Hello from India!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 9
The group arrived in Delhi Saturday, August 8, both very excited and very tired. We woke up Sunday morning and began our Delhi experience by visiting Old Delhi. After touring Jama Masjid, a beautiful mosque located in Old Delhi, we experienced the side streets and alleys of Old Delhi by rickshaw. The rickshaw ride was an amazing way to experience the sights and sounds of Old Delhi. Street vendors were selling produce, monkeys were swinging from the wires, and cows were just hanging around. It was nothing if not a unique experience.
Next we visited Raj Ghat, a memorial in honor of Mahatma Gandhi. People lined up to pay their respects to late political and spiritual leader in what was a very simple, peaceful remembrance. We also stopped at India Gate, a memorial in honor of 90,000 Indian soldiers that died in World War I, and Humayun’s Tomb, a beautiful example of Mughal architecture that pre-dates the Taj Mahal. We were only able to see the president’s residence and the parliament building from the bus due to security for the upcoming Indian Independence Day. Finally, we visited Qutub Minar, the tallest stone tower in India. Qutub Minar is not only impressive because of its size, but because of the beautiful, intricate engravings that adorn the structure.
After returning to our hotel briefly to rest from the day’s heat, we explored Connaught place, a vibrant local business and shopping district in Delhi. We stopped briefly to have a drink at a bar called QBA and settled on a Indian-Chinese restaurant for dinner. We returned back to The Park hotel for a good night’s sleep after our long, hot day in Delhi.
MONDAY, AUGUST 10
We woke up a little early on Monday to visit Jantar Mantar, an observatory located adjacent to our hotel. Jantar Mantar dates back to the 1700s and is comprised of 13 astronomical instruments designed to compose astronomical tables and predict times and planetary movements. We then visited a Bahai temple. The building itself was designed to look like a half-opened lotus flower and was breathtaking throughout. We then said our goodbyes to Delhi as we began our 6 plus hour bus ride to Jaipur.
Upon arriving in Jaipur, a city known for many local talents and resources, we checked into the Fortune Select Metropolitan. We then proceeded to McDonalds for dinner. The Maharaja Big Mac and McVeggie were big hits. We wandered around the local mall after dinner and returned back to our hotel to get some sleep for our exciting day at Amber Fort on Tuesday.
To sum up our time in Delhi… it was hot, it was crowded, but it was a great experience!