Agra - Camel Riding, the Agra Fort, and the Taj Mahal

On Thursday, August 8th, we began our journey from Jaipur to Agra. Fortunately, a highway was built a few years ago that enabled our drive to be cut down from about 10 hours to 6 hours. Because it was such a long ride though, the Professor planned a camel ride for us mid-way through the drive, which was honestly so, so exciting! I thought it may be much like riding an elephant, but I definitely think that riding the camel was significantly more thrilling and scary, haha. It did depress me a little when we saw the camels though: their mouths were being held shut and the reins were pierced through their nasal cavities. I'm not even entirely sure how they were breathing. You could just tell that these were incredibly unhappy camels. Also, we rode the camels in green fields, which was quite confusing for me to get my head around. Camels aren't native to India, but the arabs brought them when they were in India. For that reason I think they have adapted, but I always pictured myself riding my first camel in the desert. Either way, I RODE A CAMEL! 

After the camel ride and some lunch, we were back on the bus for about 4 hours. We departed Jaipur at about 9AM, and we only arrived at the Radisson BLU in Agra at 5PM. We then had to quickly change and go for high-tea at the grand Oberoi Hotel; voted 4th best hotel in Asia and 34th best in the world. An absolutely gorgeous hotel! In order not to pay for dinner later that evening, I made sure to eat my little heart out at the hotel because after all, I am still a college student, hahahaha. 

The following morning I woke up so happy and excited because we had the Taj Mahal visit! When we got there I was honestly in shock and just kept on thinking, "I'm a 20-year Cape Verdean at the Taj Mahal". Such a beautiful structure. All of the details about it are just perfect. Before exploring the Taj Mahal, our tour guide told us the story about why it was built and I think it is one of the most beautiful stories I have heard. For a wife to risk her life multiple times for her husbands, and for an emperor to love his wife so much that he builds such a beautiful structure in her honor: true love. We only had about an hour and a half to take pictures and explore the place, but due to the scorching heat, it was enough.I can't even begin to describe how hot it is in the north of India. It's not even summer, but you can just be standing outdoors and sweat will begin dripping from places you didn't think could...

After the Taj Mahal, we visited the Agra Fort which was also quite interesting. It was built and inhabited by the third Mughal ruler. I personally just love the design of these places. The older Persian architecture is just so beautiful for me. After visiting a few forts though, they are quite similarly built.

Emalisa xo

Before going on the camel ride, we stopped at a Stepwell called "Chand Baori". It is one of the largest and oldest wells in north India. It was built in the 9th century and it 19.5 meters deep. All of the rectangular shapes are the steps that you can take to go down the well. I don't understand how they could build something like this with no technology or any proper tools.

Three of the well's walls were steps, but one side of it were closed rooms for the people in the village to be able to bathe themselves. So interesting.

This is Bruno, the camel that I decided to ride. 

At first he was very calm and was willing to take pictures with me, but then I had to stop because he was shouting at me. Bad Bruno. Isn't he so cute though!?

Cheesin' with Bruno.

The process in which the camel gets up is the scariest thing ever! First its hind legs go up, propelling you forward, and then the front legs go up, sending you backwards. I was not expecting that at all...clearly.

And then the lovely 30 minute camel ride began :). Great experience!

First view of the great Taj Mahal. So perfectly symmetrical.

Even at 8AM there were lots of people. It was quite difficult to get a good shot.

How gorgeous?

We were able to walk all around it and go inside to visit Shah Jahan's tomb. 

View of the garden and entry gate to the Taj Mahal from the actual Taj. So breathtakingly beautiful, no?

Inside the Agra Fort. Built using sand-stone, giving it that red color.

This is the main courtyard of the Agra Fort. The gardens were made with the persian design that divides the garden into different sections. To the left and right, those were the quarters of the two daughters of the third Mughal ruler, and all around that was the harem that hosted about 3000 (yes, thousands) of concubines. 

This was the audience hall. I find it very hard to understand how everything was built with such perfection. The columns all aligned perfectly.