A teardrop on the cheek of eternity

Along with two co-workers from The Corporation, I went on a tour of Agra's monuments today. It was one of those tours organized through hotels that picks up guests from a number of hotels, fixes them up with a local tour guide who makes sure they see all the touristy sights and provides just the right amount of historical context.

The tour began at the early hour of 6:45am and we found ourselves in a large bus with a lovely couple from New Zealand and a fellow from Chicago, all traveling in India for work. After a two-hour ride, we stopped at a faraway hotel called the Country Kitchen Inn where we were treated to a little breakfast - a choice of "corn flaks" or an "omelatte" accompanied by toast with a fluorescent red jam and some stuffed paratha. Unsurprisingly, the best part of the meal was the paratha.

It was also at the Country Kitchen where we witnessed a waiter pouring tap water into Aquafina bottles. We thusly avoided the water and opted for tea and juices.

Then, it was back on the bus to traverse the two-lane highway to Agra. Upon entering the city, we picked up our tour guide - a rotund little man whose dental hygeine rivaled that of Austin Powers's. He led us to Akbar's Mausoleum, a giant structure made of red sandstone with white marble inlays. Its most notable feature, in my opinion, was a family of black-faced, long-tailed monkeys who approached visitors for food.

Then it was on to Agra Fort, a palatial structure also made of red sandstone with areas built in white marble. It was here that our guide explained that harem women used to dance from place to place. They apparently never walked and when they danced, they made music with their anklets.

After a buffet lunch, we reached what our guide kept referring to as, "the highlight of your tour" - the magnificent Taj Mahal. The monument is truly breathtaking. It was absolutely pure and perfect and beautiful and words cannot describe the experience of seeing it.

Our tour guide gathered the six of us around, positioned us to take "postcard" photographs and explained some of its history. He then hooked us up with a professional photographer who led us to two spots in the gardens. Our tour companions continued ahead without us, but my co-workers and I took the opportunity to pose for pictures. The efficient photographer had us move quickly from pose to pose (one leg on the bench, kneeling down, crossed legs) and yelled at people in the background who would otherwise spoil his shot.

All the while, a group of Indians started to converge around us. Each time one of my co-workers (a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes) posed for pictures, the Indians started snapping her photograph. And once our photographer left to develop his photos, the Indians all gathered around her to take photos with the blonde lady! It was highly amusing.

We spent a good 40 minutes walking around the Taj and enjoying its beauty. I would have liked to see the monument at sunrise, without the thousands of visitors, but I suppose I'll have to save that for another visit.

Afterward, we hit the obligatory arts and craft store where salesmen tried their hardest to push their wares on us. I resisted, mostly because I was a tired panda and wanted to get back to the hotel. Several hours and a seemingly interminable bus ride later, we finally arrived at 10:00pm.

I always leave these tours with mixed feelings. On one hand, I'm glad I saw the major destinations and it was convenient to have a guide explain some of the more significant parts. Of course, it's also nice to travel by air-conditioned bus and to take meals at spots where we don't have to worry about food safety.

On the other hand, it's always awkward being thrust into a group with people you won't ever see again. Small talk is fine for a bit, but it gets tedious and the silence during lunch can be brutal. I also dislike being on someone else's schedule and feel like I get a highly sanitized perspective.

That said, it was an awesome, but tiring day. And now that the weekend is over, I hope to do more sightseeing, but I know that The Corporation must come first.