Full Day in Delhi

We saw loads of Delhi today, but a highlight was Humayun's Tomb. The
beautiful red sandstone and white marble amongst lushious greens
gardens and palms was spectacular. It had a mystical elegance as the
rain brought out vivid hues against a grayish sky. We also enjoyed
Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum and Gandhi Memorial. The Gandhi
Memorial was especially moving. Both are at the sites where each was
assasinated. The women are striking as they walk in colorful, flowing
saris. Bright pinks, reds, yellows, turquiose. It is a huge contrast
to the muddy grays and browns of the street below.

The food here is consistently delicious. We had high expectations and
so far they have been met. The flavors and combinations are so tasty
and wonderful. We ate Southern Indian food for lunch. At the end we
were given little sugar mint crystals and dried fenugreek seeds, which
they eat to aid in digestion.

Delhi is flooded, it would seem. The Yamuna river hasn't been this
flooded since 1978. The farmlands along the river have been flooded
and the people were forced to move their homes. So along a major
highway, families have set up make-shift tents and cots to live in.
We could see right in, and it looked cramped and dirty and very wet.
We stopped on the bridge to people watch. At the water's edge, people
gathered with an idol of a Hindu god (the Elephant god), prayed and
then sent it away down the river. This ritual is part of preparation
for an upcoming festival in October. A moment later a group of people
covered in red powder-paint were dancing and drumming and singing down
the street carrying another idol. They stopped, surrounded us, and
proceeded to beat drums, yell, and dance. For a second we thought
maybe we would become the offering. :)

New Delhi is nicer than Old Delhi as the name would suggest. The
roads are wider with defined lanes, more spacious, and cleaner though
that is not saying much.

Tomorrow we head for Agra.