June 1...Agra

In the morning, we drove to Agra. It was a long drive (around 5 hours, I think), but I was excited to see the taj mahal.

An ox waiting to cross the road...


A temple along the way...


In India it is common to see an entire family riding on a motorcycle together...


A horse cart...



Sikandra, Mariam's tomb...


A bicycle rickshaw which took me from the parking lot to the taj mahal entrance. You can only drive auto or bicycle rickshaws, an electric cart, or camel or horse carts to the entrance. It was only about a 1 km (a little more than half a mile) walk, I think, but sooo hot to walk...


The entrance and gates to the taj mahal...





And there it is in all its glory...the taj mahal...a love memorial constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal...


An up-close view...


The tombs of the emperor and his beloved wife...





View from the taj mahal...


More pictures of the taj mahal...





Indian tourists I met...


View of the river that runs along the entrance to the taj mahal...


A native to Agra that lives along the walled entrance to the taj mahal...


The Agra Fort...




















Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah...




More natives...
An ox cart...


A horse cart...


Donkeys carrying cement (I think that is what it is)...


A camel hanging out in Agra...


And so day #2 of my northern India adventure comes to a close...