We were in the queue at 6am for the Taj Mahal at sunrise. This monument hosts up to 35,000 visitors per day but by good fortune and because our guide was 'on the case' we were the first people in the Mausoleum and were alone there for ten minutes, it was a special moment. The interior is as beautiful inside as the exterior is impressive with so much finely detailed inlay in semi precious stones and black onyx.
There are 3 World Heritage sites within a few miles of Agra and the Red Fort is also very impressive containing 3 palaces, 2 built of red sandstone and the third of marble.
The views from here down the river to the Taj Mahal are stunning but the stench from the moat below is shocking, it reeks of sewage and is so thick all the rubbish floats on top, Unesco should do something because with the millions in entry fees taken by the government there's no excuse for it. Perhaps I'll write a letter!
The drive to Delhi was relaxing for a change as it is a 6 lane tollroad and it is deserted so driving was easy. The well tended farms and brick factories were an improvement on most of what we saw in Rajasthan and were a prelude to Delhi, a very green, orderly and clean city by comparison to all the others. We did not have a lot of time but were able to fit in a few hours touring, the highlight of which was the tomb of Humayun, another WH site built in the Islamic style with an octagonal central core, said to be the model for the Taj Mahal, as it was constructed 400 years earlier.
After a night at The Imperial hotel and a great dinner in The Spice Route we took the noon flight to Paro, the only international airport in Bhutan. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by steep mountains so the approach into the landing strip was interesting with at least 2 turns in either direction. We had been advised to sit on the left side as we travelled along the Himalayas and fortunately we got a good view of Mt. Everest with no surrounding cloud, the peak on the left in this photo.
There are 3 World Heritage sites within a few miles of Agra and the Red Fort is also very impressive containing 3 palaces, 2 built of red sandstone and the third of marble.
The views from here down the river to the Taj Mahal are stunning but the stench from the moat below is shocking, it reeks of sewage and is so thick all the rubbish floats on top, Unesco should do something because with the millions in entry fees taken by the government there's no excuse for it. Perhaps I'll write a letter!
The drive to Delhi was relaxing for a change as it is a 6 lane tollroad and it is deserted so driving was easy. The well tended farms and brick factories were an improvement on most of what we saw in Rajasthan and were a prelude to Delhi, a very green, orderly and clean city by comparison to all the others. We did not have a lot of time but were able to fit in a few hours touring, the highlight of which was the tomb of Humayun, another WH site built in the Islamic style with an octagonal central core, said to be the model for the Taj Mahal, as it was constructed 400 years earlier.
After a night at The Imperial hotel and a great dinner in The Spice Route we took the noon flight to Paro, the only international airport in Bhutan. It is nestled in a valley surrounded by steep mountains so the approach into the landing strip was interesting with at least 2 turns in either direction. We had been advised to sit on the left side as we travelled along the Himalayas and fortunately we got a good view of Mt. Everest with no surrounding cloud, the peak on the left in this photo.
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