Hello from India.

We are half way through with Hubby's trip to India.  Yesterday he went to the Taj Mahal.  He said it was so big and beautiful it seemed fake.  It is pretty hot there and the poor guy had to wear business casual attire, it is customary.  So after a 3 hr ride there and another 3 hrs back, on not so paved roads, he got some pretty cool shots.  The only mishap of the day, was with a monkey at one of the many tolls they had to stop at.  Nothing serious just a little banging on the windshield.  Here is a little info on the Taj Mahal, one of the eight wonders of the world:

The history of the Taj Mahal tells us "why was the Taj Mahal built" and many other myths and facts associated with this wonderful structure. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) met Mumtaz Mahal (then Arjumand Banu Begum) at the age of fourteen and fell in love at the first sight. She was a Muslim Persian princess and Shah Jahan was the son of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Five years later, in 1612, they got married.

Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument in her memory. But this has not been proven to be true, till date. However, Shah Jahan did indeed build a magnificent monument as a tribute to her wife, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife.

The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631 and it took approximately 22 years to build it. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. It was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. 

Hope you enjoyed your little history lesson today children!