The Taj Mahal: A Dream Beyond Words
From magical marble to midnight train chaos — India is a trip like no other.
There are places that live up to the hype — and then there’s the Taj Mahal. You think you’ve seen it in pictures. You haven’t. You think you know what to expect. You don’t.
It’s not easy to put into words the magic of the Taj Mahal. Even though I’ve just made an attempt. Lol.
I had, of course, seen pictures before, but they always looked too perfect, almost unreal — like something conjured up in Photoshop. So I arrived expecting nothing. You know what they say: Expect nothing, and get everything.
And in this case, we got everything. And beyond.
The first group of the day entered at sunrise, buzzing with chatter, eager to see what lay behind the great stone wall. And then — silence. Not a single peep. Just an inevitable whisper: Wow.
The air smelled of marigolds and damp stone, thick with the warmth of a waking sun. The marble, impossibly smooth, seemed to glow from within.
It is impossible to do this place justice with adjectives. Mysterious? Mystical? Yes. But so much more than that. Magical? Absolutely. But greater than magic itself. What’s bigger than magic? The Taj Mahal.
It looks exactly like the pictures — so perfect it seems to belong in another world, far beyond anything we can fathom. Birds circle the marble walls — parrots, to be precise. Stray dogs drink its reflection in the lotus pool. Women work in the paradise garden. Children play in the stars.
The air hums with something I won’t even attempt to explain.
Just go. Go there. Feel it for yourself.
The Baby Taj and the Fort That Felt Like a Kingdom
After basking in the wonder of the Taj, we visited the Baby Taj. The name speaks for itself — a smaller, more delicate version, yet still a masterpiece in its own right. The mosaic floral patterns inside? Magnifique.
Of course, no experience in India is without its quirks. A small boy approached us, offering to jump off the side wall into the river for five rupees. He would probably die — or at least break a leg. We politely declined. Killing an Indian child wasn’t on our itinerary. (Perhaps another time? Kidding. Mostly.)
Get Megan Carter’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
Next stop: Agra Fort. Entirely different from the Taj, this massive red sandstone structure stretched along the river like a small kingdom. We danced through its courtyards, giggling like children. It was a fortress, after all — how could we not?
Where to Stay and Eat in Agra
For travelers heading to the Taj, The Flying Elephant is a great place to stay — just a three-minute walk away, with good food and solid facilities.
But the real hidden gem? Relax He Relax. Run by the legendary Sunjai, this restaurant served up the best food I had in Agra. Clean toilets (always a win), a wealth of information, and — on the sly — beer. Ordered in secrecy, wrapped in paper, and poured discreetly into a glass. Sneaky styles.
Oh, and he offered us some doobie. We declined. (I wanted to be alert for our first overnight train ride. And thank God I was.)
The Overnight Train: A Crash Course in India
As the train rattled through the night, I turned to Sian and whispered, “This is like taking a train in Gugulethu. If only Mum could see us now, she’d crap in her pants.”
And if she were in India, that would be no problem.
Here, you’ll see people spitting, shitting, and pissing five meters away from you — cows, people, donkeys, buffalo, horses, goats, dogs. Any number — 1 or 2 — it’s all welcome. Sian even spotted a guy taking a number two next to the tracks while casually watching cricket.
Only in India.
A Journey Back in Time
Riding through the city in tuk-tuks and rickshaws, weaving through the chaos, I honestly felt like I had traveled back in time. And who doesn’t love time traveling?
One thing is certain: this journey is going to change me in ways I can’t yet imagine. But I think that goes without saying.
Have you been to the Taj Mahal? Or is it still on your list? Let’s talk travel in the comments!
