Out and About in Delhi
Click on any photo to see them all in larger format.
One Wonders....
...what one might be eating in Delhi.
Tourism while Shopping
On our way to do the grocery shopping at INA Market, we detoured a few minutes to see some Mughal tombs, interesting for their location in a populous neighborhood, where apartments buildings now surround them. It's wonderful to see that such structures are valued; indeed, they might have been torn down for their valuable building materials. What purpose they serve the people of these neighborhoods, we did not ask. Next time.
The Chote Khan tombs are largely unrestored. The grave markers are heavily weathered from more than 500???? years of time. Some areas of the outer wall seem minimally restored, but the interior walls and ceilings have lost most of their plaster and paint.
 |
| Red sandstone carving withstands weathering comparatively well. |
The odd proportions are caused the by "pano" feature of the camera that allows the field to be expanded as the camera is moved.
This is the smaller tomb in the same complex.
The site is protected. This smaller tomb's gates were locked, and its windows were barred. The rear entrance was bricked up.
Pigeons only may enter.
 |
| We had been looking for the Tomb of Mubarak Shah Sayyid when we came across another tomb whose occupant's name we do not know. The signs were written only in Hindi. |
Back to our part of town...
Olivia Goes Way Out and About
For more photos, click on this link Olivia's Trip to Leh Ladakh
Tuk Tuk in the Rain
Everybody needs a Red Button.
Since 1966...
...which makes me the original.
Purana Qila
Republic Day Holiday January 26, 2019
This holiday marks the signing of India's constitution after independence from the good ol' U.K., something we've done, as well. Flowers are a big part of the festivities...and a parade we could hear in the distance.
We visited our favorite local market and browsed around its three good bookstores.
A veritable book bazaar. There is little apparent order to the stacks. When I asked availability of two particular titles to the clerk, he just said no. That response seemed most sensible.
This fellow reminded me of Uncle Bud.
In the hot season, this fan is on full time. This shop is always bustling. They carry titles from many local Delhi authors, including one of our colleagues at AES, who is a poet.
I bought a novel here about WW2 in India. I look forward to settling into it on the sofa with Holly.
 |
| Stairs leading to the top floor Cafe Turtle (which does not refer to the speed of the very friendly and courteous service). |
Lots of colorful big picture books about India in the shops. This bag says it all. Bike shops, too.
We enjoyed a drink and then had a delicious small meal. Diane had spiced apple cider, with ginger and lemon. I had espresso. For lunch, it was winter garden soup and felafel sandwiches.
Ugrasen ki Baoli: Step Well in New Delhi Sunday afternoon, January 20, 2019
 |
The Urgrasen ki Baoli step well is located in downtown New Delhi, about 5 or 6 km from the American Embassy School. A 10 minute tuk-tuk ride and you're there. |
 |
| I am always impressed by the large numbers of local tourists who visit Delhi's rich cultural sites on the weekends. Indian people seem proud of their long and varied heritage, rightly so. |
There is a small mosque at the entrance to the step well. The highest walls of the step well
correspond to street level, approximately. The well is more than four stories deep. In the
lowest level, there is a deep recess, equal to at least one more story. The steps allow people
to collect water easily by stepping down to its changing surface.
Imagine this full of water! Monsoon rain run-off would be directed into the pit to raise its level as much as possible each rainy season. These days, of course, the inflow has been stopped to preserve the well as part of the national heritage.
The highest part of the wall is at street level. People and pigeons enjoy the view from above.
 |
| The chamber leading to the deepest level of the well is open for four levels and topped with a dome. |
 |
| Lots of young people out having fun. Lots of photo posing and selfies |
 |
| After a nice visit to the step well, I went to my own favorite step well where French roast espresso collects in season...you guessed it! Connaught Place is the colonial British center of town. |
Lunch at the Bhavan Cafeteria Spring 2018
More on the significance and purpose of these cafeterias once we know more about it. It was a fantastic meal, all you can eat, for 120 rupees (about $1.60), very good, and served in an open, welcoming atmosphere. Thousands of customers must come through at each meal. The environment encourages fast eating (which, to me, is very satisfying), and then they tell you to hit the road. Sure enough, on our way out, the line to get in was long. We got there early and were seated right away. I wonder how long the meal service went on...
