The Taj Mahal

I left for the Taj Mahal promptly at 8pm, which is an Indian rarity, on a sleeper bus. Because I did not have time to get dinner I had a bag a Masala Munchies (Spicy Indian chip-sticks) to eat while I sat watching oncoming traffic narrowly missing the bus, or the movie Diminished Capacity (don't watch it, very bad). The road to Agra was terrible and I think that part of it must be broken rocks (not gravel, its too smooth) because it was so bumpy which lead to very little sleep. We got into Agra at about 4am at the bus station, but it took us another 2hrs to get through town to the station where we needed to get off, which turned out to be the bus garage. We where met by our arranged auto-rickshaw driver, had something to eat and then went to the Taj Mahal! We met some friend of a friend of someone that I don't know and took a butt load of pictures. It is really sweet! There where not that many people there, partially because it was about 8 in the morning, winter, and there have been less tourists because of what happened in Mumbai. The building its self is as people describe it, with all its intricate stone work of flowers and designs, from rubies and other rare gems. It is so amazing because there is so much detail carved in to jewels and white marble, each inlaid with more stones. The only thing in it was the tomb of the Raj's wife, with some other rooms that would have housed whatevers. We did not get a guide because we where told by basically everyone that they where a waste of money, but I should have looked all the facts up before hand because historical references are nice. Anyway there where some cool mosques that there as well. We then went to the Fort where the Raj of the area lived. It was also amazing, yet they had taken out much of the jewels and such. The driver then took us to a carpeted making factory (because I believe that he must be on some kind of pay stipen), which was cool to see, "hand made carpets of the highest quality". They where freaking cheap to, so it if you want a cuppla thousand dollar carpet for a 1/6th of the price delivered to your door let me know. I felt bad for the sales man because he literally rolled out the red carpet (tons of them) for me until there was this awkward moment when I said that I had no money and no house to put one in. The drive back was just as long and tiring but I am glad that I did it, and after a nap I am ready for the a week of hiking to remote villages and yoga in Tangown. I wont have internet for the week, so you'll have to find some other way to fill the time that you have allotted to read this (HA!).