Day 18 – The Taj Mahal and the real city.

I love Agra. The city is real. The contrast is clear and visible. I went to the Taj Mahal at 5.30am. I saw the sun coming up behind the minarets. The building changing the color.. fantastic. But about the Taj I will write later. I will talk about the real India again. The country which is changing my life. When I left the taj around 11am I decided to get lost. Easy in Agra. Apart the regions around the Gates, everywhere else is a poor region. SO I left through the east gate and I got lost for 3 hours. The people were extremely friendly. There was no scammer. People stopped lots of time to offer help, sometimes tea which I accepted every time they offered me. The kids ran into me just touch my hand and ask to be photographed. This attitude is completely different than the kids around the touristic areas who run to you to ask for rupees.

 

The poverty is vast I walked for 3 hours without stop inside a huge slum. The sewage runs widely on the street. Cows, porks, chickens, buffaloes, eventually camels, share the space with barefoot kids. Every single person who passed by me said hello, or namaste. Kids asked for photos, and tried to show me their house. Women praying in front of the house altars were really often seen. I love this city. I definitely love the real India. The high level of spirituality is constant and religions is really relevant to this people.

Taj Mahal the city around

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