Agra & the Taj Mahal - September 25

We got up early, ate a bite at the hotel restaurant and hit the road for Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We drove south into a downtown area that would have looked like any typical downtown area in the States with high rise buildings. That is if you ignored the cattle in the streets and the shacks along the road. It was nice to see some modern buildings. Girija instantly fell asleep and slept until about the last hour of the trip. She woke up and soon started getting sick from the car ride. Not surprised since this was her second time in a car. After spitting up her stomach settled down & was calm the rest of the drive.

On the road to Agra we avoided the typical livestock,



elephants,



and camels.



It's never a dull moment driving in India.

We made it to Agra around 1:00, got settled in the hotel & had a bite to eat before heading over to the Taj Mahal to take a tour. The Taj is an amazing place. They began construction in 1632, a year after the emperor Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to their fourteenth child. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. The outer buildings are constructed of red sandstone and were inlaid with simi-precious stones and white marble.





Cathey and Girija.



Christi and Girija.