Agra

We began the day with a visit to the Taj Mahal, monument to the enduring passion between Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It really is magnificent in person, particularly because the intricate details of the craftsmenship – stone inlays, etc. – are evident when you get up close.






Next we went to Agra Fort, where Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned under house arrest by his son Aurangzeb, just across the river from the Taj, which Shah Jahan could see from his window.

After Agra Fort, we finally prevailed upon our Guide Deepak to take us to a real Indian market street in the heart of the city, where the car could not pass. It took us all day for Jessica to convince him that we really wanted to see the real deal. He tried everything to dissuade us, including telling us that a Western-style mall was an Indian market. We refused to go into the mall and told him we wanted to go to the place where it is “so crowded and busy,” as he had described it in an attempt to turn us off, which backfired. Apparently most tourists are either (1) overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, or (2) judgmental about how Indians, including Deepak, live.

After wearing out our tour guide, we took a nap and then went out to see a “6D” movie about India, which involved 3D glasses, a moving chair, scents, and lots of sudden blasts of mist in the face. It was surprisingly good and informative, if a bit short at 25 minutes, and damp. Afterwards, we went over to Deepak’s “Indian Market” (mall) for some Indian eats among some of the better-heeled locals. We were quite the spectacle, as usual, though less so than in the middle of the city.