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Kerala After the millions of boarding pass check points we went through, we were finally in Kerala, and only an hour drive to our hotel. Kochi is one of those provinces where vestiges of the colonial history are quite prominent in historic buildings and especially in our hotel. We had a sea view from our room that showed off fishing boats and the port where cargo loaders waited for ships. We arrived at our hotel around 3am, so we took it easy the next morning, sleeping in until lunch time. After lunch at the hotel, we took a brief walk to the jetty where the ferry boat picks up and drops off passengers on its rounds. We ferried over to Fort Kochi and took a long walk around. Our first destination were the Chinese fishing nets, amazing and large devices that were lowered very early in the morning to catch large quantities of fish at once. In addition to Chinese influence, we ran into British, Dutch, and even Portuguese contributions. The Dutch cemetery, unfortunately closed to visitors, was nearby the water and fishing nets and looked incredibly old and rather small. Moving along, we visited St. Francis Church - a church built by Franciscans who actually dedicated it to another Saint. The church then passed to Protestants and was renamed. Vasco Da Gama, an early Portuguese explorer, was first buried here before his son returned his remains to his native country. I liked the added touch of the copy of da Vinci's last supper placed at the ceiling above the altar. Leaving that beautiful space, we continued our walk (though forecasts called for 90-degree heat, we're suckers for a good walk and ended up getting in over 12,000 steps) and landed next at the Dutch Palace. An old two-story building circling a central courtyard with beautiful wide-plank floors and wood ceilings, this palace housed the local rulers and as a museum today it shows off elaborate wall paintings as well as the story of Dutch and Portuguese visits and the royal lineage. My experience working in a museum made me concerned about the state of preservation in this space, as maps that were already quite fainted lived behind glass and faced open windows, and there was no climate control except for the opening and closing of Windows. But I also know that sometimes museums have to make due. Finally we walked over to "Jew Town," the Jewish neighborhood in Kochi, and visited the synagogue there, though it was closed to visitors on Saturday. The streets around these spots glinted a little more with tourist shops selling the standard wares, and I noticed that while cows were much less prevalent, there seemed to be goats everywhere. The brightly colored saris still dominated the clothing color palate of those around us, but I noticed even greater diversity from Hindus to Muslims to Christians and Jews as well as people from places outside of India. While not quite modern, the new high rise apartments going up along the coast boasted greater development and more changes than we've seen in some of the other cities. We end our time in Kerala with two nights on a house boat. Few things are more calming for mind and body than being out on a boat on a huge lake with no internet or television and only your thoughts and conversations with your partner, plus a captain and a chef getting you around and feeding you. This is the ultimate relaxation before we make the long return journey, and I'm absolutely blissing out about it.

Udaipur To get to Udaipur from Jaipur, you can take a plane, a train, or an automobile. If you're really adventurous, I suppose you could take an auto rickshaw/tuk tuk. I am not that adventurous. We'd planned to take the train but by the time my husband went to book the tickets, there were only 3 seats left for the 8 hour ride and none of the 3 were seats next to one another. What seemed disastrous turned out to be a nice twist of fate, as our air conditioned car ride sped along and only took about 6.5 hours to complete the journey. Udaipur is a town built around 5 man-made lakes, and there are a couple of palaces in the center of the very large lake. One is a luxury hotel that does not allow boats to dock with visitors, only staying guests. The other is a palace turned hotel or private guest house, which we did get to see. The first night in Udaipur we enjoyed a quiet dinner on the outdoor patio surrounded by darkness and gardens. The next day, we were ready to venture out. We caught the first auto/tuk tuk and he was yelled at by other drivers, so he delivered us to another driver who then dropped us with one other. By our third try we were off. We went to Udaipur's City Palace for our own tour and marveled at the well-maintained rooms with beautiful painted walls and other lavish details. One room contained tiles from Delft, a town in Holland known for its beautiful blue and white ceramics. Although it was hot outside, Udaipur being even farther south than Jaipur, the marble walls and proximity to water kept us cool enough. Our ticket to city palace included a "sunset" (between 3pm and 5pm, the sun set at 6:30pm) boat tour later in the day, so in the meantime we visited the local temple and lunched at a rooftop restaurant while taking in the views. Walking along more tightly packed streets I tried to imagine why cars were even allowed inside the old town. Scooters too, were a hazard with the sharp turns and hills. And of course, we ran into cows and dogs again. The boat tour was a lovely adventure around the lake. We circled near the city palace, then went over to the second island palace for 20 minutes of walking around. Upon returning, we walked slowly around the lake to a hotel that had a water front patio restaurant perfect for enjoying the actual sunset. Over wine and delicious food, we chatted and were calmed by our picturesque surroundings. The next morning, we were slow to rise and walked around the grounds of our own hotel which boasted an animal preserve. While the only animals we saw at feeding time were boars, I was thrilled to see about a dozen peacocks scattered in the trees and shrubs. I absolutely love peacocks and it was amazing to see so many, even some up in the trees, although they were precariously balanced. In retrospect I was even more delighted for the calm couple of days, as my piece on how to get from Udaipur to Kochi makes clear.

