Trekking Becca: Agra: OMG, It's the Taj Mahal!

After spending two days in Delhi we hoped in the car and took a 6 hour road trip to Agra. Now, 6 hours in the car just sucks no matter what. But in my opinion in India with the bumpy roads, honking, stop & go traffic... it was a lot worse. I spent the last 3 hours of the trip in misery as I was having stomach issues and a fever. A trip to McDonalds rendered useless because I was unable to eat... (Now I am determined to find & eat at a Micky D's in Chennai). I spent the first day in Agra delusional in my bed missing out on a chance to see the Agra Fort. I'm sure it was great, but there was no way I was moving from my bed. The next day we departed from the hotel room at 6:20 am. I was a straight up mess, but I was not missing my chance to see the Taj Mahal.

What can I say about the Taj Mahal, it was beautiful but strangely overrated. I think I had it so hyped up in my mind that once I saw it I had that feeling that was like.... that was it?

For the history buffs:

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a memorial to one of his many wives Mumtaz. Mumtaz is considered to be his most loved wife. She died while giving birth to the emperors 14th son... 14th! Anyways, the Taj Mahal consists of the main tomb, a mosque, a guest house, main gate, and gardens.

Interesting Facts:
* It took 22 years to build
* Over 1,000 elephants were employed to carry construction materials
* Depending on the time of day/ if there is a full moon the Taj appears to be different colors
* During the Indian Rebellion in 1857 many of the semi-precious stones were ripped off the walls of the Taj Mahal by the British.

I only know all of this because I did a presentation of the Taj Mahal 3 weeks ago to gear up for the trip.

As you can see, besides the fact that I was horribly sick, I managed to get some pretty good pictures. However, at one point I swear to God I was going to throw up all over the beautiful white marble. Those jumping pictures were not easy but they were so worth it! Also, as much as it sucked getting up so early I think that this is the best time to see the Taj Mahal. It was not crowded and the lighting was picture perfect.