A Toasty Taj Mahal!

We made it to India! We’re purposefully calling this trip our “world sampler”, because we had so many places we wanted to see and with only three months to see them all, we get a little sample of each. So, with just two full days in India and temperatures reaching 113 degrees, we made the most of our time while trying not to cook. 

Arriving late at the hotel, we were surprised with a cake and bottle of wine as a celebration for Jeff’s 800th night at a Marriott. That’s a lot of nights in a hotel but the perks from it have been nice!

We spent our first day viewing the magnificent Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daula (aka Baby Taj). We met our driver at 4am, hoping an early start would help us avoid some of the afternoon heat. It was still blazing hot by the time we left Agra, but at least the early start paid off for the morning portion (starting at 85 degrees was much better than starting at 100). 

We were given mixed feedback about what and where to visit in India, but there are some things worth seeing for yourself if you have the chance, and the Taj Mahal, a wonder of the world and symbol of eternal love, is one of those sights.

As we made our way to the Taj Mahal, we saw our first wild monkeys. We followed our guide’s recommendation to keep our distance as these cute creatures can be quite fierce, and we definitely don’t have time for a trip to the hospital. 

We caught a glimpse of the Taj Mahal through the Great Gate and as we passed through, its grandeur was apparent. Our guide provided a stellar tour, sharing the history and a few fun facts with us. If you didn’t know, the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum commissioned by Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan for his third and favorite wife. It took 16 years to complete (1632-1648) with 22,000 workers constructing the monument. We learned that the descendants of the workers still maintain the monument today using the 300+ year old traditional methods. We also learned about how the emperor was constructing an identical Black Taj Mahal for himself, however, according to our guide, the emperor’s son put a stop to the second monument due to the cost and locked his father up in a tower at Agra Fort… eight years later, the emperor died and was buried next to his wife in the Taj Mahal and the foundation of the black mausoleum sits unfinished across the river. #funfacts

Not only was our guide a knowledgeable historian, he was also a self-proclaimed photographer and was adamant that he take our photos. We got a kick out of the poses he positioned us in as some were more cheesy than others.

As we approached the Taj Mahal, the grandeur of it became more prominent. The symmetry was amazing and the marble with intricate carvings and inlay floral patterns made up of precious and semi-precious stones was stunning. It was incredible to stand at the entrance of this iconic building and see everything up close.

Our second stop was to the Baby Taj (Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah), which was actually completed three years prior to the famous Taj Mahal. Although this Mughal mausoleum was quite a bit smaller than the well known Taj, it was still impressive and the inlay art and hand painted frescoes were beautiful. 

By the time we stopped for lunch, the temperature was at its peak of 113 degrees and it was scorching. We could feel the heat radiating off our clothes, on our phones, and in our eyes, and every time I smiled my cheeks would touch the toasty metal frames on my sunglasses. It was a heat we’ve never experienced, however, it felt slightly more bearable than the humid heat we had in Asia. We sampled our first delicious dosa (similar to a crepe) and other scrumptious Indian dishes at lunch leaving us ready for the second half of the tour. 

After lunch, we visited a marble shop where we learned how the inlay flowers on the Taj Mahal were created, an art form still used today. We followed that with our final stop of the day at Agra Fort.

Agra Fort is massive! Only 10% of the fort is open to the public while 90% is occupied by the military, but the 10% was still huge! Our guide led us through the different courtyards and in and out of the red sandstone rooms. We took in the view of the Taj Mahal sitting against the Agra skyline, used the acoustics in one room to speak secret messages to each other from across the room, and snapped a photo of the tea cup bathtub. According to our guide, the emperor’s son created the bath and placed it outside of the lady’s chambers, because he wasn’t allowed in the lady’s imperial baths.

As we made our way back to Delhi, we learned that the traffic is just as exciting as Vietnam’s with trucks, cars, busses, motorbikes, and rickshaws swerving in and out and beeps coming from all directions. Once we got back to the hotel, we needed a minute to recover, and decided to hit the pool to relax and cool down before grabbing dinner. 

We spent our second day touring Old and New Delhi. Our guide took us to several sights around the city, with our first stop being Delhi's oldest fortified city.

Looking skywards, we gazed up at Qutb-Minar, the tallest tower in India and learned about how it was used as an astronomical observatory. The tower was completed in 1220 making it over 800 years old!

We moved on to the Lotus Temple and had our first encounter with people asking for a selfie with us. We obliged this time as it was two older ladies who were giddy and grateful when we accepted, but others throughout the day weren’t as lucky, especially the young boys. I’m not sure how popstars do it. 

Next stop was a walk around the Red Fort and then off to the stop I was most excited for, Chandni Chowk market and Old Delhi’s main drag. We hired a rickshaw which took us along the busy main street. There was so much to observe! Carts stacked with goods of all kinds being pulled by bikes, people, or bulls, people everywhere, and rickshaws and small vehicles moving between it all. I have always found markets enjoyable, whether it’s a local farmers market, the famous Pike Place Market in Seattle, or the daily markets we’ve encountered in Europe and Asia, they’re fascinating and I love just wandering around, taking in the sights and smells.

As we approached Khari Baoli spice market, the scent of freshly ground spices filled our noses. We chatted with one of the shop owners, learning about and smelling numerous spices and teas. We purchased a green curry spice and would have loved to buy more, but unfortunately the space in our backpacks is limited.

We made two more stops to sample the street food before heading to Jamba Masjid, the biggest mosque in India. Our first street food treat was the famous Rabri Faluda, which is a mix of some creamy concoction that’s placed atop vermicelli noodles. It had an interesting texture but an enjoyable taste. Our second sampling was a mystery treat, and after doing some googling, we think it was Dahi Bhalla, a deep fried lentil fritter dunked in creamy yogurt, topped with a sweet spicy chutney. For not knowing what we were eating it was pretty good.

Unfortunately there was a mix up with the timing, and when we arrived at Jamba Masjid, the mosque was closed for prayer. We were disappointed as we could have seen the mosque first and then went to the market, but you can’t control everything. Instead, we peeked into the courtyard from the entrance gate and continued on our way. 

As we rode back along the street, we swerved through packs of goats that were being loaded into trucks. Little did we, or the goats, know that the Bakrid festival was the next day and its tradition to sacrifice a goat.

Our last stop before lunch and a reprieve from the heat was to the hidden gem, Agrasen ki Baoli. It felt like we were on a movie set while seated on the heated steps of this ancient water reservoir. 

After lunch, we took to Kartavya Path, similar to the National Mall in Washington DC. We started at one end viewing the parliament buildings and ended at the opposite side at the India Gate.

We had another brief stop at Raj Ghat, housing a memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, before heading to our final stop of the day, Humayun’s Tomb. This tomb was built in 1570 (60 years before the Taj Mahal) and was the first garden-tomb constructed in India. It was another picturesque mausoleum that we added to our growing list. 

We had planned to venture out on our own following the tour, but after another day in the sun, and learning more about the city, we decided to just go back to our hotel and relax by the pool. 

It was fascinating to be immersed in this busy city and within a culture we’re learning more about. The sights we saw were remarkable and the Taj Mahal was a special treat. We were grateful to be out with a guide, both to learn the history of each place, and because we were obvious foreigners and definitely felt it at certain times. Similar to Vietnam, we could see and feel how hard people work to survive, which is eye opening and also challenging to witness. Our two days were a complete whirlwind, but we’re so glad it worked out for us to have a sample of this country. 

Our next adventure begins with the elite Emirates airline and another free stop over, this time in Dubai! It’s even shorter than Delhi, but we’re excited to sample the opulent city.