Mr. & Mrs. Vandebilt + kids

Food poisoning is hardly an excuse to miss seeing the Taj Mahal up close and personal. We had been spying on it from the roof of our hotel since arriving. As luck would have it though when we did finally go to see the mausoleum the smog cleared and we could properly appreciate the symbol of eternal love.

Seeing it for the first time across the river at sunset our first evening in Agra gave me goosebumps but somehow going to the Taj didn’t have the same effect. Don’t get me wrong, it’s incredible. It’s much larger and grander than you imagine. The detail is impressive and the marble beautiful. Like I said we got to visit on a rare clear day which only added to the whole experience.

But, it was busy and hot and I was sick. It will never cease to amaze me just how many people there are in Asia and they are always in a hurry. It was difficult to fully appreciate the building while being pushed around in the crowd. It’s probably one of the reasons it felt more magical from a distance. Even though I personally appreciated it more from afar, seeing it will definitely be a highlight of the trip.