The entrance is through a narrow passage. The place appears to be a shrine and cultural center.
 |
Pay at the bar for your table and bottles of water, if you prefer that to tap water. |
 |
A popular spot. It would be much more crowded by the time we finished our meal 30 minutes later. |
  |
| Everyone gets a tray-plate, pre-loaded with bread, saffron rice, and desert--yogurt and sweetened flour patty. I don't know. what anything was called. |
 | ||
Anticipation!
|
 |
With every passing second, something more to add to the tray-plate. |
 |
Here comes the fried bread. Best bread in the land. |
 |
| Still not full! Rice to come and all kinds of spices, chutneys, hot spicy stuff, oils, ghee (rancid, heated butter?), powdered cheese, and more.... The top four compartments contained eggplant, bans, potatoes, and dal (lentils), all cooked and cooked and cooked to perfection. These were refilled countless times by the brigade of waiters. |
 |
Gentlemen, start your engines! |
And for a period, there were no photos. The table got more and more crowded with cups and pots and bowls of soup. The trays were never allowed to be empty. The waiters moved around in teams, making sure diners had all they wanted. (Very different from so many restaurants, where the waiting staff are experts at racing by without eye contact or hearing....ha!)
The Founder
Later, we went to INA Market for a bit of shopping and noticed they had some sort of free meal or sweet desert on offer. I found Belgian Leffe beer in stock here today. It was a good day all around.
 |
| Tuk Tuk Sound System....meant the seat back was very upright. The driver kindly kept the volume somewhere just below eardrum-piercing. |
On our terrace and outside the kitchen window. These guys mean business.
 |
| Ah, water. |
 |
| Eating all those potted plants makes a fellow thirsty. |
The kitchen window feels really thin and fragile when this client appears.
 |
I waived a spatula to suggest he move on, and this is how he responded. I moved on and closed the kitchen door. |
TFI
We made a visit to a school supported by Teach For India, an organization that trains, mentors, and supports new teachers. This particular school is situated in northeast Delhi. The drive there and back was fascinating, though it was hard to get good shots from the car. The school was very small, but the teachers were super energetic and well trained. We hope they can keep that up over the years. The conditions are very challenging and constraining. The noise, from the street and from so many packed classrooms in close quarters, must wear people down after a while. We were very impressed with the enthusiasm of the students and the teachers.
 |
Traffic waiting at the red light filled the left and right lane. |
 |
Translation anyone? |
 |
This fellow was running the show. What? Not sure.... |
 |
Waiting on a friend? More passengers? |
 |
Waiting to gas up. |
 |
Everything moves in every direction. This is true even on highways between towns. |
 |
Hauling a large load. |
 |
| Small rooms and a lot of noise, but everyone was engaged, energetic, and learning. |
Values and encouraging morale, confidence, and esprit de corps are central.
 |
The teacher was everywhere at once (and not just at the front, as here), contacted all of the students, and gave constant feedback and encouragement. Boundless energy! We will continue our collaboration with her and others. They visit our school, as well, and we do some professional development meetings together, too. |
 |
People are the same everywhere you go. |
 |
| Add caption |
Biodiversity Park in Vassant Vihar, New Delhi
 |
Dr. F is our guide on this nature walk in a biodiversity preserve park in New Delhi. |
 |
A lot of people came out for the walk. A nice monsoon day means rain and good air quality. |
 |
It's true what is said about cows. They are sacred, protected, and roam freely. |
 |
Native species are identified by Hindi name and binomial nomenclature (biological name). |
 |
Broad leaves are used for baking flat bread in open fires and for plates. |
 |
| The leaves of this tree have a toxin that prevents other plants from growing in the ground below it. A very aggressive competitor. |
 |
| Drying its wings. |
 |
| 5-headed god |
 |
A temple in the forest. |
Chanakyapuri Neighborhood...
 |
| The City of Love |
 |
Belgium worked this out a long, long time ago. |
 |
Cyclist in New Delhi |
 |
And another... |
 |
Indian brand beer is called Birra. The taste is ok, but a headache is sometimes part of the pleasure. |
 |
| Teach your children well. |
 |
| Can you guess the meaning of the term segregate in India? |
 |
| The best way to get around is by tuk-tuk. |
 |
| The trunk keeps necessities handy. |
 |
Hauling cargo |
 |
| The prime minister promotes public works to improve quality of life in Delhi. |
 |
| Papaya season! |
This tree in our neighborhood has a most striking spiral pattern of its bark.
 |
The neighborhood is located at the easternmost extent of the Ridge Mountains, which are, in this area, mostly quartzite (hardened, metamorphosed sandstone) made from nearby Rajastani desert sands. |
 |
| Look who's coming to town. |
Lots of nature, life, and color here in Delhi! It makes for a reason to photograph things nearly every time we are out! Great expression of life here!
ReplyDelete