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Taj Mahal

Words cannot describe the beauty of this building.  The architecture and symmetry is truly unbelievable, especially considering when it was built--1653. 

Waking up at 4am is hard to do	It's a camel cart train There were several of these as we headed to Agra.	Welcome to U.P.
Traffic... We were at a dead stop for awhile so Richard took pictures of his sleeping family.	Is there room for one more?	Roadside entertainment There used to be dancing (tortured) bears at this tax payment stop but the government finally put a stop to that. Now it's monkeys. We paid 5 rs for the show. ($.08)
What did you want me to do?	Monkeys in a row... I'm really talking about the ones on the wall. Several have babies attached to their bellies.	Best buds This was a the rest stop about half way to Agra
Hi Mom!	Toll booth Even in India there are toll booths	Old Agra University
Hati	Dave getting the camel The Taj Mahal was a half kilometer from the parking lot so we decided to take a camel cart	The South Gate
The North Gate If you look closely through the entry way you can see the Taj Mahal in the background	Our first glimpse...	Getting through the gate
The first full shot Several of our kids remarked that is looks just like the puzzle we did in Virginia. :)	The famous bench picture	Breathtaking
The kids	From the side...	A holding the Taj
Cutting grass... old school	The Taj reflected	Amazing inlay work
Making friends This was our guide who quickly became another fan of Dave and his Hindi.	More detail work...	The tour
The inlay... Each color is from a different country, from as far away as Belgium.	The North Gate... from the Taj	The Yamuna River
More detail	The Mosque is still active. Every Friday the Taj Mahal is closed except for local Muslims who come to worship.	The guest house VVIPs used to come and stay here, but there is no A/C or fans. This is identical to the mosque. The exact symmetry of the whole complex is amazing.
Another side shot...	Wait for me!	More detail work
What did you come to see? I still find it amusing that people come from all over the world to see the Taj Mahal and still they want pictures with "the foreigners".	Indian women	A beautiful shot
Camel negotiation	All aboard!	Lunchtime We were so exhausted from the heat, that we crashed at this restaurant. The food and entertainment were fabulous.
Shake it! This kid was hilarious. He had some great moves. He asked each of us to dance with him... only B had the nerve.	Sikandara Tomb We stopped here on the way home. It is also in Agra	Fam at the tomb
More amazing Moghal detail work.	The gate	Grazing There was several herds of antelope and gazelle here, not to mention a large family of monkeys.
Riding on the bus... Literally	Heavy load... this was pulled by a water buffalo	Good bye!