So far India has been at the bottom of my list to visit again. While we were there it was so incredibly hot. You were immediately exhausted the moment you stepped outside. We would go out for about 2 or 3 hours then come back and try to cool down and drink all the water we could. If I were to do it all over again I would travel here during the early spring or late fall. Mistakes were made and maybe that is why I have India at the bottom of my list. Here are a few of the things I did enjoy:

1. Naan- We ate ALL the naan....with every meal. Plain or covered in garlic and butter. It is one of the most amazing breads out there. For those of you that don't know it is a thin chewy bread cooking in clay pot tandoor oven. It is beyond delicious.

2. Taj Mahal - We rented a driver for the day and headed off to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum in Agra, India and one of the New 7 World Wonders. It was built in the 1600's by an Emperor for his favorite wife. Yes, favorite. He had three wives.

Everyone has seen pictures of the Taj Mahal. It has always just looked like a big white building. While I was excited to see it in person, I had low expectations. Boy was I dead wrong. When you first arrive you walk through the main entrance seen below. If you look closely it looks like there are flowers painted on the arch of the entrance.

After closer inspection it is in fact flowers but they are not painted on. These flowers are made up of semi precious gemstones shaped to make this design. The black design is made from onyx. It is beyond gorgeous.

Once you pass through the entrance you are greeted with this popular view. It still looks like a big white building, right?

It’s not until you get much closer that you realize the detail involved. Now that we are standing in front of it, I know why everyone is so impressed by it. It is beautiful. It is massive and perfectly made. From here you can even see the same flowers as the entrance made with semi precious gemstones. On closer inspection the whole facade of the Taj Mahal is covered in these little flowers and onyx inscriptions. The time it must of taken to make each one of these flowers is crazy.

The inside is equally beautiful. Below is a close up picture of the walls inside the mausoleum. The place was just amazing. It is by far one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen.

3. Gemstone Painting- After the Taj Mahal we went into the town to see the dying art of this gemstone "painting." We visited with a few men who are learning the craft. This art is passed down generation to generation however, it is dying as the younger generations are wanting more business like careers.

4. Lotus Temple- The Lotus Temple, in Delhi, India, is a Baháʼí House of Worship. The Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification. The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine doors opening onto a central hall with a height of slightly over 40 metres and a capacity of 2500 people. It has won numerous architectural awards and has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles.⁠

5. Humayun's Tomb - This tomb, built in 1570, is the first garden-tomb in India. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. You can see the similarities by the symmetrical design and the domes.