There are so many photos I took that are worth a blog post of their own, but I'm going to cheat and lump them all into one! So here are a few of the sights and people of India.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Monday, March 28, 2016
Day 8
Our final day in India, it's so sad. We were up early again today so we could repack, eat breakfast and get out to our final destination...the Taj Mahal! Seeing the hotel grounds by daylight was even better than at night. It was beautiful! And we were treated to one last yummy Indian breakfast topped off by a shot of watermelon juice (yum).
Once all our bags were loaded on the van, we drove the short distance to the Taj Mahal. The road into the Taj was a very crowded, very loud, very crazy place. I was very glad we had a guide, driver and Indian friends to herd us in the right direction and away from al the peddlers, beggars and pickpockets.
Instead of walking the road down to the Taj Mahal, Beth surprised us with a special treat...a camel ride! It was awesome! Our camel was called Raj and was a young animal of just 5 years old. Most of us road in the buggy pulled behind Raj, but Jessica and Lyndsey got to climb up onto the camel's hump and ride a while. I would have loved to, but unfortunately today was the day I decided to wear a skirt.
Descending from our camel cart, we went through the crazy lines to get into the Taj Mahal. Our guide gave us some history and then we progressed through an outer gate which framed the building and then we were there. Despite the crowds, the moment you actually come through the tower gate and see the full splendor of the Taj Mahal is breathtaking. It is an amazing structure and so beautiful. The Taj was constructed from 1631-1648 as a tomb for Shah Jehan's third wife, Arjuman Banu Begum, otherwise known as Mumtaz Mahal. It is said that the Shah had two arranged marriages, but he married the third time for love. This love resulted in 14 children, but also the death of Mumtaz as she died giving birth to the 14th child. The Taj is constructed of white marble and inlaid with semi-precious stones all meticulously hand cut and inlaid. The outer buildings of the complex include a mosque and an assembly hall. All parts of this complex are very symmetrical and orderly.
After our fantastic morning at the Taj, we had one last fantastic Indian lunch (one of my favorites yet), and then loaded up on the bus to drive back to Delhi and strait to the airport. Our flight was home left at 9:00 pm. What a wonderful, fulfilling, crazy trip this has been!
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| The inside courtyard of our hotel |
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| Me with the bellhop |
Instead of walking the road down to the Taj Mahal, Beth surprised us with a special treat...a camel ride! It was awesome! Our camel was called Raj and was a young animal of just 5 years old. Most of us road in the buggy pulled behind Raj, but Jessica and Lyndsey got to climb up onto the camel's hump and ride a while. I would have loved to, but unfortunately today was the day I decided to wear a skirt.
Descending from our camel cart, we went through the crazy lines to get into the Taj Mahal. Our guide gave us some history and then we progressed through an outer gate which framed the building and then we were there. Despite the crowds, the moment you actually come through the tower gate and see the full splendor of the Taj Mahal is breathtaking. It is an amazing structure and so beautiful. The Taj was constructed from 1631-1648 as a tomb for Shah Jehan's third wife, Arjuman Banu Begum, otherwise known as Mumtaz Mahal. It is said that the Shah had two arranged marriages, but he married the third time for love. This love resulted in 14 children, but also the death of Mumtaz as she died giving birth to the 14th child. The Taj is constructed of white marble and inlaid with semi-precious stones all meticulously hand cut and inlaid. The outer buildings of the complex include a mosque and an assembly hall. All parts of this complex are very symmetrical and orderly.
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| The outer gate |
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| Coming through the gate |
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| Wow! |
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| The mosque |
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| The inlay made of semi-precious stones |
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| All that Arabic writing and design work in inlaid stone, not paint |
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| Inside the mausoleum |
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| The tombs |
After our fantastic morning at the Taj, we had one last fantastic Indian lunch (one of my favorites yet), and then loaded up on the bus to drive back to Delhi and strait to the airport. Our flight was home left at 9:00 pm. What a wonderful, fulfilling, crazy trip this has been!
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| Catching some zzz's on the bus |
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| In Dubai airport at 3 am waiting for our connection |
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| After 32 hours of traveling, we are ready to land! |
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| First stop...Starbucks! |
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