I woke early today, excited at the prospect of leaving the smell and bustle of Delhi. Yes, for today we begin the journey proper and head to Aagra, home of the mighty Taj Mahal. After a solid hour of dodging more lorries, rickshaws and curious eyes we are ushered into a tiny travel agency. From the solid wall of heat and dust that is India the relief of air conditioning in here is both welcome and a blessing. Tea is served and we discuss terms for hire of a driver and vehicle.

Soon after, we meet our guide whose name is Bob, and hit the road. He is a tall, dignified character, quite shy and reserved. Nosy as ever, I press him for personal details. He is Hindu and married with two children. But apart from that he gives little else away. We finally escape the city and the landscape changes before our very eyes to reveal a wild and fertile land. We stop off at a roadside café for refreshments and have translated conversations with the owners. They tell us that life in India is really hard, and the recent price hike in petrol will have bad consequences for the whole country. I am treated to a cold shower from a hose-pipe by the café owner.

The Taj Mahal

Back on the road I get to thinking that Bob is very quiet and is probably not the ideal guide. Up ahead we see the beginning of houses and shops, which turns out to be Aagra. Suddenly there is a perceptible change in Bob; he informs us that we will stay at a guest-house of his choosing. I leave Brian and Stacy to do the walk-round that will become our daily routine, checking whether said hotel is worth its price in rupees. They come back howling with laughter, telling me that it is outrageously priced and is probably owned by one of Bob’s relatives. We consult the “Rough Guide” for somewhere that we can afford and check into the “Siddhartha,” 200 Rupees - not bad. This is not to Bob’s liking, as we have probably denied the poor man his retainer.

At 4.30 pm we set off in search of the Taj Mahal, which is only ten minutes walk from the hotel. As we push our way through the streets I am relieved to find the hawkers and street sellers here are less pushy than in Delhi, but intimidating all the same. Finally we join the queue for the much-celebrated white palace and are charged 505r. Indians only paying 5r. The place was thick with tourists from every corner of the globe. The overall atmosphere was intense and very unsettling. Don’t get me wrong, the building itself is a work of art, and some of the views across the river are simply breathtaking. But there was something about the place that I just didn’t get... Too busy, too commercial - who knows. Just ahead of me is the little seat where Princess Diana sat for that famous photograph. I think about how sad and lonely she looked in that now famous picture, and the horrible way in which she died.

Taj Mahal in detail

After a quick tour and a few shots the camera decides to pack in. The focus mechanism has stuck between portrait and close up setting. Naturally, I look to the positive, now I can show off my skills as a close up photographer!

Desperate for the toilet I hightailed out of there, agreeing to see Brian and Stacey back at the hotel. Back in the town I called in for coffee in roadside café. I found the visitors book, and the following quotes;

Shanti (no date) "Enjoyed the company here over a few pleasant drinks while boycotting the Taj. All that I can say is head for the hills, may the four winds blow us all safely home."

And,

Jobo, Manila (20/8/00) "The Taj sucks, go stoned."

Also,

Louise and Lynda, Dublin (9/1/00) "….has shot up 3,400% Many tourists and guides are not happy. They tell us to write and complain to the Indian government."

So it wasn’t just me. These revelations made me feel better, even if I had just sneered at one of the most famous buildings in the world. What the hell, I had a bed for the night, a belly full of food and a great trip in store. Tomorrow we leave for Jaipur at 10 am. Before turning in I go out to buy more Bidi, the famous Indian cigarette. And at these prices I can afford to smoke with impunity.

The views expressed on this page are those of the contributor and the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the BBC.