Another quick flight to New Delhi, India.
We’re just killing time waiting for friends to meet us in a couple of days.
I had forgotten about all the trees and beautiful parks in New Delhi – so refreshing. Our hotel was full of Westerners (our first noticeable exposure of this since we left home) and Indians.
New Delhi is the federal capital of India and quite metropolitan. 29,500,000 million people live there. India is now has more inhabitants than any other country – beating China in 2023.
Last time we checked things out on our own. This time we hired a local guide to show us around. The temples/mosques built 500 plus years ago are stunning – a mixture of stone and marble with intricate carvings and honeycomb windows.
We have generally used Delhi in the past to make connections to somewhere else. This time we saw some of its history and chaos. Most of the meaningful historic sites were built during the Mughal or British occupation.
*click on photos to enlarge and click on blue words to see videos
The architecture and attention to detail is unparalleled. The juxtaposition in a modern city really is jaw dropping. Out of nowhere stands these structures that have withstood crippling growth and hundreds of years of wear and tear.
We also ventured into Delhi – the old part of town has its own version of utter chaos. Kinda like Dhaka and Kolkata but unique by its offerings. It’s wedding central. Indian weddings last days and are elaborate. People come from far and wide to buy garments, costumes, decorations and the whole shebang here in these narrow streets.
The fumes from the adjacent spice market brought on uncontrollable coughing. As we ventured in deeper we had to cover our faces to keep from choking to death. You can hear others in this video. It felt like a dry form of waterboarding! Are the shopkeepers immune or dying a slow death?
I felt troubled watching our peddle driven rickshaw driver, no bigger than me. He either pulled or peddle three adults through the bumpy, overcrowded streets. Often times having to pull us backwards so the the puzzle pieces of chaos would fit. He’s in white with a blue collar in some of my pictures. I snapped away as we tried to maneuver – capturing everyday life.
It was a great detour. The food was spicy and oh so delicious. Throughout India we told the restaurant staff to “bring it on” letting them choose our meals. It’s not for the faint of heart (palate).
