We left our hotel in Delhi at 8:15 for a 3 hour drive to Agra. It was a new highway and very nice and quick. Our driver, Artie, kept talking about the drivers in Agra that did not follow rules and that were crazy. This new highway was nicer than most of the roads in SC, so we had a hard time understanding. 

However, when we got off the highway and drove into the city of Agra, it completely made sense. Agra was insane and our eyes could barely take it all in. There were cows all over the road; bikes and motorcycles everywhere; and drivers just beeping and playing “chicken.” It felt like being in a video game. Artie got more aggressive and began driving like a local- faster and pushier! We arrived at Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb  around 1:30 and met our Agra guide, Anu. 

Itmad-ud-Daulah is also knwon as the “Baby Taj” and it may have been an inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Once you leave the crazy street, you walk into this gorgeous peaceful arean with a jewel box of a tomb. The empress built this garden tomb for her father. It is made all of marble with lots of inlay work. It has white, yellow and brown marble and the detail work is gorgeous. Inside are her parent’s tombs and the walls are decotrated in gorgeous inlay of flowers and paintings of beautiful scenes. It sat on the river and supposedly the emperor and empress would ride their boat over adn sit and watch the work being done. The river now is polluted and very shallow. There were cows on teh sand banks and many poor people. Some little children were far below and begged to us. Hubert threw some ruppees down to them. It is ahrd to turn away from the beggar children who point to their mouths and say “gupta” (which I assume is food or eat!). 

We then had lunch at a restuarant in Agra, The Pinch of Spice. We had chinese food there and it was delicious. Spicy and good. We checked in to the Trident which was a nice and beautiful hotel. Again, you leave the crazy street, drive through a gate and you are in a different world. We received more gifts from Amber Tours (scarf, keychain and lotus dish). I think we are getting special treatment because of mom. Even the driver knew my mom was a travel agent!!!

After 30 mintues, we met Anu in the lobby and a drive to the Agra Fort. To me, the sound of a fort sound boring and in military style. However, in India, the forts were basically the whole cities for the Mughal empires. It is like walking into a book or movie and feeling as if you are a part of 1001 Arabian Nights. The fort has the public spaces, government buildings, the palace, the harem’s living quarters, the wives palaces, mosques, and many pools where there was always rose water for bathing.. The Agra fort even has a tower that is grogeous marble where Shah Jahan (emperor who built the Taj) was imprisoned by his son. The tower had a view of the Taj so Shah jahan could always watch it. The outside is all red sandstone and looks like a fort. Inside the walls is a magical world. The immense size was so impressive and the decadence was breathtaking. Anu was a great guide and you could just envision how the empire was in the 1600s under the Mughal rule. 

It was a very hazy day which is why Anu decided not to take us to the Taj Mahal first, but at this time, we did go to Mehtab Bagh which is essentially the garden area across the river from the Taj. We got our first glimpse of the monument and it was unbelievable. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a tomb and monument for his wife. He wanted it to be so beautiful that the world would never forget their love. I will say that he was very successful! Just seeing it from across the river was spectacular.

We then went to a rug company and saw how the rugs from Agra are made. Beautiful rugs but a little pushy sales! We did not buy! We were exhausted when we arrived back to the hotel around 6:30. The sensory overload in India can be very tiring. We ordered room service (pizza!) and used spotty wi-fi. We went to bed early ready for another adventure.