Our early-morning visit to the Taj was wonderous. There was a thick mist pouring over the back walls, muffling sounds and generally making things eerie and beautiful. Really, all I can do is try to show you.
Even after leaving the enclosure we could enjoy. This was the view from the rooftop of our hostel:
When we got back to the hotel, we were able to catch about an hour of news before we lost electricity. The Indian news was in shock over what was happening, but from the start they were raising a hue and cry against Pakistan, something we found a little frightening and reminiscent of the days following 9/11. There was little reaction from most Indians whom we met that day, but throughout the week, a few more people mentioned to us, with either sadness or anger, the "trouble in Mumbai" and we have seen remnants of vigils here and there on street corners throughout the last few weeks. There continues to be a lot of anger and grief covered in the news, but as travelers passing through we have not seen much of it.That evening we took a ride through the fort area of town before ending up across the dirty trickle of water which backs the Taj, and catching our final views of the monument as the sun went down in a smoggy sky.
The Taj Mahal is the most photogenic building I have ever been near -- it is impossible to take a bad photo and it just seems to glow with its own loveliness. The others were more or less moved, but I believe it is the most beautiful building I've ever seen and I felt totally at peace contemplating it.
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