Now that I am back in the land of filtered gasoline, wide-open spaces, and bleach-based cleaners, India seems like one long trip on acid. The vivid colors, the mass of people, the frenzied traffic and vibrant smells- one millisecond sweet jasmine, the next raw sewage.
If I had left India after a few weeks, I would have been ready to leave, remembered mostly the unpleasant and inefficient, and would have seamlessly resumed daily life at home.
A month, however, took away the luxury of dismissing the problems of a third world country by forcing me to imagine myself a true part of the culture and someone who must come psycologically come to grips with the humanity squashed around me.
Of course, I don't know how it would feel to actually live in India, to even visit for longer than a circumscribed short period of time. Someday, perhaps, I will!
In the meantime, though, I feel so thankful that I could go and lucky that I met so many interesting people. It is a very nationalistic country, filled with diverse peoples and religions, privy to major construction and changes in its labor force. We could learn alot not just from India's domestic airline carriers (they rock!) but from the religious culture of acceptance (sans their views on Pakistan) and focus on family.
Of course, my American heart will be satisfied as soon as I can find some good bhindi masala and aloo gobhi.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Friday, May 4, 2007
Part of the ruins at Qutab Minar. Inside an ancient mosque. Actual post is below but I forgot to note that they have an iron pillar in the courtyard which has weathered a great deal and amazes metalurgists (sp?) everywhere. They say if you can stand with your back to it and put your arms around it behind you, your wildest dreams will come true. It has a fence though, and apparently where "wildest dreams" are available, I'm too lazy.
Delightful Delhi
OK, so this picture isn't Delhi- its Agra. But I'm a bit late and unskilled on the blogging. It is insanely hot in this picture and I'm wearing the brigtest clothing I own- shawl, pants, top all this crazy orange color! Its a salwar. At a very expensive boutique for Indian wedding clothing down the road from us in Delhi where we ventured in just to look, the lady said in a beautiful British accent, "My, you have bright clothing, even for India." She understood better when I said I had bought everything in South India- pretty much another country altogether.
The last few days in Delhi have been fun and relaxing. Our hotel is excellent- Jor Bagh 27 Guesthouse across from the Lodi Gardens.
It is a small place with only 11 rooms but one of the very few places in Delhi that is mid-range- western toilets but hot water debateable. It is in a small gated neighborhood peopled with Sikhs, Muslims, and expats for the most part. People have actual dogs here among the strays and a few small greens to sit in in the middle of the neighborhoods. The small market down the road boasts western foodstuffs (although very expensive) and there is a bookstore with English titles only. Across the road is the Lodi or Lodhi gardens which I described and several blocks away is Khan Market where we went today.
Khan Market is a small grouping of upscale shops where expats hang out. The Indians are extremely hip and wealthy and the expats are mostly old diplomats- German and English women. (I assume the men are working?) By the way, I have not met a single American since being in Delhi. Our little hotel has a few German businessmen and a few Australian tourists. But Americans are a pretty rare sight as far as white people go.
The shopping in Delhi is phenomenal. It is much more expensive than Chennai or Vellore, but much less expensive than the US. And the products are so diverse and beautiful- so much is handmade and unique. Generally speaking, its so hard to forgo shopping in a country where things are colorful and handmade and cost a fourth of the price. We went into a very upscale and expensive for Delhi standards home shop and the beautiful glasses and platters made in India were reminiscent of Anthropologie- the price, less than half that.
I didn't buy anything there, but I will say I am bringing home an extra piece of luggage. A duffel, all of $4.
Yesterday we also traveled to the Qutab Minar- a monument built by yet another Muslim shah- lovely mosques, the remnants of a college, and a large tower 73 m high which I had seen from the plane.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qutab_Minar
It was a beautiful area, but Muslim architecture is wearing on me and it is remarkable how many amazing structures- including multiple tombs in the Lodi gardens were built by Sultans where Hindu kings left little.
When I get back I'll have a more clarified conclusion to India, but in the meantime, I want to express what a strange country and people it has. I am reading an excellent book helping me deal with some of the major contradictions. It is called "Holy Cow" by Sarah MacDonald and is very funny and dead-on with its observations of daily Indian life (at least from what I've seen) even down to her notation of the "sweaty feet" smell inside the Akbar's Mausoleum hallway on the way to the tomb. Exactly what I was thinking.
