South Asia '08, part 10:The afternoon in Agracomes to an end.

We stayed at the Taj Mahal until about 4 p.m., when we left to go to Agra Fort. Our info was that the fort would close at 6 p.m., and it occupies a similarly wide area. After a 15-minute ride, our driver deposited us across from the fort's bridge and moat, passing a convoy of elephants along the way.

The Agra Fort is a much more appealing site, in my opinion, than the Taj Mahal. There are more structures and a larger assortment of architectural stylings to see. Things aren't as fastidiously maintained or set off-limits compared to the Taj Mahal, so one can get a sense of the site's age and erosion -- that wonderful wabi-sabi flavor -- up close and in much more peace.

That is, until the security detail starts blowing whistles and corraling tourists out of the place, an hour before the time we were told the site was supposed to close. Oh well...











Part nine -- Part 11