Jaipur The evening of our day visit to Samode Palace, we had dinner with a lovely friend of my father-in-law in Jaipur. At his house we enjoyed a delicious coffee with cinnamon and talked India and Hinduism with his daughter and wife. After a short walking tour of some local markets (selling all the things you could get at Target, for example, but in different shops for each category of item), we ventured to a restaurant. The meal and conversation were both delightful, and a particularly fun take-away from the evening for me was our host's advice (from a famous saying) that "everything they say about India is true, and so is the exact opposite." The following day was my husband's birthday, and we celebrated with an amazing 6-hour walking tour of Jaipur. Meeting our guide at 8:30am, we first visited the Govind Dev Ji, a famous temple that also happened to be having a special festival event. Dozens of people were walking in circles around the central point and praying/kissing the walls on their way around. A dozen or so men stood toward the back and led the chanting. It was quite an experience first thing in the morning. After the temple we proceeded to the Jantar Mantar, which was perhaps my most favorite part of the day and second best place we visited overall. The founder of Jaipur, Jai Singh, built the Jantar Mantar in the 1700s in Jaipur before he and his court moved down the mountain from the Amber Fort to occupy the city. The Jantar Mantar is one of the largest astronomical observatories with the largest sun dial in the world. All of the devices for reading and charting various astronomical elements were so large and fascinating. Our guide explained that Jai Singh's focus on the study of astronomy led to an intense interest in astrological charts and eventually gemstones became so popular. Gem stones that correlated with one's birth month and astrological sign could be said to help protect the wearer against bad elements and energy and seal in the good energy. This is why the gem trade has developed so significantly in Jaipur, according to our guide. After testing and checking out the various tools, we walked over to the City Palace, where according to the flags, the King was in residence. When a full flag is flown with a quarter-sized flag above it, the King is in residence because, according to an old story, the founder was said to be more than 100% but 125% person. So the extra flag represents that extra 25%. The palace showed off amazing paintings of all the kings of Jaipur and interesting historical photos, including one of Lord and Lady Mountbatton awaiting their audience with the King. Many outfits from past generations as well as polo playing costumes and trophies were on display. It turns out that one of the Kings rivaled - if not clearly defeated - Henry VIII of England in terms of bodily girth and weight. Finishing the palace, we made for the markets. Vendors set up on the street, in front of and in shops, and walking along arms or carts full, selling so many different items. Our guide pointed us to the roadside dentist, and noted that we could tell if the tire fixer guy was available by the tires hanging from a tree that shaded his spot. Some of the shops and smaller walkways of the market boasted tiny walk-in rooms full of fabrics for clothing and wedding apparel, tea and spice shops, and open-air drug store-like shops. There was no inch left unused by vendors, and with the dogs, cows, pedestrians, and various vehicles, it was hard to look at all the stores while also keeping an eye on where we were walking. We toured the old city and I was fascinated by the older architecture with tiny windows and second floors of buildings bulging out and shadowing entrances. Grabbing an auto rickshaw, we headed to the monkey palace, which included a slow hike up a steep hill. Walking up, our guide bought peanuts we could feed to the monkeys, which I was hesitant to do remembering the biting, scratching, and thieving monkeys of Bali, but these in Jaipur weren't so aggressive. On our walk up, we passed a cow with an extra pair of legs protruding from its back side - the last vestiges of a twin that was never to be. This cow, our guide said, was reportedly special and magical, and we could pay to have a photo of it, which I declined. Our tour wrapped up at that point as we were exhausted and hot in the mid-day sun. Kumar, our guide, took us to shade in his cousin's photo shop and got us some tea. As a special treat, he had instructed his cousins to make a mug with photos he'd snapped during our day, and presented this mug to my husband as a birthday gift - possibly one of the coolest mementos we've received. After a full day and over 15 thousand steps, we were ready to retire to our room, where we rested before having dinner at the nice hotel restaurant. Reading about Jaipur informed me that the city was actually a master-planned city with roads pre-planned and everything laid out on a grid - at least the old city. Walking around the chaotic streets with all the traffic and people spilling into the streets, it did not feel so planned, but it did feel like the other parts of India we've experienced thus far. One photo I want to share that was not mentioned in my piece above is that of the Wind Palace. It's a thin, one-room wide, tall building that was made for the women of the court to look down through windows and watch the activity on the street while remaining modest and hidden. It's called the Wind Palace in part because the narrowness of it allows breezes to pass through easily, helping to keep it cool. It's stunning to see so much marble is used throughout all the construction here, but I'm even more amazed by how cool it keeps rooms even when it's hot outside - the walls even still feel cool to the touch in the middle of the day.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Kochi

