We stayed in a gorgeous 5-star hotel in the tourism capital of Agra and bounced out of bed at 4:45 am to make it to the Taj in time for the sunrise. This is the moon over the east entrance to the grounds as we waited to pass through the extensive security.
The first view is more impressive than any travel photo can depict. The symmetry of the entire thing is just astounding. Even from a distance a person gets a sense of the intracacy and craftmanship to come. 20, 000 paid craftsman labored 22 years to complete this symbol of love for an emporer's beloved queen.
So strong! This woman is holding up the 1.4 million ton edifice that actually rests on teak pilings! The white marble is so dense that not paint or laquer will ahere to it. Everything simply washes off with water.
The surrounding gardens are so beautiful. Photos cannot do justice to the 2 square kilometer area. An early morning rain set off the greens to give us gorgeous colors.
Here we are standing by the northwest tower with the river below us and the Agra Fort behind us, flanked by an ancient Indian trash can. The towers look to be at perfect right angles to the plaza, but they actually tilt out 3 degrees. The Persian master architect designed them to fall away from the tomb in case of an earthquake. Pretty astounding engineering for the 16th century.
Framed through an arch in the surrounding red sandstone wall and craftsmen quarters. This is where all the workmen lived, worked, cooked, and slept during the two decades of construction. Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our three-hour tour. 
Look for our next update as we give you glimpses of the ancient capital of Jaipur.
