Traveling India: Delhi

Being in Delhi was like being on another planet at times, and then, there were glimpses of the India we’ve come to know, or try to know. On our first day, we visited the Red Fort, which was similar to Agra Fort but had restaurants, shops, photo exhibitions, and museums inside.

I enjoyed being there and taking photos, having tea with the girls and taking in the beautiful Moughal architecture. We spent a good deal of time there and then went to the Jama Mosque (the biggest in the city), which was beautiful. I love Islamic architecture and the “feel” of them when inside. Perhaps the most poignant moment of my day was after we finished view the mosque and were walking back to the car and we had an encounter with two street girls about 4-6 years old. Two little girls, beautiful, their faces and hands were

crusted with mud and sand, their smile yellowed, their hair matted, but their eyes shone with a childlike glow that made them so amazing. They laughed when I showed them pictures of them on my camera. When we left we gave them a few Rupees and waved goodbye. I couldn’t get their little faces out of my head as we drove to the hotel in a nice car towards a warm Indian dinner. I can still picture them, perfectly, without consulting my photos. Two people dealt remarkably different hands in life.

The rest of our stay in Delhi was a time to forget, at least for me. I had come down with a stomach bug (I later found out that I had e-coli poisoning) that had me running to the bathroom every 5 to 10 minutes, but the girls were able to go out and see the city, and from what I heard, had a great time.

Regardless of my stomach’s woes, I was very excited to leave Delhi and make my way back home for Christmas. I said goodbye to the girls who were heading to the deserts of Rajasthan, and waited a few more hours before heading to the Delhi airport…Next stop Amsterdam then off to New York! Or so I thought…