I’m skipping ahead in my timeline for this one post to share exactly what happened today/tonight/the next morning.

Have I ever mentioned I have a friend who had a handwritten passport from India? I promise that relates to this story.

Let me tell you about the time my husband and I went to Kochi from Udaipur. So the flight out of Udaipur seemed like a simple thing. Conditions were good. We arrived around 1:20pm for a 3:30pm departure to Delhi, only to learn immediately that it was delayed to 5:25pm-big problem when we only have a 10 minute window to change planes. More on that later.

While we were betting on the delay being due to cows on the runway, the incoming flight was late because of the smoke and fog in Delhi. Boarded around 6pm and were in the air around 6:18pm-not bad. The short 1 hour flight came with a full (huge) meal service, tea, and water. Then we landed in Delhi.

Our connecting flight was delayed to 9:30pm, so we figured we had plenty of time to get off the plane and get over to The domestic transfers gate. When we got to the domestic transfer desk, we were informed that the flight to Kochin departs from the international terminal, even though it’s in the same country.

We followed the large crowd down to the international transfer area and proceeded to passport stamping, but the guard frowned at our paper-print out tickets and sent us back to the air India desk. This desk reprinted new tickets (you have to use the proper paper, apparently), and then sent us out past baggage claim, through the exit, and to the international transfers door. The armed guard there sent us back to domestic transfers. At this point, we’re sweaty, almost sprinting, and have about an hour to go before our flight departs. Ping-ponging from desk to desk, we’re told we have to go through passport control (on this new side of the airport, not on the side we were already on with a sign pointing to our gate and ostensibly the same people with the same jobs) but THIS time we get to go to a special “D” stamp desk. However, there are so many long lines that we start to panic a little.

Out of nowhere, two seemingly official guys (they had matching sweaters in the colors of the airline and some sort of ID badges) start calling out “Kochi?! Kochi?!” And we turn and say “Yes!” Because we need assistance. They collect our bags and hustle us to the “D” stamp counter, then argue with all security people claiming we had business class seats (we, in fact, did not) until they usher us to the front of the X-ray scan lines (his and hers) and take us all the way to the lounge area with 15 minutes to go.

15 minutes was a nice thought at the time. We crammed in some snacks, a latte, and some drinks. Our gate turned out to be a 15 minute walk from the lounge, at the end of the terminal, so we took off early so as not to have to rush. In a surprise to no one at this point, the flight is delayed another hour, we change gates, and a mob has to gather repeatedly before they let us board.

