Day 2 of the India leg…..and the rain has set in. Feeling pretty lucky to have packed my rain coat and brolly! The sky is grey - not the dirty brown it was yesterday. It’s gloomy looking out the hotel room window…our day has been delayed by 1.5 hours due to the weather…here’s hoping it will get better. Surprisingly the weather is cool… a top of 21 C today - I had packed for mid 30s and the Brisbane crowd are going to be in shock I think (one said she had no jumper or cardigan!!!).
We rode for about an hour from the hotel to Old Delhi…dating back some 5000 years according to our Guide, Avidesh. Frenetic traffic, sights and sounds constantly stimulate. The driving skill is unbelievable - moving at speed with sometimes only millimetres to spare, horns honking, other cars cutting in and out is tiring to watch, little own perform!
We went to the Jama Masjid Mosque - designed and built emperor Shah Jashan - the same person who commissioned the Taj Mahal. The mosque is the biggest in India - built out of red sandstone and white marble with black marble inlay for decoration. As it was Friday afternoon and prayer was happening we were not allowed inside but did see the square and the doorways.
We then walked through small streets and laneways to the Sikh Temple Sheeshganj Gurudwar. We were allowed in the prayer room and watch prayer and then went to the community kitchen where we saw women rolling japati and men cooking and serving anyone who would like to eat. They apparently feed thousands of people everyday - anyone of any faith or no faith can walk through and be fed. It is staffed by volunteers and funding purely through charity. It was extremely humbling to see such kindness and generosity to humanity! 
We then walked through a maze of alleys and lanes - past shops selling all kinds of goods. The area is called Chandon Chowk little shops sell spices, fruits, silver jewellery, materials and saris…there are areas for all, including stationary and books!
Any of my friends who have electrical knowledge would have been shuddering … the wires and poles were the most creative I have ever seen! There were monkeys running along the wires and roof tops, a dog here and there and cows standing in the middle of the street!
A rickshaw ride helped get us around large parts and was an experience in itself. Our tour leader told me that these riders make maybe $10 a day - the energy involved was amazing, but the beautiful nature and exposure were wonderful!
We started late in the day, and toured and explored through lunch time. It also gave us the space for what came next…..a street food tour!
We travelled to the north of Old Delhi to an area where the University of Delhi main campus is. Just next door is a market area - where university students window shop high end goods, but also eat. We visited 5 different food places, experiencing 9 different foods…
1. Chicken Shawarma - mildly spicy chicken mince strapped in an Indian version of flat bread
2. Paneer Shawarma - spicy paneer in flat breast
3. Paneer Momo - spiced paneer dumplings
4. Vegetable Momo - carrot, cabbage and spices dumplings
5 Golgappe - semoline and wheat Purri (pastry ball) filled with spiced potatoes, chickpeas and tangy flavored water. It is especially famous in Delhi and across North India. The spicy, tangy pani along with sweet tamarind chutney
6. Bhel Puri - puffed rice, crunchy puris, and sev, which are layered with ingredients such as potato and onion and topped with chutneys
7 AlooTiki spice, crispy potato patties, often served with chutney, yogurt, or as a chaat
8 Kulfi - a thick saffron icecream on a popsicle stick
9. Jalebi - a sweet fried pretzel dipped in sugar syrup
I rolled into bed that night!
We went to the Jama Masjid Mosque - designed and built emperor Shah Jashan - the same person who commissioned the Taj Mahal. The mosque is the biggest in India - built out of red sandstone and white marble with black marble inlay for decoration. As it was Friday afternoon and prayer was happening we were not allowed inside but did see the square and the doorways. 
We then walked through small streets and laneways to the Sikh Temple Sheeshganj Gurudwar. We were allowed in the prayer room and watch prayer and then went to the community kitchen where we saw women rolling japati and men cooking and serving anyone who would like to eat. They apparently feed thousands of people everyday - anyone of any faith or no faith can walk through and be fed. It is staffed by volunteers and funding purely through charity. It was extremely humbling to see such kindness and generosity to humanity! 
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