catch up: Taj Mahal and the power of love

We're at a restaurant now for lunch, having beat out the masses to visit the Taj Mahal. A delicate flower carved into the marble wall (one of hundreds of thousands) struck volumes - this monument to beloved wife number two really and truly is an outrageously demonstrative act of love. A marvellous "world wonder" to be sure. Security to get in is as rigorous if not more so than that at airports. Taj is considered a prime terrorist target. Electric buses ferry passengers (to cut down on exhaust fumes and subsequent damage to the white marble - which is colouring grey and rust). No gas fuelled vehicles allowed within a 5km (?) radius. Nonetheless, the air was heavy haze. Funny to be able to see the air around you (Delhi, Agra and such sure get up your nose). Funny too, to find ourelves surrounded by myriad other westerners. We'd been sticking out like sore thumbs for so long and now we we're back in a majority setting. Still, for some reason as Deborah, Lynn, Norm and I sat beneath a magnificent arch enjoying our surroundings, we were inundated with requests to pose with Indian tourists. Found myself posing umpteen times with one group of teen/20-something women (me?- posing!). Saw camel-drawn carts and the usual monkeys.

After lunch to the massive mughal sandstone fort which Taj architects and craftsmen clearly used as their benchhmark for excellence. Stunning. Unfortunately could not bring BB into either site. Made up for it at the abandoned mughal city/slash/national 15th century capital of Fatepur Sikri. All of us exhausted, took time to rejuvenate over late afternoon dessert, which then led to some serious shopping. Train back to Delhi, we fell into bed sometime after midnight.