Day 3 - Agra Fort

Today, I traveled to Agra. The trip was a six-hour drive. If I was driving on United States roads without the horrible traffic, the travel time would be under three hours. Drivers of motorized vehicles drive much closer than they do in the states. Many times my driver cut off other vehicles, but that's their way of driving. A lot of honking and yelling is customary. Tonight I am staying at an Indian 4-star hotel. Indians version of a four-star is comparable to a two-star hotel in the United States. After settling into the hotel, I toured the Agra Fort. The fort was massive and very tall, so tall that the Taj Mahal could be seen from the top. After visiting the Agra Fort, the group went to a rug shop. When we walked in the owner treated the group very nicely with small talk and refreshments (obviously so everyone might buy a rug). I saw an old man working on an intricate rug, but he quit working after he did the demonstration. The silk rugs were very detailed and soft, but the designs were not my style. I liked a $200 rug, but I wasn't willing to pay that much for it so I walked away. When I was getting ready to leave the guy asked for my final price. I told him I'd pay him $50. He stuck out his hand finalizing the deal. Then I went to a marble inlayed store where I got to witness gem cutting and the polishing process. The price of those items was ridiculous, and Bryan said that we could find the same things much cheaper at other stores.