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AGRA FORT
After seeing the Taj Mahal, I felt like my visit to Agra was complete. However, my package deal included a full day of sightseeing. Our next stop was two and a half kilometers away to another UNESCO World Heritage site: the Agra Fort, also known as Fort Rouge, Lal Qila and Red Fort of Agra. The Agra Fort is a walled palatial city and was interesting to see. It has 70-foot walls and to learn that this was the most important fort in India as the great Mughals Akbar, Aurangzeb, Babur, Humayun, Jehangir and Shah Jahan all lived here. It was even cooler to see the view of the Taj off in the distance. However, Natalie and I were drained from our early start and tour of the Taj Mahal, so we cut the Agra Fort trip short as we were both walking around like zombies thinking of nothing but lunch. For more about Agra Fort, click here.

ARBAR INTERNATIONAL
Before going to the Oberoi Hotel for lunch, Warren suggested we check out the Arbar International shop (a marble store). I should have known it was just another tourist trap but I figured … what the heck! These guys see Americans and they all think we're ready to throw down some serious cash for souvenirs. Walking in, I thought it was funny to see an Obama/Biden sticker on the outside wall. The shop was very nice but their sales approach needs some major finessing. Their reps escort each family or couple inside privately. First, they give customers a demonstration, showing how the marble stones are inlaid, just like at the Taj. Then, you're brought into a huge showroom, where you're shown hundreds of incredible finished products. They sit you down, make a bit of small talk and offer you soda. There's no one around except you and some other guy who works there, loitering at the back of the room. He seems busy but then, on queue, like it's all been rehearsed (duh!), he flips off the lights as the sales guy shows off the beautiful translucent stones in the marble pieces. Then a spotlight comes on, to show off another piece. I was waiting for a band to start playing for the next act or something! The whole thing was awkward and I wasn't sure if things were going to end up like a Lifetime movie if I didn't buy something. There was no real high-pressure sales pitch but it was uncomfortable. The last room on the tour is a little gift shop with much less expensive trinkets but after the Mafioso-like approach in the beginning, we weren't in the mood to shop and just wanted to get out of there.



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