Agra, the city famous for it’s wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal. I found out very quickly that the small city lacked any inspiration or significance – in other words, was plain and boring – and was best planned as a day trip from Delhi.
On the train to Agra, Mel and I met a Canadian girl from Toronto who spotted my Canadian baggage tag. Tina was already on her second month in India with another two months to go. She had a spunky personality and an intriguing travelling knowledge. As travelers from the same country we quickly became good friends and decided to visit the sites together.
That evening Mel and I met up with Tina at the Taj, where she surprised us with two tickets. Tina, although Canadian, had an Indian heritage and went out of her way to purchase us local passes for a mere 20 rupees (instead of the tourist rate of 750 rupees). Unfortunately, we were stopped short of entering the grounds as we obviously did not look like locals. Tina on the other hand was let through without question. Although750 rupees doesn’t convert to being all that much, when you’ve been in India long enough, you’ll find yourself pushing to get the best price for everything. No complaints though, as the money goes towards guards and the maintenance of the beautiful palace.
