Got up at 5 to reach the Taj Mahal for sunrise, when it apparently turns orange, but thanks to the appalling amount of smog it stayed pretty much grey. Close up it was amazing though and well worth the visit.
To get there we’d hired a tuk-tuk for the whole day so pottered around a few shops and visited the red fort. More enjoyable was going for another shave and violent head massage, which this time managed to include a scary 50’s looking head shaker which may well have been petrol driven. Think that needs a photo.
We then tried to get to the Baby Taj but the traffic was so bad we got dropped off at a hill overlooking the Taj Mahal for sunset, which also turned it grey.
I say hill, but really it was more of a landfill site / toilet, which seemed to complement the romantic view very nicely.
Got invited out to dinner with the tuk-tuk drivers family, which was great – we sat on the roof of his brothers house eating homemade curry and finished the meal with Halwa, which is grated carrot with sugar and coconut. Excellent.
It’s really a wonder to see the Taj at sunset or sunrise. I visit India last year then i got the chance to see this beauty. It remains closed on the friday.