10-16-2011

Today was our first real sightseeing day and after some early morning hiccups, we got on the road. We met Raj, our city guide in the lobby of the hotel and he took us to the Red Fort first. I had been concerned that we weren't originally scheduled to go into the Red Fort, but we went in and it was as interesting as the last 2 times I've been. This was the first time I've been in with a guide and it was really informational. I learned a lot that books don't tell. Then we went over to the Raj Ghat, where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. It's very peaceful and serene – a nice commemoration of his death. After that, we went to the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. First we took a ride in a bicycle rickshaw through Chandni Chowk, the busy shopping district of Old Delhi. The lanes we went down were narrow and even though it was Sunday and many shops were closed, there were still a lot of people about. We're getting ready for Diwali, Hinduism's biggest holiday of the year, and tinsel had been strung overhead and new calendars with images of Laxmi on them were being sold on the sidewalk. It's always a shock to see the electrical wires bunched up and strung all over everywhere in Chandni Chowk. They may do it elsewhere, but you don't seem to see it as much as other places.

Next we went to lunch at this place called Pindi, which is the third time I've been to that restaurant in 3 visits to Delhi. I asked Raj, our guide, what the story was with this restaurant, but I still believe that the guides get a good commission for bringing people there. It's filled with white tourists. After that we went to Birla House, the last place that Gandhi lived and where he was assassinated. It's very moving, very well done and very interesting.

This evening we had such a great time. Our friend Sushma had connected us with her friends Jaideep and Jo, who work in the hospitality industry. We went to their home where we were treated to a cooking lesson out on their porch. They had a table set up with a double gas ring and all the necessities for cooking. Jo made yellow dal and pilao and showed us her spice box, which is a round silver box with round spice pots inside. Then Jaideep made sesame shrimp and showed us a gutted fish.

After the cooking lesson, the ladies brought out their saris and we had a hilarious time dressing up in saris. They don't wear them that much, so there was lots of conversation about how to do it. It's not done the way I thought. We all looked good and we took a bunch of pictures. Then they brought out the food. They had made a bunch of things – okra, lentil balls, lamb curry, prawn curry, chapati, etc. and it was all delicious. In the meantime, the beer and wine and scotch was flowing, so it was a very convivial time. Finally, they gave us all little gifts. It was a very nice time and we appreciated their hospitality.