Agra

There have been few occasions in my life when I have felt envious of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, but the day I visited the Taj Mahal at Agra was one of them. A celebrated photograph shows her sitting alone in front of the world-famous edifice, which was built as a monument to love, its grounds having been cleared for her visit. The photo was widely interpreted at the time, just after the collapse of her marriage, as a moving testament to her solitude. Queuing among the crowds around the entrance to the Taj, fending off the beggars and touts, I could only interpret it as a moving testament to the privileges conferred by rank and fame. The Taj ...

Yes this is the home of the Taj Mahal but it does have other sites. The Fort here is well worth a visit if only to sit where the Enperor was imprisoned by his son and wonder how he felt as he gazed down river to his wife's tomb. The Taj is well worth all the effort - I went three times in two days ! Once by day, once in the evening (when it is less crowded but more expensive to get in) and once to see the dawn. All different experiences. Note ite free on Fridays. Be careful what you take with you. It is immaculately kept ahd this is partly achieved by banning such items as food, sweets, newspapers, cigarettes - in fact anything that might cause litter. You ...

We embark upon a marathon 14 hour train ride (will have to save that story for later), clear across the plains to Agra, home of the ubiquitous icon of the east, the Taj Mahal. After years of yearning, working, saving, planning, sacrificing, and daydreaming, there we were in front of the image that symbolized all that was exotic. A symbol of the treasures the world had to offer, a reason to travel. It did not disappoint. Sitting on the roof of our hotel, watching the sunset to the west and a storm moving across the horizon to the east, as neighborhood kids fly home-made kites from their rooftops, monkeys clamor from ...