Except for a funny incident where a flight attendant offered me tea that was coffee, the flight proceeded without activity. However when we landed in Kochi, our boarding passes for the flight we were departing were checked on the jetway and again at the customs exit (since, you know, we were international flyers and all). Then, in what I think was my favorite end to the day of travel, we went through X-ray security to leave the airport/go to baggage claim. Safely in a car on our way to the hotel, we’ve almost arrived. It’s 2:32am.

The day after Amber Fort we took a car trip out to the Samode Palace, which has been purchased by private investors and turned into a hotel while still preserving many of the historic rooms in their original condition. Talk about living history! A long drive outside the city, this palace is so interesting in part because it's actually an operational hotel. Visitors and guests staying at the palace can take a guided tour of the historic parts and even enjoy lunch. The old parts of the palace are extraordinary. The wall paintings are so vibrant and ornate, and they used mirrored glass and precious stones in parts as well. The formal dance hall and banquet areas are still available to rent out for weddings and events. The palace is a bit of a trek but it's worth making to see such a beautiful space. I promise you these are only a portion of the many photos we took there. And the lunch was superb!

Here are some additional images from the Amber Fort, including elephants commuting and some fun with photography we had while at the fort.

Moving on from Agra, we visited Jaipur next. The train trips here are amazing to me. The executive class is quite affordable by USD standards, and they come with a ton of food. After tea and a snack that could be a meal, they feed you the actual meal, pictured above. There's also tea and a liter of water per person. It's an aggressive serving. Arriving in Jaipur, the train station was a leftover piece of the British Empire and their "contributions" to India. Leaving that unfortunate subject aside, I have to say I'm amazing and enthralled with the variety of traffic found in India. I've included a 6-photo collage of some of the things we've run into along the road. We got into Jaipur and then took a long car trip to our first hotel there, so it was nightfall before we settled in. We had to get up early too to catch the elephant to the fort the next day. No really, I'm serious. Outside of the city of Jaipur is the Amber Fort, often written and pronounced "Amer Fort." If you get there early enough and you're intrepid like my husband (not me, I hate heights), you can take an elephant from the base of the hill to the fort entrance. So we did that, because my husband loves elephants. The Amber Fort was built and inhabited when the fort above ran out of water, and the fort and palace were later abandoned supposedly when they, too, ran out of water. The Fort is well known for its Hindu designs and red sandstone and marble design. My favorite fun fact about the fort is that the gardens inside and out (built into the lake) were designed to replicate the pattern of the Persian rugs owned by the Emperor. He brought in capable Persian weavers to teach local artisans to make rugs in the Persian style but couldn't show off his own rugs so instead, he had the gardens made to show off the design of his rugs. More photos to follow in the next post - there are so many amazing and beautiful images to share.

Sorry folks, it's been a while since I last posted, but the Indian cuisine combined with lots of moving around really got to me. I still can't help but overeat at breakfast buffets, and so much of Indian cuisine is so rich. In any event, following Taj Mahal, which really can't be followed, we visited the Agra Fort. This fort, one of the only in the area where early Mughal emperors lived, was built on a semi-circle plot of land. One of my favorite details is the big bathtub, photo featured here, gifted by one of the emperors to his lady friend. It has steps climbing up to it and down into it, and I wonder if it was always positioned at the entrance to the palace (unlikely since the women were typically sequestered into their own areas of palaces). We've been fortunate to visit sites without too much colonial influence, but I find it interesting that a British dignitary was buried at this fort. We have also run into monkeys at various sites, although I'm glad that they've thus far not been like the monkeys in Bali - those little things were aggressive. The monkeys here are much more tame, it seems.

