We saw the Red Fort after the Taj Mahal. A separate blog entry; I felt the Taj Mahal deserved its own blog.
The Red Fort was completed in 1639 and was the center of power until 1857 when the last Mughal emperor was dethroned. Curiously, when India became independent of British rule in 1947, this is where they hoisted their flag for the first time! Made of sandstone and marble, it has weathered well for almost 400 years!
After a bit of relaxation, Ashok took us into the REAL Agra. Around the Taj Mahal, and the different tourist destinations, one is overwhelmed with beggers and people trying to sell you something. No eye contact and keep moving is the rule of the day. In contrast, he wanted to show us how “most everyone in India” lives. The pictures below tell the story. Very noisy with the Tuk-Tuks, bicycles and people moving around, but everyone is friendly and you could see, feel and smell the real India. Great fun.
A sidewalk straight razor shave
Serious jewelry shopping
A bit overloaded
Fresh popcorn
The Costco of Agra, India
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