MacDonald travels through India learning about the major religions trying to come to peace with the crazy land. It is hard to understand how people so friendly can take major advantage of you without any conscience (not all the time, obviously, but much of the time). Or how a country that has shown major tolerance historically to multiple religions: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christianity... can also uphold a caste system (still very much in place) and value people with the lightest skin above all.
What country promotes sanctity of family life and children and at the same time commits major female infanticide and calmly justifies suicide for honor? A country where humanitarian groups are highly regarded and charity is blessed yet day to day life includes the killing of beggars by buses which leave them to die?
Ok, critics will note that every country has some contradictions. But India puts it all out there- in the wide open- all the time. The injustices are very visible and easily felt, as are the kindnesses. I have not seen a great many places, but I feel this place leaves me completely emotionally adrift in a way I did not experience in Europe, Africa, or Latin America.
Well, as one might sing at church youth camp: give it up to God.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Delhi rain!
So my batteries in my camera keep dying. I think its possible this camera is not meant for heat or something. It can eat two batteries in one day here.
I tried uploading Taj photos to this blog, but I couldn't get one before it died on me.
Again.
So sad. But did add a few to Snapfish.
Today it rained in Delhi. Wonderful cooling rain and wind made it a wonderful place to be. I walked to a nearby market area and had a salwar altered right on the street. I made motions to indicate how I wanted the sides taken in and sleeves put on and they loaded in green thread to their street front sewing machines and simply started. Afterwards, another man lay on the street ironing the salwar with a heavy piece of heated-on-fire iron.
This afternoon I visited the Lodi Garden- across from where we are staying as it was so mild and lightly raining. I was a little on edge because there were very few women and all hiding in the bushes with their dates (husbands)- not smooching, mind you, but embracing which is considered scandalous anyway. Or just holding hands (something you'd never ever see in public between men and women!) Mostly the park is filled with unemployed men loitering and resting on the monuments watching the hidden couples.
I imagine it would be hard and a boring life to be unemployed in India, sitting most of the hot day, waiting for mealtimes to collect some street snacks, returning home. Or not I guess as hundreds of people sleep right on the sidewalks every night- no coverings and not in doorways, but simply prostrate on street edges. This explains why when we come near a stand or open shop, or simply wake up in the morning, the men jump to attention and quickly and energetically proffer food or laundry.
Last night when we came in late, I was surprised to see several of the men who work at this small guesthouse sleeping in the plastic lawn chairs. The guard was understandable, but it hadn't occurred to me that these early rising hotel men were homeless and slept upright in terrible plastic chairs. I'm sure they are not allowed to lie on the grass and damage it.
Tomorrow, no agenda! Passing time in Delhi...
I tried uploading Taj photos to this blog, but I couldn't get one before it died on me.
Again.
So sad. But did add a few to Snapfish.
Today it rained in Delhi. Wonderful cooling rain and wind made it a wonderful place to be. I walked to a nearby market area and had a salwar altered right on the street. I made motions to indicate how I wanted the sides taken in and sleeves put on and they loaded in green thread to their street front sewing machines and simply started. Afterwards, another man lay on the street ironing the salwar with a heavy piece of heated-on-fire iron.
This afternoon I visited the Lodi Garden- across from where we are staying as it was so mild and lightly raining. I was a little on edge because there were very few women and all hiding in the bushes with their dates (husbands)- not smooching, mind you, but embracing which is considered scandalous anyway. Or just holding hands (something you'd never ever see in public between men and women!) Mostly the park is filled with unemployed men loitering and resting on the monuments watching the hidden couples.
I imagine it would be hard and a boring life to be unemployed in India, sitting most of the hot day, waiting for mealtimes to collect some street snacks, returning home. Or not I guess as hundreds of people sleep right on the sidewalks every night- no coverings and not in doorways, but simply prostrate on street edges. This explains why when we come near a stand or open shop, or simply wake up in the morning, the men jump to attention and quickly and energetically proffer food or laundry.
Last night when we came in late, I was surprised to see several of the men who work at this small guesthouse sleeping in the plastic lawn chairs. The guard was understandable, but it hadn't occurred to me that these early rising hotel men were homeless and slept upright in terrible plastic chairs. I'm sure they are not allowed to lie on the grass and damage it.
Tomorrow, no agenda! Passing time in Delhi...
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Agra
We returned very late last night from Agra. We had a huge list of sites to see, but because of corrupt government taxi services, only managed three. Which was actually ok, because it was pretty hot and after you've seen the Taj, well... every other site seems lackluster.
