A Thing of Beauty … and How to Get There

A college friend of our daughter is in India at the moment and has emailed a very interesting narrative about, among other things, his visit to the Taj Mahal.

“Lovely doesn’t really capture it. It’s seriously the most beautiful building I’ve ever seen. Something about the simplicity and intricacy of the construction and the fact that it’s white, but also translucent, reflecting the white around it. It’s just breathtaking. I can’t even think of a building that’s even close.”

Clearly, the Taj Mahal is worth adding to any world traveler’s “must-see” list.

And now, transitioning to the opposite end of that spectrum – and because, after all, the focus of this blog is travel and transportation – I can’t resist including a photo he took of an auto-rickshaw.

Essentially, these are modified mopeds that ply the streets of Agra picking up passengers and delivering them wherever they want to go, including to the magnificent Taj Mahal. Not exactly suited to a Los Angeles freeway, but I gather quite appropriate where they are.

Taxi, anyone?