Ah, the Taj Mahal.  It’s the crown jewel of India’s tourism industry.  The epic marble structure sees more visitors annually than any other tourist attraction in the country.  And the reason why is because … it’s stunningly breathtaking.

The Taj Mahal took over 17 years to build.  At its epicenter are two tombs.  Seems a king built the entire monolith as a way to honor his favorite wife/queen.  He ended up being buried next to her, after a lengthy stint of imprisonment due to a nasty royal coup.

Here are a few words of advice when visiting the Taj Mahal.  1) Get there early, like “sunrise” early.  We did and the crush of humanity was manageable … for about 30 minutes.  And 2) Be prepared to be tackled by vendors the nanosecond you arrive.  Peddlers, beggars, salesmen and taxi drivers swarm around you, like abrasive magpies.   At one point there were so many Indians talking to me at once, I bolted and ran down the street.

The Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra, India, which I swear has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  It’s like a den of iniquity with one sparkling jewel in the middle of the town.  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.  Usually, I’m apt to give a city a chance, but this ‘burb sucked the life force out of me.   It’s rife with mosquitoes and monkeys … and those are its redeeming qualities.  The worst part?  It’s a freakish, harrowing four-hour drive from Delhi.  But once you’re standing in all of the Taj Mahal’s glory and splendor … it’s all worth it.

Words like glorious, pristine and opulent spring to mind.  And its historic and architectural significance deserve respect.  It takes a lot for me to stand mouth-agape and just be in awe of something.  At the Taj Mahal … every tourist there was doing the same thing.  There’s a reason why, back in the day, the palace was considered one of the 8 Wonders of the World.

Good call, that’s all I have to say.