We started at Akbar's Mausoleum, which was the best site in Agra. The grandfather of Shah Jahan (who built the Taj) was religiously "enlightened" and married many women of different faiths, incorporated their faiths into his own and founded his own religion- the name of which translates to "One God." He built a beautiful mausoleum surrounded by lawns on which antelope and apparently bison roam. We never saw the bison, however.
No one was there. We were some of a handful of tourists and the beautiful site with its lovely grounds had not yet reached 110 degress, so it was pretty nice.
Second, we traveled to the Red Fort to knock it out of the way before lunch. We did this fast- kept moving- cause of the serious heat, and our hunger (we'd gotten on a train at 6 AM and woken up at about 4). It is an impressive site and in much better condition than the Red Fort in Delhi. There are palaces inside- all open Moghul palaces with water running through (hypothetically. There is no water in the fountains or canals). Unfortunately, all signs were in Hindu so we were not sure what rooms were what although those signs might just as easily been explaining "stay off the steps" or "no urinating."
After lunch we were hassled for several hours before we saw the Taj. There were more people than we've seen at any sites, although it must be a fraction of the numbers during decent seasons. The site is beautiful and well kept (of course, its actually pretty new by European standards). We were supposed to swoon over the love story and complied.
There were more white people than I've seen in a month and I felt terrible for some parents of two small beautiful red-headed children (the ONLY white children I've seen this whole month) because rude Indians/Nepalese were grabbing them and demanding pictures with them. And the girl was crying and crying as women forced her head toward their husband's camera. The dad was saying "Oh, she's shy. Let her be. She's shy."
I would have hit them with their own cameras had that been my child.
Luckily, it appeared they were with a cruise or tour or something, so this may have been their only Indian experience.
The Taj is amazing because it is surrounded by all that is rural India. Directly behind the Taj on the banks of a river are camels sitting and naked children swimming. Monkeys climbed the wall and were seeking shade under benches.
Anyways, I could go into the major hassling we experienced, but you can ask me personally. I had to go into super high octane bitch mode getting off trains, into cars, walking, breathing. And be forceful and throw several fits during the day over many things hindering our having a safe travel.
At the same time, we are constantly told by men that we are not safe. And there is a culture of "can I take you where you need to go, madame" blah blah. While there is some danger, I actually think alot of the information is truly paternalistic propaganda, designed to intimidate women and, thus, provide jobs for men. Women here are scared to do anything alone, and we threaten that system by flaunting our married independence. We are collectively sick of being told what, how, when to do everything by men with "our best interests" in mind.
OK, that's all for now! I'm sorry about no photos. I may try later!!
We started at Akbar's Mausoleum, which was the best site in Agra. The grandfather of Shah Jahan (who built the Taj) was religiously "enlightened" and married many women of different faiths, incorporated their faiths into his own and founded his own religion- the name of which translates to "One God." He built a beautiful mausoleum surrounded by lawns on which antelope and apparently bison roam. We never saw the bison, however.
No one was there. We were some of a handful of tourists and the beautiful site with its lovely grounds had not yet reached 110 degress, so it was pretty nice.
Second, we traveled to the Red Fort to knock it out of the way before lunch. We did this fast- kept moving- cause of the serious heat, and our hunger (we'd gotten on a train at 6 AM and woken up at about 4). It is an impressive site and in much better condition than the Red Fort in Delhi. There are palaces inside- all open Moghul palaces with water running through (hypothetically. There is no water in the fountains or canals). Unfortunately, all signs were in Hindu so we were not sure what rooms were what although those signs might just as easily been explaining "stay off the steps" or "no urinating."
After lunch we were hassled for several hours before we saw the Taj. There were more people than we've seen at any sites, although it must be a fraction of the numbers during decent seasons. The site is beautiful and well kept (of course, its actually pretty new by European standards). We were supposed to swoon over the love story and complied.
There were more white people than I've seen in a month and I felt terrible for some parents of two small beautiful red-headed children (the ONLY white children I've seen this whole month) because rude Indians/Nepalese were grabbing them and demanding pictures with them. And the girl was crying and crying as women forced her head toward their husband's camera. The dad was saying "Oh, she's shy. Let her be. She's shy."
I would have hit them with their own cameras had that been my child.
Luckily, it appeared they were with a cruise or tour or something, so this may have been their only Indian experience.