Ah the Taj Mahal. What to say about this incredible wonder of a building. Personally my favorite thing is that it was built by an Emperor in loving memory of his third wife. Some may call this the most beautiful symbol of love, I like to think of it as a show of the awesomeness of women. Least favorite thing? The cenotaph of Mumtaz Mahal has a writing tablet covered in inscriptions because this is where her husband "writes her destiny with his pen." The best plan for a Taj visit is to get there for sunrise. That means we had to leave the hotel at 6:30am and we're still behind about 100 people in line at the East Gate when it opened at sunrise (7:05am). Thus far in India, I've been surrounded mostly by locals, but of course, at the Taj at sunrise, we were completely surrounded by Americans and Western Europeans. We actually met a guy who used to work for the company my husband now works for, so it's a small world after all. Men and women enter the Taj separately and are screened in different areas. My favorite restrictions on items in bags here included gum and lipstick. There are probably several reasons why lipstick would be excluded so I secretly pocketed my tinted lip balm just in case. They really know how to set up the suspense here. We entered through a gate then walked through another beautiful structure before turning to see the outline of the Taj Mahal in the hazy sunrise. Although the grounds were already growing crowded with visitors from all four gates, the first looks did not disappoint. This is a beautiful monument, a structure unlike anything I've seen, with a serenity and elegance that for me rivals the Duomo, one of my favorites. The intense focus on balance, proportion, and symmetry made me feel at ease even in the crowds. And as pushy and unconcerned with proper queuing that everyone seemed to be thus far in our adventures, it seemed like everyone was truly calmly waiting their turn to capture the perfect shot - well for the most part, anyway. I had some questions about some shots people set up, but was grateful to get so many opportunities to take so many of my own photos from different points. It's almost too much to go into the building, and of course they don't allow photographs of the cenotaphs or interior, so I have no photos of the inside. But we did venture inside after putting on our hospital grade shoe coverings to prevent scuffing of the marble. We've seen so many ruins with scratches and graffiti, but this site above any other here is carefully kept very secure with many guards and lots of whistle blowing. The inside of the mausoleum is quite dark even though the ceiling is high, but the white marble with inlaid stones and calligraphy was still a site to see. Emperor Shah Jahan was so focused on balance and symmetry that the mosque to the west side was balanced by a "guest house" to the east. I find this a little ironic considering that Shah Jahan's cenotaph was built next to Mumtaz Mahal's inside the mausoleum, making for a very off-balance and uncomfortable space inside the white marble carved wall surrounding her cenotaph. But dead men can't be choosers, I suppose. I was grateful that the fog lifted enough at sunrise so we could take some relatively clear photos before the place was packed, but coming out of the mausoleum and returning up the path, we still managed to take a second round of photos at each spot, just as before, which was great because the rising sun added a beautiful light to the setting and seemed to help burn off some of the mist. By the time we left I was so hungry for breakfast but so awed by the gorgeous structure and of course, because I'm me, happy that my husband's planning and careful research payed off so we could get out of there before the swarms of visitors took over.

Lane markings in Delhi are mere suggestions for vehicles, but we learned quickly that in Agra, cars and trucks are lucky to use the road. We arrived by train and from the station to the hotel, saw pretty much everything you can imagine on the road. My favorites include tractors, camels, cows, and donkeys with decorative blankets. Pedestrians almost have an easier time making progress on these roads than do vehicles. Good thing our only plan for the day was to visit Fatehpur Sikri (the Taj was closed to the visiting public). The hour long trip to the deserted town took longer than that with many ridiculous traffic jams involving buses (way too big for the road) large trucks, and cows acting like honey badgers. While in Delhi the wide lanes made room for all the people and there were many modern conveniences, the view from our car windows as we made our way to Fatehpur Sikri reminded me of the poverty and simple living I witnessed in rural parts of Peru. Small shop upon small shop with cow pies stacked and ready to use for fuel, scooters running everywhere and men in tattered garments chatting as women in those ubiquitous beautiful saris and salwar kameez walked slowly along, sometimes carrying children and sometimes hurting goats, sheep, or a cow. The crowded people on dirt streets with a film of dust sitting calmly across it all was curious to see from the window but made me feel so grateful for everything I have and the comfort in which I live. Fatehpur Sikri was a city built by Akbar on the site of gardens originally established by his grandfather Babur who was inspired by gardens in Kabul. The town was estimated to have a peak population of 200,000, but was deserted shortly after completion. Akbar moved to Lahore in 1585 and upon his return, he set up the capital in Agra. Another one of those public places where locals can get away from stuffy residences and wonder around, the city and mosque are hot spots for tourists and locals. I especially enjoyed the dude who photo bombed my shot of the mosque in sunset. The abandoned city boasts more of the beautiful red sandstone we've seen in other building, and intricate, complex carvings on the walls and windows. An architecture and pattern freak like myself could go hog wild with photography in a space like this, and indeed I did. As much a I was enjoying photographing the open air buildings with built in stone bunk beds, garden areas, cisterns, and terraced structures, it turns out that my husband and I were an attraction for the locals. Many wanted to have their photos taken with us or just take photos of us or, even more interesting, walk right in by us staring. I guess the mysteries of this abandoned city were familiar to the locals.

