Breakfast was brought to our room at 7am and we scarfed quickly in order to be downstairs for a 7:30 departure. We'd been assured that the ride to Agra and the Taj Mahal was going to be a quick 2 hours via the express road, however, after a few chaotic hours of driving, we started to realize we weren't on the express road. We're pretty sure it was an honest miscommunication, but we'd definitely paid for the express route so were non-too-pleased when the alleged 2 hour trip crept into the 3rd, 4th, 5th and finally a 6th hour.

Thankfully this being India, there is never a dull moment and the 6 hours were action packed. Our driver sped along the country roads where a standard 2 lanes became a 6 laner as we shared the road not only with other cars, but also tuk-tuks, bicycles, buses, trucks, pedestrians, dogs, horses, pigs, donkeys, a few camels, and, of course, the omnipresent and holy cows. In fact just about the only thing the drivers of the vehicles would brake for were the cows. Little kids crossing the road: horn, bus driving directly at us headed in the wrong direction on our side of the road: horn, religious ceremony/procession blocking half the road: horn, Cows: brakes. We all laughed nervously, but constantly as the scenes passing by outside our window became stranger and stranger.

At last we arrived in Agra and caught our first glimpses of the Taj Mahal in the distance. Our driver pulled to a stop and a friendly fellow quickly stuck his head into the window and announced he was our tour guide and to call him "Noor". We didn't realize we had a tour guide included, but before we knew it he jumped into the front seat as the four of us crammed into the back for the short ride to the west gate of the Taj Mahal Complex.

It's a little confuing figuring out how to buy tickets and enter the complex and I was immediately glad to have our guide with us. The ticket for foreigners is 750 rupees...a whopping 37.5 times the 20 rupee cost of a ticket for a local Indian, but the line for the locals stretched for what seemed like a mile. Disneyland lines, even on the busiest days of the year ain't got nothing on this line. I was amazed how calm and patiently they all waited and imagined the scene that would be taking place if a line this long was in the US...people would be livid. Indians definitely have the waiting thing down better than we do.

Finally inside the complex we passed through the bazaar and then came into the courtyard where the north gate opened and we caught our first glimpse of it up close. The Taj Mahal is one of those things that you have seen photos of 1000 times, but seeing it with your own 2 eyes is like seeing it for the very first time. It is impressive, to put it lightly. The white marble, the intricate carving, the size...all of it, spectacular. They say it's the most beautiful building in the world...and I'd say, from what I've seen, its hard to argue with that.

We snapped all the obligatory photos as Noor dropped some knowledge on us about the history and construction of the building before we made plans to meet Noor in an hour after sometime to wander the grounds and enter the mausoleum. As we walked towards the Taj we realized our celebrity status had followed us as we were the subject of many photos including the one when Becky was accosted by a woman in a sari who both looked and sounded like a man. No words were exchanged...she just grabbed her and hold her close as her friend snapped a photo.

We herded into the chaotic scene in the mausoleum and squeezed our way into the dark room where 2 graves were surrounded by an intricately carved gate. (The king who built the Taj and his third wife who bore him 14 kids and for whom the Taj was built.) A few moments later we reappeared into the sun and walked around the base of the outside where you can catch the building from angles you dont normally see it from before walking back to the entrance to find Noor.

Noor led us back out through the complex and out to the street where our driver was waiting to begin the drive back to Delhi. We thanked Noor, chucked him a few hundred rupees as a tip and then piled back into the car. One quick stop at Costa Coffee to load up on a caffeine and snacks and we were back on the road.

We spent about 2 hours all up mat the building and by the time we were back in Delhi it was 7 hours in the car, but it was definitely worth it. Another bucket list item completed; Taj Mahal: CHECK!