Day Two in Delhi, Thursday, 11/2/17

We slept hard in a room that felt too warm.  We were up at 7 and after dressing, the fire alarm on our floor was activated, which brought people out of their rooms on the double, some of them in their drawers (amusing sights!!)  False alarm.  Breakfast at 8 in the hotel in their too-loud restaurant. I have a bad attitude. The A/Q is terrible, the air stinks.  I skipped the AM lecture on the relevance of Gandhi in Today’s World, so I could have the peace and quiet I need.  I wrote, but my Google doesn’t like this hotel, so I can’t get on the computer.  I can’t do what I want to do.  At 9:30 the bus departed for a visit to New Delhi, in this awful soup they call air. Bad air = bad attitude.

Our first full day was jam packed, and every time the bus got under way, eyes closed and heads nodded, including mine. The bus drove past several historical buildings, including the India Gate, Parliament House, the President’s House and the Government Secretariat buildings. While en route, our guide, Anurag, talked about India’s system of government and many people slept. 

The schedule was rearranged on the spot because buses of school children were going into the museum.  Instead we paid a visit to the Sikh Temple and one of the world’s largest “soup kitchens,” manned by volunteer help.  Anyone can volunteer, and we also were invited to help if we wanted. School children were visiting for lunch and we created quite a stir when we trooped through. Hello! they all called, waving madly. It was amazing to walk through the kitchen, watching the cooking in progress.

Scenes along the way ....

We needed head coverings.  Oh my!

Bernice and Ibby!

Chopping the squash vegetable for soup.  All volunteers, 365 days a year.

The temple feeds hundreds of thousands every year.

Cute kids with the food trays in front of them.

I swear this is the biggest wok I've ever seen!

Here's where the bread-making was going on.

A couple of us said we'd give the bread-making a try.

You see me and Frankie (who had her own head scarf) rolling dough.

The outside of the Sikh Temple was lavish.

School kids leaving after lunch.  Jimmy loved waving to them.

Next on the program was a stop at the National Museum with 2 million objects representing more than 5,000 yrs of Indian cultural heritage. We saw some truly beautiful objects ... below are just a few. But, really, Delhi -- the big capital city of India, fifth largest populous city in the world -- is filthy, with garbage strewn everywhere and piles of trash growing like weeds. And, unfortunately, people living in squalor. Well, we’re seeing India as it is. The wheels of the bus roll on.

2nd Century AD Buddha.

Surya - Sun God, 13th Century AD

Saraswati - Goddess of Learning and Wisdom, 12th Century AD

Close up of Nataraja - 12th Century BCE.

Our lunch was delightful at Lodi, the Garden Restaurant.

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After lunch, we visited the Gandhi Smriti where Gandhi spent his last 144 days until his assassination in 1948. The site has been preserved as a museum with a few of Gandhi’s personal things.

Gandhi's last footprints.

Our doorman ... loved the hat.

Finally, after a brief return to the hotel to wash up and change, all 19 of us split into four groups, each group to have dinner with a local family in Delhi. I was tired and wanted to skip it, but I was so glad I didn't. The people spoke understandable English and were lovely (I can’t remember their names). I was able to eat everything, and enjoyed it. Though we didn’t get back till late, I was happy I went, attitude improved!  But, as soon as our feet hit our hotel room, they hit the bed!