Five in the morning and we were up and getting ready to go to Agra - the city of India's signature monument - the Taj Mahal. We were pumped, if a little bleary-eyed. Binu had arranged for transport to the train station and we arrived in time to catch the 7:15 am train to Agra. The train was clean, and we were served tea and breakfast.

Three hours later, we arrived in Agra at our very nice 3 star hotel, the Pushp Villa. It's ironic that some of our nicest accommodations to date have been in India, but who are we to complain! We checked in and had a nice breakfast before setting off for the Red Fort. Upon arriving, the street hawkers descended upon us but they weren't too pushy; if we said no, they gave up very quickly. There were also some beggars, including children, who walked with us for a bit. However, they, too, eventually gave up. Binu had warned us not to give beggars, even children, anything because many of them work for mafia-type organizations. Food that they could eat immediately was an exception, but anything else was not helping the kids.

The Red Fort was stunning and beautifully landscaped. It was more a palace than a fort. We had an excellent guide who was very enthusiastic as he led us around. What was cool about this place was that it was more an architectural marvel than a historical one. The emperor or Shah who built it incorporated symbols from many religions to prove he was very secular in his thinking. The designs included the Jewish star, the Islamic Arch, Christian symbols (Fish? Diamond patterns? We can't remember!), and the Hindu Swastika. We hadn't realized how prevalent the swastika was in Hinduism until this trip. It was a little weird to see it everywhere, but we found out it symbolizes prosperity. A highlight of our visit was when our guide pulled some strings and we were able to sneak into a room that was "closed for renovation". The entire room was covered in tiny mirrors, so when he lit a single candle, it made the ceiling look like a night sky filled with stars.

After the fort, we went for lunch and then to a carpet store where we were wowed by the beauty of the carpets. The wool ones were even more beautiful than in Egypt and we were sorely tempted to buy one, but didn't. We were worried that it might be too big, or too small, or the wrong color, any of which would be a terrible shame, so we left it on our list of things to buy "next time."

Finally, it was time to visit one of our most highly anticipated sites - the Taj Mahal! Of course, we'd seen pictures of it and knew a lot about it but it went far beyond our expectations. We wandered about on our own, lamenting the pollution, but loving the incredible grounds and stunning symmetry. Pictures don't do it justice, but we tried just the same.

After the sun went down, we met up with our group and then went out for supper. After supper, we went back to the hotel and Barry and Margaret met with Binu, Jenny and Kate for a drink in the bar. It was fun to compare India, Australia and Canada. As usual, we learned a lot and had a good time.