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The Taj Mahal: Sunrise and Sunset at India's Top Travel Destinat

Visiting the Taj Mahal is mandatory for a first trip to India. Yes, Agra is a charmless tourist hell-hole, but catching a Taj Mahal sunrise can put a bit of shine even on gritty Agra. After all, the Taj is the first thing I ever knew about India so it seemed fitting to see it in person on the first trip to the Subcontinent. I spent the day in Agra, catching the Taj at sunrise and then taking a local ferry boat across the river to see the sunset from the other side of the Taj Mahal. While walking along the banks of the river, I ran into a smartass local kid who I can only describe as a sort of Hindu Huckleberry Finn. He was riding his camel along the river, tossing insults at me as casually as he might toss bits of feed to his smell camel. Anyways, those shots turned out to be very memorable and the trip to India's top tourist destination / ultimate tourist trap did not disappoint.