we haven't been on here in a few days because we've been doing alot of touristy stuff - exploring the city and finding our favorite places. a few days ago, after a late breakfast, rachel and i set out to visit the red fort, one of the most popular spots for tourists in delhi. on the way our auto rickshaw (a green and yellow three-wheeled vehicle, barely large enough for the driver and three passengers - our primary means of transportation) was waived to the side of the road at a police checkpoint. we were a little concerned, but it turned out that they merely wanted to make sure our driver was charging a reasonable fare and treating us appropriately. the red fort was closed in preparation for an upcoming annual celebration, and so we took a detour and headed towards jama masjid, the largest mosque in india. the area surrounding the red fort and our walk to jama masjid made us realize just how tame the neighborhood we live in really is. the place didn't feel dangerous, but we were definitely the center of attention. we were barraged from all sides with 'hello, hello, miss' and 'hello, hello, english' - people trying to sell us sandles, shirts, spices, postcards, dvds and tours. when we finally reached the mosque, however, the silence and serenity of the courtyard, which is built to hold some 20,000 worshippers, made it all worth it. we sat in the center by a small square pool where people prayed, bathed and even brushed their teeth, and watched children run playfully between groups of worshippers and european tourists.
the next day we visited qutab minar, a beautifully preserved minarette surrounded by a few acres of serene grassland and variously-dated ruins (this will all translate much better in pictures). a group of teenagers stopped us and asked politely if we could take a pictures. as best we could tell they were asking for us to help them get a group photo, but they actually just wanted to take a picture with us. we obliged. they didn't seem to find it particularly funny, they just earnestly wanted to take a picture with the foreigners. go figure.
next we went to eat at our favorite restaurant thus far - udupi. they serve north indian and south indian thalis, or 'full meals', for 85 and 65 rupees, respectively (about 1.90 and 1.45). with each meal you get small servings of five or six different dishes, along with a sweet and a bowl of rice. we've yet to finish one completely.
the following day, two friends of ours, arunita and namareta, brought us to a place called dilli haat. its a crafts-oriented market with artisans from all over india selling their goods. there are also food stalls representing india's different states - from what we call chinese food in the extreme northeast to the pooris and dosas of the south.
yesterday was republic day, a national holiday. we woke up at 7am and headed to the center of delhi to see the parade that worked its way from the president's house to india gate. the prime minister and president of india were on hand so security was tight - no phones, cameras or food allowed. we had some trouble figuring out exactly where we had to enter - there was supposed to be assigned seating. after walking a few km we finally found our section, only to be told by security that our seats were 'full'. confused, we moved (or were swept along with the rest of the crowd) to the next gate. after being rebuffed by yet another policeman, who told us that our seats were full and that there was nothing he could do, we told him that we needed to talk to someone about getting our money back (the tickets were 150 rupees each). he quickly referred us to his senior officer. for some reason this man listened to us and decided to help. whether it was because he was completely oblivious to the confused and swelling crowds around him, and was somehow surprised that in the mayhem two people had found their seats sold out from under them, or whether he took a special liking to foreigners, he got us in by speaking personally to a few of the guards at the gate.
the parade was impressive. at its commencement three helicopters flew overhead and dropped flower petals on our heads. and then we watched as missiles, floats, camels, elephants and several regiments of troops from all over the country passed by (apparently the army here is segmented by ethnicity in order to overcome some of the language barriers that exist between different regions of the country).
i'm sure i'm missing alot of the details, but i don't want to write or bore too much. rachel has a much better memory anyway. and she's taking expertly to the local fashions. she bought a beautiful salwar kamees the other day (three pieces; a long shirt, a scarf and pants) - tailored- for about 600 rupees. its only a matter of time until i end up in a nehru jacket.
time to go - today we're going to start planning our first trip - a triangle from delhi to agra to jaipur.