The Taj is amazing because it is surrounded by all that is rural India. Directly behind the Taj on the banks of a river are camels sitting and naked children swimming. Monkeys climbed the wall and were seeking shade under benches.
Anyways, I could go into the major hassling we experienced, but you can ask me personally. I had to go into super high octane bitch mode getting off trains, into cars, walking, breathing. And be forceful and throw several fits during the day over many things hindering our having a safe travel.
At the same time, we are constantly told by men that we are not safe. And there is a culture of "can I take you where you need to go, madame" blah blah. While there is some danger, I actually think alot of the information is truly paternalistic propaganda, designed to intimidate women and, thus, provide jobs for men. Women here are scared to do anything alone, and we threaten that system by flaunting our married independence. We are collectively sick of being told what, how, when to do everything by men with "our best interests" in mind.
OK, that's all for now! I'm sorry about no photos. I may try later!!
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Red Fort and Lauren becomes a celebrity
Today we were determined to hit all the hot spots that were "far away" (read- 10 km) from our hotel. So our kind and quiet driver picked us up at nine, blasted the AC all day, and we took off for the
1. Red Fort- big fort, reddish, used to be whitish, seat of the Peacock throne Shah Jahan (maker of Taj as well). Most of the marble inlay has been destroyed. Used for picnicking Indian families. Good example of Moghul architecture.
2. Jama Masjid- largest mosque in a quarter hemisphere or something like that. Large stone flooring ready to give us second degree burns since we have to take off shoes. Beautiful but very hot.
3. Raj Ghat- where Gandhi was cremated. A large slab. As we come down the hill from the viewpoint area, we witness Lauren being attacked by Nepalese tourists wearing the hats they sell for crazy prices at the Fort. They are taking pictures with her, one by one, seated, standing, pictures with them shaking her hand, etc... Literally, her face will be in a hundred Nepalese picture books.
4. Cottage Industries- the fair trade, government run, Indian crafts store. Although turns out to be more large expensive handwoven carpets and beautiful gold jewelry. But the quality of the products was undisputedly superior to anything we've seen. The wedding outfits of which they had many looked straight off a Bollywood set.
5. Lunch- we asked our driver for Indian food, somewhere air conditioned where we wouldn't get ill. We don't know how much English he has but he took us straight to Splash! restaurant also listed as one of the 5 hip places in Delhi in their magazines. We fought to order our expensive ($4 entree) Indian food before an entire table of drunk Germans could. Every foreigner in New Delhi was there- and we know, because we saw them all that morning at the Red Fort. We feel so poor now- in Vellore our lunches cost 50 cents!
6. India Gate- memorial to WWI- only requires taking pictures. I was angry at a man trying to sell us baby monkeys on leashes. Cruel and common here.
7. The National Museum- we took the audio tour.
Here, I will explain why India lags behind in tourism. I guess in list form.
1. Old Delhi is very unpleasant due to touts. Constant clutching of the purse and men haranguing you- even if you say NO! emphatically and walk past, they will obstruct your view or way in order to sell their services as a driver, their hats, fans, etc... hanging on your arm, pulling your pants. I have made it a policy not to go in shops where we are taken or harassed to enter and never to buy anything from a tout. Not because I can discourage this behavior, but because it is simply my money to spend and I want to reward the shop keepers who do not use these tactics.
2. When driving in the car, many will hold up babies and bang bang on the windows asking for money. It is easy for me to avoid pitying this or having a crisis of conscience because they are using an innocent baby as blackmail which in anyone's book is wrong. This maneuver is common to all Indian cities, but more prevelent in Old Delhi (so I've been told)
3. The sites are falling apart. It is amazing when the symbol of a nation has overgrown weeds filling copious courtyards or has a guard leaning absurdly against a tremulous and delicate ivory grate.
4. No official guidebooks are for sale. The government allows the touts with postcards and guidebooks in, but no official store or place to garner infomation or spend money that might restore the place.
5. Many men ouside monuments claiming charges that aren't necessary. (we kinda wait and watch and if others pass by them without paying, then we charge in) And tourism police watch this go on. Men who are not employed in any official capacity hanging in the bathrooms asking for tips before you can use the dirty squat toilet they don't clean. Its a good racket.
6. The museum was surprising in its lack of modernity. AC in only one room-old documents- and was conducted in by an ancient fan from a hole cut into the ceiling. Looked like the Peabody Museum at Harvard with labels that were antiquities themselves and chairs and tables placed in front of exhibits for no reason other than the guards like sitting where a fan blows- amazing for a National Museum!!
