Agra

The Taj Mahal is amazing, breathtaking, and unreal. It’s actually beyond any of those words. Agra is beyond words on the other end of the spectrum. I can’t blame it really; it’s a town that became a tourist spot on a huge international scale. It was no match for the hordes of people and the opportunity to profit from them. So it’s smelly, dingy, and sketchy in all senses. I did meet some kind people (Raj the jewelry seller and Mukesh the bicycle rickshaw driver).
The hotel: probably the worst accommodation I have ever experienced. Bed bugs, no working toilet, no locks on the doors (outside or inside!), and in 112F weather there was a fan that was swinging from the ceiling by one old wire (I tried not to sleep directly underneath it for fear of decapitation). Truly uncomfortable conditions while on ‘vacation’ until I calculated just what I was paying for said accommodation and once I did (200 rupees or $5 per night) it all made sense. Lesson learned! Suffice it to say I was very happy to get on the train to Delhi after two nights and a Taj tour.