December in India, Part 5

At the Taj Mahal in Agra

On Monday morning, December 23rd, we checked out of our hotel in Karol Bagh early in the morning and began our three day "golden triangle" tour to Agra and Jaipur.  We had a car and driver for the next three days and stayed at a couple of nice hotels.

We drove first to Agra, the home of the Taj Majal.  There is a new highway, the Yamuna Expressway, from Delhi to Agra that does not allow freight trucks.  By comparison with the later roads it was mostly empty.  Even so, given the distance it took most of the morning to get there, stopping just once at a rest stop.  We ate lunch at a wonderful restaurant in Agra upon arrival and then our guide took us to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.

The Taj Mahal was crowded and the foggy day made it less than optimal, but it was nonetheless a great experience.  Photos do not do justice to the site.  It really is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

After that we stopped at the obligatory factory selling handicrafts.  We didn't buy anything, but it was interesting since they sold the type of inlaid stone work that you see at the Taj Mahal.

Finally, that day we visited Agra Fort.  This was similar in many ways to the Red Fort in Delhi.  However a large portion is still used by the Indian Army and is off limits to tourists.

We spent the evening at a the Grand Hotel Agra, on the outskirts of town.  Not so convenient for seeing things, but great for both of us since we were rather tired and mostly wanted to relax anyway.  There were many guests including several groups on tour for the Christmas holidays.