Delhi, India March 14th-March 17th

Humayun's Tomb

India Gate

After an incredibly appreciative upgrade to a business class seat due to a long layover, we finally descended upon Delhi to a sky full of bright lights radiating from the home of  12 million.   Delhi encompasses two very different worlds, the Old Delhi and the New Delhi, which present entirely different yet delightful experiences.  After a delicious breakfast buffet at the stunning Imperial Hotel, we spent our first day exploring the spacious New Delhi designed by the British.  With tree lined massive avenues and a precise grid system layout, the new city wows you immediately.  We stopped first at the India Gate, the famous national monument of India commemorating 90,000 soldiers who died in World War I.  Standing forty two meters tall, the brilliantly designed gate points directly to the presidential palace just down the road.  

Qutab Minar

We quickly moved from the British empire influence to that of the Mughals, the massive empire that ruled and conquered India for eight hundred years.  Exemplifying the Mughal architectural style and eventual plan of the Taj Mahal, Humayan’s Tomb stands as an impressive monument to the 16^th century Mughal emperor.  Surrounded by the sacred banyan trees, this World Heritage site’s gorgeous red and white sandstone with spectacular geometric carvings immediately had me in awe.  One can’t help but understand the comparison to Agra’s famous Taj Mahal, yet this was built 100 years prior.

Red Fort

Remnants and ruins remain of the seven different capitols occupying the Delhi area dating back to 1000 BC.  One of them being the massive Qutub Minar, the highest tower in India,  built in 1193 is the world’s largest brick minaret standing 73 meters tall.  Even more impressive when you remind yourself it was built without a speck of mortar.  The entire Qutub Complex includes mosque ruins, iron pillars, Jain temples and more.  Truly a compilation of several empires of rule! Due to our bodies adjusting to the 100 + temperatures, we called it an early day on sight seeing and opted for the massive swimming pool for an afternoon activity.

Day two provided an incredibly different feel, as we entered the old city wall to navigate the streets of Old Delhi.  Three kilometers in circumference, you can’t miss the Red Fort –the massive seven domed structure built by the Mughal ruler and builder of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan.  The synthesis of architecture is on display throughout the many rooms of the fort including marble queen bedrooms, concave mirror ceilings, pearl mosques and more!  The enormous size almost makes it believable to imagine the 1,000 elephants, 20,000 camels and 400,000 soldiers who once called this fort home!

After our spectacular tour of the fort, we hopped aboard a bike rickshaw for a ride through the streets of Old Delhi.  With bundles of electrical wires hanging to head level, monkeys hopping from building to building and piles of cow dung patties on the sidewalks, we bravely said goodbye to our rickshaws and finished on foot.  Cows, dogs, monkeys and men all seem to eat, breathe, urinate and sleep on the same street, resulting in a variety of stimuli to feast your eyes upon!  With all the entertainment outside, we somehow managed to leave the streets of Old Delhi without any purchases! Instead, we headed for Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India built by the now familiar Shah Jahan.  Seating 20,000 people it truly was a sight! Dirty, tired but with tons of stories, we trekked back to the hotel for a delicious Indian meal and an early bed time!