After Qutub Minar, we headed to Hauz Khas Village, a small neighborhood where no cars were permitted (though we still found ourselves negotiating the pedestrian paths with the occasional car or scooter horn trying to signal all to move aside. The small village is a fascinating combination of an old town built right next to/on top of old ruins mixed with the hipster/club scene of very modern India. Lunch took place at a restaurant called Social, and you know the character Stephan played by Bill Hader on SNL's Weekend Update? Well this place was made for him. My first joke, which may have fallen a little flat on Instagram, involved a photo of the toilet paper napkins printed with hashtags. We kept it going, commenting on the loud untzy music that involved a fascinating DJ mashup of various pop songs, but the best was the cocktail situation. I saw libations come out in ram horns, and some drinks even traversed to their destination in a potted plant. Amazing. We walked around the village briefly, like all the cool kids were doing, then grabbed another auto over to Humayun's Tomb. Humayun was an emperor of the Mughal dynasty. The lavish grounds, garden, and buildings as well as the tomb were thought to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. This tomb is one of the largest buildings made of red sandstone, and it has white marble accents that really set off the red stone. The space was really serene and beautiful, and we had fun taking various photos that played with light and shadow in the elaborately carved tomb area. The photo of tiny puppies has a story too. Dogs play a role in the Hindu faith with their relation to one of the deities, so Hindus are careful to take good care of the many street dogs around as this is a sign of respect for the god. We've seen lots of dogs roaming and napping, but at Humayun's Tomb, there was a precious set of puppies - two litters from the same mother, it seemed - and as we were leaving, it was nap time. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the puppy on the bottom was from an earlier litter, and then the two tiny puppies on top from a more recent one. Everyone stopped at the exit to take photos of these sweet puppies curled up. We didn't quite make it to the India Gate, similar to the Arc de Triomphe, but as luck would have it, our auto ride home included a sort of pass by, so I snapped a selfie of the Gate behind me. New Year's Eve ended early for us - we grabbed some snacks at the hotel lounge and didn't even manage to stay awake for the Galactic Dancers of Europe (from Germany) although I can't say I was particularly excited so much as intrigued. Apparently there were fireworks at midnight but I slept right through those! We're off now to Agra, where we'll get to finally see the Taj among other wonders.

Leaving the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, we took the metro to our next stop. The Delhi metro is actually a fantastic, easy to use, and fast way of getting around the city. Though of course the cars can be as crowded as in any large city, it's still quick and efficient, avoiding all the traffic of the crazy streets above. Unfortunately I don't have any photos to share of the metro because they frown upon photographing inside the metro, but I can tell you about it. At each metro entrance there's a security post. Men and women, separately, have to go through metal detectors and be patted down by guards (the women in a private, screened off area) while all the bags are put through an X-Ray machine. This was my least favorite part, having just been violated and losing many pieces of jewelry, I'd had about enough of turning my bags over to others, but luckily it didn't seem like anyone was interested in anything but they're own bag. We took the metro to Qutab Minar and ventured into this historic site. An old Muslim mosque and minaret date back 7 centuries, and the minaret is the tallest brick minaret in the world. It tilts a little, reminding me of the leaning tower of Pisa a bit. The grounds also contain other ruins and a black iron pillar dating from the 4th century. I'm always a fan of cool architecture and I love the styles used in all of the sites we're visiting, but I also cannot get over the people. Each time we visit a site, we're seemingly the only (or two of a few) White people and/or westerners, so it's exciting to observe the others around us. I cannot get over how beautiful all of the saris are that we keep seeing. A family group will be walking into the historic site and the men are dressed in drab, threadbare sweaters and Oxford shirts with khaki pants or sweatpants, meanwhile the women are outfitted in gorgeous, brightly colored, embroidered fabric that softly circles their bodies and leaves an extra scarf-like length flowing from their shoulders. The tunics and other traditional outfits for women all offer such a feast to the eyes - the colors and detailed embroider work are so incredible, I'm almost as moved by these fabric works of art as I am by the ancient architecture, and I LOVE architecture. Leaving Qutab Minar (or Qutub Minar), we caught a ride in our first tuk tuk or auto, hence the photos Of excitement posted here. Now that was a fun ride! The three-wheeled vehicle can slip in and out of traffic while at the same time moving almost as quickly as any car on the road can go. No seat belts, so hold on, but you get a great view of your surroundings as you hustle along, mostly on the correct side of the road.

