Agra and the Taj

Got to see one of the 7 wonders of the world, and I think, one of the finest buildings ever made by human hands. The Taj Mahal is one of those mythical places. It conjures images of old India, of warm Arabian nights. People come from all over the world to see it. It's reputation is well deserved. The white marble seems to glow with a light from within. The workmanship is impeccable. Everything precise, and done entirely by hand--many hands (it took 20,000 people 17 years to build, completed in 1653). I saw the sun rise there, and couldn't take my eyes off it.

I spent the day seeing many amazing places (like the Red fort and the "Baby Taj") via rickshaw in an impressive heat. I was worried my rickshaw guy was going to have heat stroke. It was over 100 degrees. I got to have dinner with the Australian women I met in Varanasi, and today caught a local train to Mathura. My cold is finally starting to pass.

I am staying at a Hare Krishna guesthouse. Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, so this whole area is primarily Hare Krishna. I am looking to hear a man named Gurusharananda speak. He is regarded as a living saint, and I saw him in a documentary film (http://enlightenupthefilm.com/about/the-cast/). It seemed a fun mission since I was in the area to try to find him. After this, I will make my way by train to Amritsar.

Peace!