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Sunday, February 19, 2017

Exploring Old Delhi

Day 3.  Exploring Old Delhi. Post for, February 20, no internet last night.

Breakfast at the hotel, the first meal included with our trip.  We ordered a southern Indian breakfast - a dosa, a crepe filled with potatoes, onions etc,  came with a small dish of lentils and a coconut yogurt sauce - delicious.


After breakfast we had a meeting with Trip Leader and fellow travelers.

Views from the bus - the crowded streets of Delhi


Tuk Tuks , cars and motor cycles everywhere. Eighteen million people, nine million cars and 250,000 tuk tuks.


First stop was Gurdwara Bangla  Sahib, Sikh temple.  Required to cover our heads - we used our neck scarves. A beautiful site.




We dipped our feet for the protective powers.



Visited the kitchen where they prepare meals to feed pilgrims and visitors.  they feed up to ten thousand people a day.

Volunteers preparing the meal - cauliflower , potatoes, carrots

Pots of lentils


Huge pots on the gas burners

Making bread


Visitors waiting to eat 

Visitors eating, when they are finished, the room is cleared and cleaned, and the next group comes in.


Next stop was the Qutab Minat. The Qutab complex is a  World Heritage Site. The mosque on this site is mostly gone, the side walls, and some of the arches that face Mecca are still standing.


The tower is 234 feet tall, begun in the 12th century.



Close up of carvings on the tower


Marilyn pushing down on the tower

Unfinished tower, planned to be larger than the first one.


Stopped for dinner on the way back to hotel.  Once again a wonderful dinner.  Starters were 3-4 Indian dishes, then we had 4 Indian dishes plus rice for main course, finished with ice cream for dessert.




New Delhi

Our free day in Delhi, we arrived one day ahead of the tour start date.

Breakfast was on our own today, we went for the breakfast buffet at our hotel, the Jaypee Siddharth hotel.  Fresh fruit, omelets, bacon, yogurt, northern and southern Indian food, coffe, tea, assorted pastries, and juices.  Something for everyone.

At breakfast, we met Min from California and Sue from Minnesota, they are part of our tour group.


The doorman


Then we hired a taxi and driver for the day.  We left the hotel at 12:45.  Our first stop was the Lotus Temple, famous for its architecture.  Shoes off before entering the temple - they provided a bag to carry our shoes.

Our driver dropped us off at the corner and we were off


Waiting in line


People watching while in line



The Lotus Temple


No photos allowed inside. 


Standing on the Temple steps looking at the crowds approaching.




We made a quick stop at the Delhi Haat.  Didn't buy anything, saw some nice items but resisted purchasing anything.

Our next and final stop was the Iskcon Temple (Hare Krishna).  


The grounds of the Iskcon Temple.


On the ride back to our hotel, we spotted two cows in the middle of the road and numerous monkeys near a forested area.

Our tour starts tomorrow after breakfast.