Once we realized the heat was just too much for us, we planned a bee line route to the mountains from Udaipur. But, no trip to India would be complete without a visit to the Taj Mahal, so we braved 43 degrees for one more day to see this wonder of the world. 

We arrived off the train and were immediately pretty overwhelmed by the heat (expected), but also the overall vibe (unexpected). We were now in Uttar Pradesh, which is unfortunately known as one of the more unsafe states in India, it's also the most populated state in India, making up 16.5% of the country's population, or 3% of the total world population!!! There was definitely more hassle and staring, and although I wouldn’t describe it as feeling unsafe, I also didn’t feel as comfortable as I have in other places. We walked down to the Taj Mahal for sunset, and were met with a number of relentless street sellers and auto drivers, and lots of kids begging us to buy a fridge magnet, which always breaks my heart especially when it's the afternoon on a school day.

Once we got our tickets and were in the complex, we were totally in awe and any misgivings we had previously totally melted away. It’s hard to describe the beauty of this building, it feels more like poetry, a love story or a piece of art. It was busy of course, but you can absolutely see why. Coming at sunset was really special, as we got to see the marble change as the sun set; from a bright white, to a rich gold and then a more muted grey as it got darker. They say in the morning it looks pink with the sunrise light which we didn’t see, but I can only imagine. We got the obligatory photos, and enjoyed walking around and exploring the different angles, colours and views. The sheer manpower that must have gone into building the Taj is impossible to comprehend, as is the design work to create such a perfectly symmetrical building. The marble itself is surprisingly cool to the touch, and has a luster that reminds me of pearls. Pair this with the precious stone details embedded into the walls, the intricate carvings and the immense scale and it's easy to understand why it's considered the most beautiful building in the world. 

We also met a group of girls that were travelling on a group trip, and got chatting to a couple of New Zealanders who were our age and knew Josh! A homely reminder of the size of our lovely country, and so nice to hear a familiar accent. We traded Instagrams, travel stories and future plans and have stayed in touch since. For our one evening in Agra we found a super fun restaurant called Mama Franky House that served famous Franky Rolls, chicken and momos. We hadn’t eaten a lot of northern Indian food yet, so we loved these deliciously smoky wraps and chicken drumsticks, slathered in thick sauces with chutney on the side. We were exhausted from the heat but very pleased we made the trip out for dinner! 

Another key site in Agra is the Agra Fort, which we did a guided tour of the next morning. This amazing, sprawling complex is actually used by the army today, but you can still visit the historic parts. Our tour guide gave us great context on the family dynamics of the ruling Mughal Dynasty who built the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and other tombs, palaces and forts. I won’t go into the details as I am desperately trying to keep this brief but let me tell you - more dramatic than any episode of the Kardashians!!!! There was more incredible marble work, intricate gardens, whole wings of offices where society was run from, two moats (one that used to have crocodiles and one that had tigers - no joke), and amazing brick work too. The architecture from this era is mind blowing. It’s hard to imagine the power and wealth of the Mughal Empire, at this point in history they controlled an area of 4 million square kilometers, including areas of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. 

By mid morning we were on the hunt for AC, and I had found a cafe that was run by survivors of acid attacks, called Sheroes’ Hangout. Unfortunately acid attacks are still all too common in parts of India, often for things that seem so trivial such as a family rivalry or marriage dispute. It then impacts these women’s lives forever, with medical expenses, societal shame and often total estrangement from their families. Most of the time, the perpetrator is someone in the victim's own immediate family, or their partner. It was a real privilege to support this cafe and hear stories, not only of pain but also of hope. I got some amazing henna which I had wanted to do the whole time we were in India, and this felt like the perfect place to do it. 

We spent the rest of the afternoon hunting for a movie with English subtitles (no luck), and buying a few bits and pieces before we left the city for the mountains. Our toxic trait somehow seems to be always sprinting to catch our train, but once again by some miracle we made it. The journey from Agra to Manali was long and full of surprises… which I will detail in a separate post!