sunrise at the taj) - and we spent our time at the adorable coral house homestay. It's owned by a lovely family, and is walking distance to the east gate of the taj, which is key. dinner is served family style, you make friends from all over the world, and it's the perfect way to spend one night in such a magical city.
during the day we hired a driver to take us around to all the key spots. we stopped by the agra fort, the tomb of i'timad-ud-daulah (or the baby taj), the mehtab bagh (the PERFECT spot for a view across the river of the palace) and the jama mosque. having a local show to guide us made it super easy to get around and it was just the right amount of sight seeing, wiping us out so we could head to bed early...
flash forward to our 4am wake up call, and we groggily wandered out the front door in the dark and down an empty path toward a wonder of the world. built as a mausoleum and a show of love by a shah in the 1600's - the marble giant houses the tomb of his favorite wife. wall to wall gleaming white stone, it was a true marvel to see.
since we stayed so close by, we were among the first dozen humans inside when the sun rose. on a busy day, more than 70,000 people visit, so to get a few moments of hazy silence before the grounds were completely overwhelmed with crowds was such a gift.
it's such an icon that seeing it up close didn't feel real, and yet it's a morning I'll never forget.
No comments
Post a Comment
Hey...you over there! Tell me what you think!