They had some interesting artifacts and tribal costumes. Beautiful textiles, if fairly new. I learned a little more about the pantheon of Hindu gods. The museum store had various random things, completely unrelated to the content of the collection, and no books about the collection. Only books about how to draw and how to make a healthy marriage.
It was about 100 degrees in there anyhow.
1. Red Fort- big fort, reddish, used to be whitish, seat of the Peacock throne Shah Jahan (maker of Taj as well). Most of the marble inlay has been destroyed. Used for picnicking Indian families. Good example of Moghul architecture.
2. Jama Masjid- largest mosque in a quarter hemisphere or something like that. Large stone flooring ready to give us second degree burns since we have to take off shoes. Beautiful but very hot.
3. Raj Ghat- where Gandhi was cremated. A large slab. As we come down the hill from the viewpoint area, we witness Lauren being attacked by Nepalese tourists wearing the hats they sell for crazy prices at the Fort. They are taking pictures with her, one by one, seated, standing, pictures with them shaking her hand, etc... Literally, her face will be in a hundred Nepalese picture books.
4. Cottage Industries- the fair trade, government run, Indian crafts store. Although turns out to be more large expensive handwoven carpets and beautiful gold jewelry. But the quality of the products was undisputedly superior to anything we've seen. The wedding outfits of which they had many looked straight off a Bollywood set.
5. Lunch- we asked our driver for Indian food, somewhere air conditioned where we wouldn't get ill. We don't know how much English he has but he took us straight to Splash! restaurant also listed as one of the 5 hip places in Delhi in their magazines. We fought to order our expensive ($4 entree) Indian food before an entire table of drunk Germans could. Every foreigner in New Delhi was there- and we know, because we saw them all that morning at the Red Fort. We feel so poor now- in Vellore our lunches cost 50 cents!
6. India Gate- memorial to WWI- only requires taking pictures. I was angry at a man trying to sell us baby monkeys on leashes. Cruel and common here.
7. The National Museum- we took the audio tour.
Here, I will explain why India lags behind in tourism. I guess in list form.
1. Old Delhi is very unpleasant due to touts. Constant clutching of the purse and men haranguing you- even if you say NO! emphatically and walk past, they will obstruct your view or way in order to sell their services as a driver, their hats, fans, etc... hanging on your arm, pulling your pants. I have made it a policy not to go in shops where we are taken or harassed to enter and never to buy anything from a tout. Not because I can discourage this behavior, but because it is simply my money to spend and I want to reward the shop keepers who do not use these tactics.
2. When driving in the car, many will hold up babies and bang bang on the windows asking for money. It is easy for me to avoid pitying this or having a crisis of conscience because they are using an innocent baby as blackmail which in anyone's book is wrong. This maneuver is common to all Indian cities, but more prevelent in Old Delhi (so I've been told)
3. The sites are falling apart. It is amazing when the symbol of a nation has overgrown weeds filling copious courtyards or has a guard leaning absurdly against a tremulous and delicate ivory grate.
4. No official guidebooks are for sale. The government allows the touts with postcards and guidebooks in, but no official store or place to garner infomation or spend money that might restore the place.
5. Many men ouside monuments claiming charges that aren't necessary. (we kinda wait and watch and if others pass by them without paying, then we charge in) And tourism police watch this go on. Men who are not employed in any official capacity hanging in the bathrooms asking for tips before you can use the dirty squat toilet they don't clean. Its a good racket.
6. The museum was surprising in its lack of modernity. AC in only one room-old documents- and was conducted in by an ancient fan from a hole cut into the ceiling. Looked like the Peabody Museum at Harvard with labels that were antiquities themselves and chairs and tables placed in front of exhibits for no reason other than the guards like sitting where a fan blows- amazing for a National Museum!!
They had some interesting artifacts and tribal costumes. Beautiful textiles, if fairly new. I learned a little more about the pantheon of Hindu gods. The museum store had various random things, completely unrelated to the content of the collection, and no books about the collection. Only books about how to draw and how to make a healthy marriage.
It was about 100 degrees in there anyhow.
