PDFGood roads really do make a difference. The drive from Jaipur to Delhi was totally painless and quick. However, it seemed to be very disconcerting to Henny, who really didn’t like all the big trucks. She actually said at one point how terrible it was, and how she would much rather take the small bumpy roads than this highway with all these 16-wheelers…. I can’t quite figure out where this emotion is coming from….
OK. I know it is a horribly blurry photo, but we were zooming by when I tried to quickly roll down the window and take this picture. This is a shot of India Gate lit up at night on Republic Day. We went and visited India Gate the following day, but the lights were only up for that night.
We first checked in to our hotel, which, while very nice in terms of cleanliness and modern-ness and whatever-else-ness, was really inconveniently located far away from central Delhi. Essentially, it was a business/conference hotel—located close to the airport and catering to those types of customers. But what can be done, right?
The decoration on the brick minaret is pretty cool, as is the feeling you experience standing near the bottom and looking up. I still need to figure out how to take better perspective shots of tall structures….
Today is Republic Day—very big deal here, especially in Delhi. Unfortunately, what that also means for us is that almost everything is closed, at least until five in the evening or so, when maybe some of the stores would re-open. We send Raj to figure out what we will do with our time so we don’t waste our day, and in the meantime, we have showers and go and get some lunch at the hotel’s restaurant.
Raj comes and joins us about halfway through our meal. There’s at least one place we can see today: Qutb Minar—quickly rechristened “Q-tip Minar.” So, after lunch, off we go. Although the site is quite in ruins, it’s still really beautiful. Our timing was also convenient, because the silhouettes created by the ruined structures as the sun was setting were really picturesque.
When we had had enough, we went back and found Raj who then took us on a drive around the city a bit. We went by India gate, which was lit up like the Indian flag in celebration of Republic Day, then we went to Connaught Place to do some people watching.
When you have a chance, go to feel the love at India Gate or clean your ears out with the giant Q-tip Minar.
