We spent 2 nights in Agra, India at the Oberoi Hotel. Lovely hotel with views of the Taj Mahal. Deb and I were thrilled to have our kids with us for this part of the journey. Clearly the highlight of this stop was the Taj. This marble covered structure is a remarkable testament to the architectural capabilities of the Mughal people built by an emperor to entomb his deceased wife. The structure, completed in 1643 is a showcase of architectural wonders. The foundation, built on a grid of footings that extend down below the level of the adjacent river, were designed to support the massive weight of the building, even in an earthquake. The minarets (the four towers around the main structure) provide a sense of scale to the eye and were placed so that they lean away from the main tomb. The leaning creates a visual effect making the observer believe all the minarets are perfectly vertical. It also has the benefit of making these towers fall outward, away from the main structure, in the event of an earthquake. The entrance to the garden area around the main structure is designed so that the structure appears to get larger and larger as you walk away from it. They say that when you leave, you take the Taj with you.
The Shah that built the Taj for his wife was removed from power by his son and subsequently imprisoned at the nearby Agra Fort. Apparently his son retained some sense of affection for his father when he ordered him placed in a cell that overlooked the Taj Mahal, allowing him to view his masterpiece until the day he died.
We also made a visit to the local market in Agra. This is a very different experience than visiting the Taj. The Taj is very “touristy”, hosting up to 40,000 visitors per day. The local market however is really for locals and we loved the experience. We went to see the Indian spices for sale and got to see the spice and a whole lot more. The place was alive with activity, motor bikes, tuk tuks, people, animals, and commerce were everywhere. Several in our group purchased spices and all of us enjoyed seeing how the market works. It certainly seemed like westerners were not common in this part of town as we got lots of looks. While some had trouble communicating with us, we mostly felt very welcome.
Ever since we left Europe, we’ve been trying to look like professional pilots and flight crews by wearing our uniforms and displaying our pilot credentials. All the countries around the world outside of North America and Europe are not accustomed to general aviation and by looking like professional pilots, they seem to find it a little easier to figure out how to deal with us. I do find it funny that before we can board our own aircraft, we are put through the same security check that everyone else goes through. Electronics out of the bags, bags through the x-ray machine, and the pilots and crew scanned by the metal detector makes it clear just how little these countries deal with general aviation aircraft, crew, and passengers. You definitely don’t want to have a small pocket knife in your pocket. They will confiscate it. Guess they figure you might stab yourself or try to hijack the plane. The Indians however, took this to a whole new level. Departing India, we actually needed boarding passes to board our own airplanes! You can see them in the photo above. Very official looking.