Holy Cow, I Saw the Taj Mahal!

I honestly feel so lucky to say that I’ve seen the Taj Mahal. It is more beautiful in person than it seems in all the pictures we see. For those who don’t know, the Taj Mahal is actually a mausoleum that was built by one of the Mughal emperors Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal from 1632-1653. The two were both buried there in the white marble dome, but the Taj Mahal is actually a large complex also consisting of a gate, a mosque, gardens, and more. It is a demonstration of Mughal architecture, which combines Persian, Turkish, and Indian styles. I truly hope all of you can see it in your lifetime.
After the Taj Mahal we went to the mausoleum of Itmad-Ud-Daulah (means ‘pillar of the state), which is sometimes called the Baby Taj because it is of similar architecture. The man buried here with that title was Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who was the grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal. It was not as majestic as the Taj Mahal, but there were quite a lot of similarities in structure, which was interesting to see.
We got back to the hotel and decided to do a little shopping at some of the shops around the area. Walking to these shops were so fascinating; I saw so many cows just hanging out on the side of the road, and some of them would even cross the street with us! COWS! We’ve seen so many cows all over this country, which blows my mind because they’re supposed to be sacred. Emily told me a lot of people here abandon cows once they stop producing milk, and because they’re holy people will always feed them. You really need to see it to believe it. I bought a couple of things at a marble store and a textiles store. I don’t want to say exactly because I don’t want to ruin any surprises!
For dinner we went to a rooftop restaurant with a view of the Taj Mahal. Although there is a lot of pollution in the air and the view wasn’t very clear, it was still a very beautiful sight. On the way to the restaurant we had to take a rickshaw, which is the Indian version of a Taxi. These things are quite an experience. I honestly felt like I was going to die on this thing, and they just weave in and out of traffic like it’s no big deal. The driving here is seriously unbelievable. We also spotted an Indian wedding at this point, so we got to see some fireworks; it looked more like a carnival than a wedding, it was pretty insane. Apparently this week is a very popular time to get married because the stars are lined up a certain way that brings good luck. Tomorrow we have another long trip to the next city, which is Jaipur. We have a lot planned there so this should be a really great couple of days.