That big marble thingy

I know Blake's already posted about the Taj. I hate big tourist sights - always expensive, always a hassle, full of touts and never as nice as in the postcards. Plus you have to stay at the town that surrounds the sight, which is inevitably also full of touts, overpriced and hard to manage.

But the Taj was stunning.

Yes, there are a lot of people who want your money, and the entry fee is the most expensive of any we've paid in Asia. But we arrived at about 6.30am to an almost deserted view, the whole compound is calm, grassy and without anything to be sold except photography, and it's easy to sit and contemplate all that soothing while marble as long as you like. Beautiful...