Dear readers, apologies for the delay in writing, but we have been having way too much of a good time to be able to even get near the computer. It has been FANTASTIC so far! So let me bring you up to date……

5th Jan, 2016

This was a full-on day in Delhi, quite a lot of it in traffic, but also dotted with some amazing visits and experiences. Our hotel is in Old Delhi and Monu, our driver, (described by Val as ‘dashing’ – his looks, I presume, rather than his driving as the adjective for the latter is more like formidable) at 9.00 (‘9 is fine’) is his mantra along with our guide for the day, Maninder. The driving and traffic does deserve a small mention here and I will draw on Val’s comments in her diary, not least because she decided to sit in front, a decision she has had seconds thoughts about since.

“What can I say – it was a dance. A dance where everyone knows the moves and dance to the music that only they were hearing. They avoided bashing into one another somehow and what I saw was hundreds of cars, bikes, pedestrians, people, tuktuks, buses, lorries, taxis, rickshaws, dogs and the odd horse-drawn cart and, of course, cows all trying to fit into last inch of road (and pavement) – including coming towards us on our side as well. This was all to the accompaniment of an almost endless variety of horns, of course.”

I concur! The astounding thing is that nobody ever seems to get angry – but then, what would be the point. To me it looked like the perfect example of a sort of Darwinian free market for space. Luckily Monu is definitely way up the food change and is superb at judging to the inch the speed and space available to him as well as having a sixth sense as to what the vehicle/person/cow in front/behind/on either side is going to do next. It is like playing a multi-boarded game of chess but with dire consequences if you get it wrong.

First stop, after passing the Red Fort, was the largest mosque in India, the Jama Masjid.

Very impressive as you can see (not least the weight I seem to have regained lately!). It was built between 1644 and 1656 (a little before St. Paul’s) by Shah Jahan and can cater to 25,000 worshipers, though you have to hope it is not raining as the building itself does not go back very far at all – very al-fresco. You can get a nice sense of the smog that was ever-prevalent in Delhi….

Next up was a rickshaw ride through some of Old Delhi. As you can see, they are not built for comfort and space and we (well, ok, I) filled it up quite successfully. The road was dotted with potholes, which all added to the fun and you have to ensure you keep your elbows inside (see traffic – above). I have included a few street scenes – and excuse the slightly out of focus ones – see potholes, above!

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Right, on we go or this blog will never be finished – that is always assuming you have read this far! Next stop was the Raj Ghat park where there was a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Impressively simple and very much in marked contrast to some of the efforts of the Moghul predecessors in India – see below! Also with their remains or with memorials to them in the park are Indira Ghandhi, her son Rajiv and that Old Harrovian, Nehru.

We were driven further south towards New Delhi to Humayun’s tomb. Humayun was the second Moghul emperor (Akbar was the first) and was built by his widow after he died in 1564. It is something of a prototype for the Taj Mahal, as you no doubt were thinking as you glanced down at the photos just now. His barber is also buried nearby – he must have been good!

On we then went, further south to our next destination – the Qutb Minar complex. This was considered on of the “Wonders of the East” in times past, though a more recent historian commented that it had “an unfortunate hint of the factory chimney and the brick kiln; a wisp of white smoke trailing from its summit would not seem out of place. I will let you decide – but note that the Minar (minaret) or tower is 72 metres high and was higher still, but the top two bits fell off in an earthquake. It is more impressive that the photos suggest, all the more so as it was started in 1199. The rest of the site is made up by a number of ruined buildings in a variety of Islamic and Hindu styles. That is Haninder, our guide, by thee way.

The plan for the rest of the day (and note that we had not had much sleep the night before due to jet lag) was to drive past Lutyens’s and other British architects’ masterpieces, ie the Parliament building and the President’s Residence as well as India Gate and some of the impressive bungalows that were set up when it was decided that Delhi would be the new capital of the Raj after 1911. Unfortunately the government was taking no chances and had blocked all the roads anywhere near the main building, but we did manage to see India Gate from afar and drive down the much roundabouted boulevards that make up New Delhi, marveling at the still very attractive government bungalows.

That was about it – but, inevitably, there was still time for the stop at the Kashmir carpet shop. I regret to advise that we succumbed – but I won’t tell you the result, just in case it never actually manages to make its way home. Our fingers are crossed.

Back to the hotel, who, I would add have been superb, even going to the extent of providing Val with satin sheets to make it easier for her to turn over at night. As you can see, we are not exactly slumming it down at the hostel!

Well done to get this far – assuming you have. I am now only 3 days behind schedule – more tomorrow if I can! Cheers.