There are many times when we interact with a company and every thing goes as expected. You make your selection, money changes hands, you take your commodity or experience, and then move on. Those experiences seldom stick in your head unless one of two things happen, the experience is supremely extraordinary or things go terribly awry. Think about it, how many times have you told a story about that restaurant that screwed up your steak 3 times versus all the average acceptable meals you’ve had where you didn’t utter a peep about it? Or the opposite, how many times have you told the tale of that super salesperson that remembered your name, and your kid’s name when you went back the store a second time. Occasionally though, there’s a third circumstance that occurs which trumps both of these. When something goes terribly wrong that was out of everyone’s control and the company goes above and beyond their scope not only to fix it, but to delight you. This is the tale of such a company in a place notorious for scamming foreigners and taking advantage of tourists. This is a tale of delight. This is the tale of Great Wide Open adventure travel in India.
Category Archives: Agra
Taj Mahal – (Part II) Proving the Power of Love in Stone
Visiting the Taj Mahal was one of the most surreal experiences I’ve ever had in my life. Strangely, it took me weeks of pondering to figure out why. I’ve seen beautiful buildings before and I’ve seen natural marvels that absolutely blow the Taj Mahal out of the water with their sheer size and magnitude. What makes this place so special? Then I had an epiphany. It finally dawned on me why I froze in my tracks with goose bumps when I first saw it: it’s the only man-made creation I have ever seen that fully embodies what it means to truly love someone. When I talk about love I don’t mean that Shakespeare style Romeo and Juliet, “star-crossed teenager I’m full of hormones and I just met you a week ago love crap” I mean the”I love you with every ounce of my being so I’m going to create something so powerful and beautiful people will fly half way around the world to see it” kind of love. The kind of love that makes a man “employ” 20,000 people and almost empty his entire royal coffers just to build something that the woman he loved wouldn’t ever even see. Once I put it in that context in my mind, it’s obvious why I (a self-proclaimed rambler) found myself speechless (and wordless) for weeks after seeing one of the greatest feats of architecture in the world. The Taj Mahal truly does prove the power of love in stone.
Taj Mahal – World’s Most Iconic Tribute to Love
Visiting the Taj Mahal was a dream of mine ever since I was a little girl. Being of Indian descent and being a staunch believer in fairytale love, the story of the world’s most iconic tribute to love captured my fancy from the moment I first heard it. The Taj Mahal was constructed to honor someone who would never be able to step foot in it. It was imagined by a man wrought with grief who then spent over 20 years fulfilling a dying woman’s wish. The immense beauty and brightness of the Taj Mahal is enough to leave anyone breathless. Standing here with my husband, completely solidified my belief that true love can make you move mountains. True love can outlast time. After seeing this amazing mausoleum, there was no question as to why it is considered to be the eighth wonder of the world. It was built to outlast time.