by Debbie Ross
Womens  Travel Network founder

Day 03 India Tour – Agra.  Visiting the iconic Taj Mahal and the Red Fort

An early morning start to enjoy the sunrise at the spectacular Taj Mahal, glowing white in the early morning. It may be a visual cliché, but it is also the one of the few architectural icons that surpasses expectation.   Our incredible guide Haji walks us through the park like setting to view the perfect symmetry, the wonderful proportion and the sheer scale to inspect the exquisite detailing covering every inch of marble. Not only is he an exceptional guide, he’s also a great photographer. The ladies are delighted with the fantastic shots he lines up for us.  The historical site is teeming with visitors from all over the world, which is a site in itself.  The weather is perfect, the sky is clear and the Taj changes colour as the light changes and the sky turns to blue.  Here’s a fun shot of the ladies jumping for joy at the Taj Mahal.

After touring the Taj we went back to our hotel for breakfast, freshen up a bit and then back on the bus to continue our tour day.  First stop is to learn how the artisans make marble inlay treasures. This technique is the same one used to decorate the Taj Mahal. The pieces are exquisite and the men creating these masterpieces are extremely talented.  A little more shopping therapy.  The girls learned something new today, bus shopping..When heading back to the bus we are followed by young men and  children selling trinkets, books and post cards. Our guides bring the items onto the bust for the ladies to select.  it’s great fun, almost like being at an auction.

Our next site visited,  the historic Agra Fort. The towering red-sandstone ramparts house a variety of palace apartments, representing the different building styles of Akbar and his grandson Shah Jahan. The mirrored Sheesh Mahal and the Mina Masjid (the Gem Mosque) is a site to behold. Archways, domes, great courtyards, views of the great Taj Mahal acoss the river. Once again we enjoy the fun of photographing our fellow tourists.

  After a busy morning and afternoon the ladies are happy to go back to the hotel to relax, . Some sat by the pool, others took a nap and I enjoyed an hour long relaxing massage.  Ah, life is great!  At 5pm we board the bus for our interesting drive through the bustling streets of Agra.  The traffic is organized chaos. Cars, trucks,buses, bikes, people, cows. horse and cart and much more. We exchange smiles and waves with the poeple as they pass by. it’s so much fun.  Words cannot explain this experience. Maybe some of the photos will give you an idea of what we saw. We are off to .the river bank to watch the sunset and view the Taj in the evening light.  What a treat, a spectacular sunset on our right,  the Taj Mahal in front of us and a full moon rising on our left. It couldn’t be any better!