After a full night of much needed rest, I was excited to get down to the business of exploring New Delhi. Our day began with a relatively peaceful 40 minute walk from the hotel through the streets of Delhi to the Indira Gandhi Memorial. The wide streets of the new city still lacked in lane markings, but somehow we didn't see a single accident, as drivers alerted one another through the use of horns. I still love seeing all the various vehicles, especially the ones we don't have in the states. That's one of the aspects I love about all the travel we do: the opportunity to see something that is completely unfamiliar. My husband and I talked about the fact that being in a place so completely different from our home helps us to disconnect and unwind, even in as crowded and chaotic a place as New Delhi. Did I mention the population of the city is about 16 million? Along our walk we passed many government buildings and residences of officials, including perhaps the home of the Prime Minister or one of the higher ups. At that point, we witnessed a police blockade set up to stop traffic as a motorcade drove by, but I managed to completely miss the motorcade - I was looking for something else to happen. Oh well. Indira Gandhi's Memorial Trust was established in her home, turning it into a museum with both exhibits and rooms left as they were when she occupied the home. With all of the security and armed guards in the area, it's so frustrating to me to think that once again, a change agent such as her was struck down by someone able to get so close and to be trusted. Her quotes about expecting an assassination and preparing the public for her death were all so uplifting. I was struck by the first rooms that showed photos of her public life and government service mixed with newspaper articles and headlines, and quotes from her speeches and memoirs of times in office. I loved taking a photo of an early election she won as chronicled on the front page of a newspaper, and looking at the date to see it was in 1966. Sometimes, as advanced as we feel in the United States, I laugh at that thought when looking at the many other countries that got it together to elect women to top offices before we have. There are many photos of Indira Gandhi's work internationally as well as nationally, and she has many photos with and gifts from various leaders across the globe. There's a photo of her with the Kennedys, and the image made me think about the comparisons between the two families. Both the Kennedys and the Gandhis shared a certain level of political royalty, both families worked in some way for social justice and human rights, and both had members who met untimely deaths through assassination. I didn't realize that Indira's son was also assassinated, but learning this made the comparison stronger for me. Although the two groups are not all that similar, I'm reminded of how my mother used to talk about Jack and Bobby and the hope they brought to folks. It seems that Indira, Rajiv, and Mahatma brought the same hope to their people. Mixed with amazing first hand accounts of her experiences and newspaper articles about her work, we saw some of her private rooms as they were when she lived in the home. Her bedroom, drawing room, dining room, and prayer room were left in tact with her personal objects, as through she had just left the house. The green and quiet grounds added to the solemnity of the home and the significance of its purpose - there was even a peacock roaming the grounds. Toward the end of the tour there's a walking path covered with Crystal and glass. The glass portions show where Indira Gandhi was shot and where she fell. We approached to read the inscription, a quote from her notes about how even in the face of death she will always love and work for her country and its people. As I was aiming to take a photo, I accidentally caught a precious Indian girl looking as though she was considering all that she'd just seen and making a prayer for the future. How marvelous that she has such a historical political hero to learn about in her own culture. We need more women leaders for our daughters and our sons.