Delhi
Our flight from Chennai to Delhi was on Jet Airways- a small domestic Indian carrier and was awesome. This is how flights should be in the U.S. Checking in was easy, going through security was easy (everyone gets hit by the small metal detectors), sitting in the gate was easy, getting on the plane was easy, getting a lovely meal was easy with real napkins and silverware, getting off was super easy with two exits to large buses, getting luggage took <6 minutes.
And the flight cost maybe a fourth of what it would in the US. There were twice as many flight attendants as well. I'm not sure how many flight attendants=one tank of fuel. But I'm sure that ratio decreases in the U.S.
At any rate, we arrived, found the official government stand (the non-official kinda govt stands look similar though!) and got a taxi and car for the next day. The difference between taking a non AC tour and hiring an AC car for an entire day is about $1. But our perceptions are so warped at this point we actually argued about this for 10 minutes.
Delhi is nothing like Chennai. Granted, we are staying in a lovely area. Really beautiful for India. Delhi has the urban markets, the bazaars- they are mostly near Old Delhi- and they are similar to all parts of Vellore. But Vellore and Chennai do not have the diplomatic and international green areas which look like affluent areas of Europe. There are rows of embassies and governmnt buildings surrounded by green and tree-lined streets. The streets have little littering- mostly only around the occasional snack stands- and are easily drive-able.
We are staying in a small guest house near Lodi Gardens- in a gated neighborhood called "Jor Bagh." The neighborhood has a few small parks (no cricketeers on pain of death!), dogs with actual collars and full bellies!, and international looking expats walking strollers. This is where I would love to live in Delhi. The houses are still modest, but clearly an upper class neighborhood. We found a store in "Jor Bagh Market" called Lal and sons popular with expats for christmas ornaments. And that they have. The old man running it talked with usfor a long time and was very excited to show us his listing in the Lonely Planet. He is the only listing in this part of town.
Every morning I have coffee and its black! Interestingly, the housemen here like to move me around. When I wake up and ask for coffee they first move me to the garden area, then as I go to get my book, they move my coffee to this courtyard sort of slab thing. Then they are anxious to make me go to the little room they use as a dining room.
I just want to sit and read!
We had a wonderful dinner (primarily because it included fish which Lauren and I needed) at the Lodi Garden restaurant. We were the only people in this huge (most expensive restaurant in Delhi, apparently which means my mixed seafood grille cost $12) place because no one hip enough to be seen there eats until 10. This we did not know. Which means we are in no way hip. But our food came fast!
And the flight cost maybe a fourth of what it would in the US. There were twice as many flight attendants as well. I'm not sure how many flight attendants=one tank of fuel. But I'm sure that ratio decreases in the U.S.
At any rate, we arrived, found the official government stand (the non-official kinda govt stands look similar though!) and got a taxi and car for the next day. The difference between taking a non AC tour and hiring an AC car for an entire day is about $1. But our perceptions are so warped at this point we actually argued about this for 10 minutes.
Delhi is nothing like Chennai. Granted, we are staying in a lovely area. Really beautiful for India. Delhi has the urban markets, the bazaars- they are mostly near Old Delhi- and they are similar to all parts of Vellore. But Vellore and Chennai do not have the diplomatic and international green areas which look like affluent areas of Europe. There are rows of embassies and governmnt buildings surrounded by green and tree-lined streets. The streets have little littering- mostly only around the occasional snack stands- and are easily drive-able.
We are staying in a small guest house near Lodi Gardens- in a gated neighborhood called "Jor Bagh." The neighborhood has a few small parks (no cricketeers on pain of death!), dogs with actual collars and full bellies!, and international looking expats walking strollers. This is where I would love to live in Delhi. The houses are still modest, but clearly an upper class neighborhood. We found a store in "Jor Bagh Market" called Lal and sons popular with expats for christmas ornaments. And that they have. The old man running it talked with usfor a long time and was very excited to show us his listing in the Lonely Planet. He is the only listing in this part of town.
Every morning I have coffee and its black! Interestingly, the housemen here like to move me around. When I wake up and ask for coffee they first move me to the garden area, then as I go to get my book, they move my coffee to this courtyard sort of slab thing. Then they are anxious to make me go to the little room they use as a dining room.
I just want to sit and read!
We had a wonderful dinner (primarily because it included fish which Lauren and I needed) at the Lodi Garden restaurant. We were the only people in this huge (most expensive restaurant in Delhi, apparently which means my mixed seafood grille cost $12) place because no one hip enough to be seen there eats until 10. This we did not know. Which means we are in no way hip. But our food came fast!
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