A teardrop on the cheek of time

You get 5 extra points for monks aye Claire?
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The Nobel prize-winning poet, Tagore called the Taj Mahal "a teardrop on the cheek of time". So today, I did one of those "things to do before you die" and watched the sun rise over the Taj Mahal It was an awesome sight before dawn but we watched in awe as the sun rose and bathed the white marble in brilliant light, which flickered in the sun. Having been assured by our guide that all the stories about killing the architect's wife or chopping off the hands of the masons were all untrue, we spent a couple of hours marvelling at the beauty and serenity of the Taj Mahal and its grounds.  It is truly a remarkable place and I found it a great pleasure to have some time to gather my thoughts and reflect. It was especially nice to share the experience with such an amazing group of people, that I've become so close too.

The Taj Mahal from Agra Fort
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Wandering thoughtfully with Dan L and Liz we happened upon a baboon basking in the sun. Sensing a good photo opportunity I moved in only to be attacked by the naughty (and bloody scary!) monkey who stole my sandal and proceeded to pull it to pieces with his teeth. After a few failed attempts to get my shoe back (in which I think we only angered the baboon) Dan successfully distracted him...by running off screaming...and I was able to swoop in and salvage what was left of my shoe!

...and so it ends (but the story continues)

The Taj Mahal at sunrise
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One thousand photos later we left to visit the Agra fort. I arrived at the red sandstone palace on the opposite river bank expecting it to pale in comparison to he Taj Mahal - but I was very much mistaken. The faded grandeur of the fort was very reflective of the time of the Maharajahs and the labyrinth element was great for wandering off contemplatively...

After dealing with the hawkers (Taj Mahal in a snow globe anyone?) we had a quick lunch and boarded the bus for the 6 hour journey back to Delhi.  For me the journey was very mixed, knowing that it's all coming to an end. Tomorrow I have to go back to my life in England. No more India. No more singing. No more dancing. I'll be far from people who have captured my heart and torn away from my Due South family. Fortunately Dan B and Vinny broke the sombre mood by creating an entire language from the internal airline 'Deccan Air' logo (go get'em tiger).

Romance, pah!
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Tonight we had a last meal in Delhi, where for the first time we were approached by beggars and street people. I suddenly felt ridiculously pompous that I had felt I'd seen the "real" India. There is so much pain & suffering here, and as much as I have taken solace in the transformation of some of the poorest villages I know that mass social reform is Indias only hope. The caste system has as much power as it ever did and the injustice it enforces is crippling.

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Having emptied my pockets we went out for one last drink and I finally got my crazy tuc-tuc race through Delhi!