Here's a video of the pigeons I mentioned. They owners across rooftops play a game where they let them loose and try to confuse and capture the birds that belong to someone else in their flock.

We watched the pigeons take off and return to the master (a video of this to come) and looked all around the city, high above the chaos of the streets (a video of this to come as well). I watched as children played on a rooftop nearby, several men tended their pigeons, and women washed laundry to hang out to dry. Back down on street level, the noise mixed with traffic and the variety of smells elevated without shocking my senses. I felt comfortable navigating between pedestrians, shops (some laid out on the ground on mats), cars, tuk tuks, rickshaws, cows, donkeys, and scooters as they all nearly hit one another but were all moving too slowly to cause any damage. In the wider streets, the lines on the pavement seem to function as suggestions rather than rules, but there are no lines and absolutely no rules in the streets of Old Delhi. We visited so many shops, getting introductions to various types of foods and items for sale. We sampled breath fresheners and learned more about different spices used in Indian cooking. In a shrine (which also offered a drive by window for those too hurried to remove their shoes), our guide bathed the gods and shared the background of each deity in the Hindu faith. Again I find myself grateful to have heard the Ramayana on Diwali, as told by my best friend, for it gave me a better appreciation for these stories and deities. I think the chaos of the traffic is trumped only by the insanity of the electrical wires that hang above streets and look like none of them should work. Our guide tells us the homes are built close together to help everyone withstand earthquakes, and that this older part of Delhi is falling apart because too many families own small shares in these homes that not more than a couple of families can inhabit. Our guide, who has an MBA and works in management consulting, shared with us how many of the venders we saw have multiple businesses they run, from the woman who is responsible for selling all the chilies and limes that hang from the front of shops to ward off jealousy, to the three venders who sell all the offering flower wreaths for the neighborhood. Our guide speculated that many we encountered were quite wealthy, and while I didn't see great wealth anywhere to my eyes, I didn't see great poverty either. Even the street dogs looked well cared for and happy. The backdrop of the noises and the traffic included amazing smells of various spices - always interesting and never anything distasteful. There was just so much to take in on this first day, and so much to appreciate. We rounded out our day with an amazing light and water show at Askshardham temple. I'd share photos of this but they made us check our cameras and phones. After finishing a light dinner in our room, I'm off to hopefully conquer the dizziness I get with jet lag by getting some sleep. More adventures to be had tomorrow!

Remember how I mentioned that Lufthansa made us check our bags? Well as convenient as I thought I was at the time, and as prepared as I was to throw a couple items into my carry-on, I made a big mistake and am paying for it now. A little voice in the back of my mind told me to pack my jewelry in with my carry-on, but I didn't. When we arrived at our hotel in Delhi, I opened my suitcase to find everything had been fingered through and much of my jewelry was missing, though the thief left me a few pieces and the travel bag. Other than a sentimental piece, nothing of value was lost, but I tossed between feeling angry at myself and violated by the thief for the three hours we had to sleep. Through the night and into the day, I've come to believe that even though everything about that experience sucked, it was a useful reminder and the universe's way of reminding me to listening to my inner voices and not to place too much value on material things. This sense of devaluing the material reverberated throughout my day, as we made our way on the metro to our meet-up point with our walking tour guide in Old Delhi this morning. Dhruv, our guide, met us in the crowded streets of the Chawri Bazaar, home of the wholesalers' market and an amazing array of activity in the city. Our first stop was breakfast, before visiting a family's roof, walking up 5 flights of stairs to where they keep their pigeons. From this vantage point we spied children on a table and the city waking up. More in the next post.

After about 8 hours on this double decker photographed here, we walked over a mile through the Frankfurt airport to get to the lounge. This massive airport and Lufthansa hub has a super cool mobile hanging in one terminal (photo included). We walked under it and then over it. Now watching the sun rise and preparing for the next flight which will take us to Delhi. Exhaustion is currently beating out anticipation, but this lounge has an espresso machine so we'll see how pumped I get.

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You Make me Dizzy Ms. Lizzie!