Taj Mahal with Love

Thanks to Evelyn’s legendary organizational skills, we managed to book our trip the same day we landed in India. I’m still not sure how she pulled it off, but the universe must’ve been on her side. Me? I accidentally got a discount because the guy selling tickets assumed I was Nepali and broke,  which, let’s be honest, was only half wrong.

I had zero idea where anything was, and it turns out that included Taj Mahal. Honestly, I didn’t even know it was in Agra. I’d landed in India with vague dreams of chai and maybe some temples, and then suddenly, boom! Taj Mahal on the itinerary. I turned into an overly excited child on a sugar high, internally squealing like a tourist who just realized they’d stumbled into one of the world’s most iconic monuments by accident.

First Stop: Delhi by Night

New Delhi at night is something else. It’s a mood, a chaotic, beautiful, overwhelming mood. Even at 11 p.m., the streets buzzed like it was rush hour. The air was thick with honking, spicy food smells, and a weird blend of both awe and heartbreak. It’s not the kind of place you just visit—,it’s the kind of place that happens to you.

Tourist Fees & Identity Crisis

Let’s talk about the two-tier pricing system. If you’re local? Rs. 10 to get into the Taj. Foreigner? Rs. 750. That’s a 7,400% markup. But here’s where I had fun: I passed as local just often enough. A few scattered Hindi or Punjabi words, some confident nods, and voilà , I’m walking into places for a tenth of the price. I like to call it my Discount Desi Mode™.

Temple Tales & Scam Escapes

We saw countless temples and mosques, and most were serene and spiritual... until we got duped at one mosque. Some friendly-sounding locals offered to show us the cool acoustic effect inside the half-dome roof. They clapped, the echo bounced, we were impressed,and then came the ambush. Suddenly we owed money, and they were not subtle about it.

What followed could only be described as a very polite stampede. Each of us backed away slowly like we were in a wildlife documentary, trying not to trigger the predators. One guy tried chasing us down, but apparently, sprinting in flip-flops is my hidden talent. We didn't pay a rupee, but we definitely earned the right to call it the Echo Scam Shuffle™.

Monkey Business & Medical Mishaps

On the road to Jaipur, we stopped to feed some monkeys. It was adorable chaos. Monkey diplomacy is all about snacks , they’re chill as long as you come bearing peanuts. No peanuts? You’re on your own.

Unfortunately, not everything was fun and games. Evelyn had to skip Red Fort because she developed a nasty rash on her arms. Michelle, the MVP, accompanied her to get checked out while the rest of us did the sightseeing rounds.

We rolled into Jaipur after dark, tired, crusty, and slightly traumatized by our run-ins with con men and aggressive monkeys. But spirits were still high.