First, the driver picked us up on schedule @10.30am (we were probably late alas). Our Indian contractor in Delhi is much more efficient about such things than the company in Mumbai: this one tends to assign you a single driver and car for most of your assignment (apart from their day off), so you can always just arrange with the driver direct for when you want a pick up etc. The other way round is you just get a car/driver from the Pool (fish him out...), so you never know who to contact, they rely on the company passing on the message about pick up, so guarantee messages will get mislaid. Anyway. Picked up and showed him on the Delhi Map where we wanted to go. He suggested that we go past the president's palace and the parliament, which we did. There's no parking in the area so he drove past very slowly while we go this one:
And for this one he dropped us off at the gate then drove around in a circle for a few minutes while we took some photos. This is the President's residence, through the bars of the big gate in front of it.
And this is the reverse view, down Raj Path (was Kingsway under the British) where right in the very dim distance you can see India Gate - our next stop off.
Me outside India Gate. This time alas they were doing renovations around it so we couldn't get very close.
All around India Gate was our first encounter (this trip) with sellers and beggars. Mostly they were selling Indian snacks to Indian visitors (like these ones below), although there were a few children Tumbling and some men selling plastic helicopter toys. Which we avoided.
After a quick circumnavigation of the statue canopy we went back to the car and asked to go to Purana Qila: in the guide book as one of the most interesting archaeological sites in the country as this area has the ruins for many different ages of Delhi. I realised when we got there that this was actually the place that our previous driver had tried to pass off to us as Humayun's tomb (actually that's just down the road). It didn't go entirely to plan this time either as our driver left us at a place that turned out to only just be a mosque, not the Old Fort itself. There was a nice photo opportunity for this well, though, with the mosque behind. (Don't worry, the well is up on a plinth and you can't just walk into it on a dark night).
Waiting for our driver to came back we wandered along the main road a short distance and found the outside of the old fort: quite impressive.
Then on to Humayun's tomb complex. This is part of Isa Khan's tomb. We got to climb up to the balcony and wander round. Fun! (with a precipitous stair to get up to it and a half-size door to get onto the roof).
Then on to the heart of the complex for the main event: finally, Humayun's Tomb.
There are several km of water paths around the complex, all renovated in the last few years so that the water actually flows rather than stagnating. 1cm drop in 30-40m apparently, and it needs 15000l of water a day (I think) to replace that lost through evaporation and leakage.Inside looking out:
Looking up at the intricate roof (really plain by Taj Mahal standards - although this building is earlier):
As we were leaving, school parties were arriving. All the children wear identical uniforms (no pick and mix here). They love to wave at us and say hello, and if they're really brave they ask to have their photo taken with us (their cameras of course): 
Map of the complex: 
Then it was lunchtime and we went to the Lodhi Gardens restaurant to have lunch (again). They have made a few changes to the contents of the garden e.g. there are now several of these carts to recline in:
And a most impressive addition to any restaurant's menu is a plate that shows off all the different puddings you can have. Lee & Clare, this one's for you!
(I had the wicked chocolate mousse...)After lunch we went into the gardens to walk off some of the effects. I took photos last year and pretty much the same again this year, so have a look back through the archives here if you're interested. Instead this time I'm going to give you a picture of a chap asleep on a bench (Indians appear to sleep in many places):
I'm afraid I didn't have the cheek to ask the chap who was perching on a pile (not stack, pile) of bricks when we arrived in the gardens, and was in exactly the same pose when we left an hour later.
The other photo you get is this strange image of someone's packed lunch tiffin boxes hanging from a tree:
Then the Lotus Temple:
Much bigger queues than the last time we went, but still a good peaceful area inside as they limit the entrance numbers. Still run by gap-year Californians dressed in saris. 
And finally, as the sun set we headed towards Dilli Haat. Well we tried to, but the driver decided to take us an alternative route via a posh emporium (presumably he's on commission: alas all the things inside were far too expensive for us to think about buying). Anyway, despite his assurances that it was right next door to Dilli Haat (i.e. about 10 mins drive away), it was a bit of a detour. As the sun was setting we got to the craft market.
and this one of some workers putting up an awning, balancing on bamboo poles in their bare feet. 
The construction reminds me of the wedding marquee in Monsoon Wedding. This looked fun - they were weaving wide strips of fabric as you can see. Very clever.What's on the stalls?
(this guy asked if we could send him a copy of the photo as he liked it so much. Unless he's planning to show it to immigration to prove that he's married to Hanna, I can't see any harm (past a small cost of printing and posting). Anything dodgy anyone can suggest?)Finally, back to hotel and time for dinner:
Yummy. And the pitcher of cocktail was good too. No room for pudding tonight. Maybe tomorrow...
1 comment:
I would love one of those little tents on wheels. Just the thing for an occasional sitting out place at the Wood, especially with mosquito netting in the summer.
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