I woke up early after a so-so night of sleep. It’s loud here – definitely city living. A pack of dogs was barking outside for half an hour in the middle of the night. I brought earplugs – mostly to sleep on the plane – but I’ll get them out for tomorrow.
Coffee is Nescafé. A necessary evil I suppose. Breakfast is a fruit plate – papaya and apple – and toast. And fresh squeezed juice – not quite orange juice. Must be a cousin.
Our first stop is a mosque. I’ll have to grab the literature we have from the guide book. I don’t remember details.
The next stop is the Bahai Temple. Its design is based on the lotus flower. There are only seven Bahai temples in the world – one per continent. There’s also one in Wilmette, IL, about a mile north of Northwestern. I regret never having gone inside.
It wasn’t open to the general public, but Niraj knew from a preview trip of a museum-like area about the faith. We get passes. It’s amazing to learn about the origins of the faith and the basic principles it follows. Some of the quotes really resonate with me. We buy a booklet for 10r (less than a quarter).
Our last morning stop is India Gate. You can’t get closer than a few hundred yards, so we snap a few pictures and return to the guest house for lunch.
Lunch is great – and filling. They bring out food until you beg them to stop.
We head to an immense temple in the afternoon. It’s just opened in the previous months. Niraj says it was $100m to build. There’s strict security – including metal detectors. Ami has a purse and is not allowed in the line, so she and Niraj walk back to the car since we don’t trust the bag check. They split men and women through security. Niraj and I both have cameras which aren’t allowed (we’re learning!) so it’s another 10-minute round trip to the car.
Finally we’re in. We find Ami and Leena and take turns watching our shoes (you must take them off in temples) while we walk through the temple. It’s remarkable, no doubt, though I won’t even really try to describe it. It’s unmistakably new, and it feels a little tacky with donation boxes two to a room. To exit we have to pass through a food court and a massive gift shop. At least there is no entry fee.
In contrast, everything was free at the Bahai temple, and they only allow believers to donate money.
We head back to the guest house, and I catch a nap before dinner. We head to a restaurant Calle Rodeo in Connaught Place. We came all the way to India for… Mexican! The ambiance is surreal: Indians in cowboy attire and a DJ playing nothing but 80s ballads (from the US).
Lady in Red
Red Red Wine
Hello
Everything I Do
Wonderful Tonight
I Just Called To Say I Love You
Must’ve Been Love
Another Day in Paradise
You get the idea.