On Thankgiving, we woke up in Delhi and had to pinch ourselves that we were here. It seems surreal. Certainly this experience has made us count our blessings. We met our guide, Priti, in the lobby around 9:30. We also met another staff member from Amber Tours, Sanjay, who gave us some details of the next few days and gave me a gift of a beautiful scarf. It was gorgeous. 

Then it was off for the tour. On the drive to Old Delhi, Priti told us about the Red Fort and the old “cities” of Delhi. We went through the newer, British area of New Delhi and drove back in time to Old Delhi. When we got their, we hired a rickshaw and began driving through the older section of town. We stopped at a Jainist temple that has a bird sanctuary. Jains bellieve in reincarnation and are very non-violent. Many walk while sweeping in front of them so they do not step on a bug. We had to go barefoot into the temple area and then we went to the bird sanctuary. (I am not a bird person so walking through the cages of hurt birds while barefoot was a little much for me, but I smiled and went with it!!)

Then back on the rickshaw and mass chaos. We drove through the spice market and took great pictures. The area was a mixture of ancient and modern. There were cows in the roads, donkey drawn carts, bicyles, motorcycles, small cars, people walking. It is the wholesale market for spices and it was amazing – life and energy everywhere. You couldn’t stop looking around and you had to or you might be run over! We walked around and then got back on the rickshaw to go to the Jama Masjid, which is India’s largest mosque. It was gorgeous and such a place of peace in the middle of chaos. The tour guide gave me a gown to wear as all Westerners must be covered. It was a beautiful and peaceful place and important to be reminded of the beauty of Islam in today’s world. 

Priti then took us to a local Indian restaurant that she loves to go to. It was delicious and she helped us order. I had a marsala dolsi (?) which was delicious. After lunch, she took us to a market that she often goes to. It was lots of fun wiht so much to see. She knew that we wanted to buy the girls saris so she knew of a good place to get pretty saris for a reasonable price and a place where they will sew a clip in it so I would not have to learn how to wrap the whole thing around my waist. She said it is the best ways for younger girls to learn how to wear a sari. The whole experience was so fun. We picked out the fabric and then they took very loose measurements. We showed them pictures of the girls so they could estimate the sizes. The plan was to pick up the next day. 

We then drove a good ways to the Qutub Minar. Truthfully, not sure how far away it was, but the traffic is crazy so everything takes a long time. But, you just gaze out the window and soak it all in. Priti said it best, “my country is about experiences” and she is so right. The experience of just being in ndia is amazing. The energy is electric and contagious. The Qutub Minar is a huge tower built in 1193 by a Muslim sultan. It also has a outdoor mosque built below the tower. It was built on the site of a sacred Hindu location. After the Muslims came and defeated the Hindus at that time, they built this mosque on the site of a sacred spot. It was the locatin of 27 Hindu and Jain temples. The temples were destroyed and the stone materials were reused to build the tower. It was a huge site and very beautiful. Caroline would have loved it and taken hunderds of pictures. Part of it felt like old Roman ruins and she would love the archeology taking place. It was a special place. 

After a long drive back to the hotel, I took an afternnon nap. Hubert had tea in the hotel garden and then a massage. We dressed for dinner and at 8:15, our driver, Artie, picked us up. We had been invited by the owners of Amber Tours, Inder and Shanty Dugal, to have Thanksgiving dinner at their house. He laughed that their would be no turkey, but it would be nice to be with a family. We drove about an hour and a half to the “suburbs” of Delhi. The traffic was crazy and it took forever. Once we got there, we drove through a gate and it was like we entered a different planet. They live in a glorous “farm house” on 5 acres and it was incrediable to be in a peaceful place in such a huge city. The house was gorgeous. They greeted us and we sat in the living room. They had a server bringing us beautiful dishes of lamb, fried cheese, shrimp – all in Indian style. Their son, Amir, was there too. He is 8 and reminded me of Josie. He was so cute and stayed with us while we dined. Another guest from Australia joined us and it lead to great conversation. We moved into the dinning room and were served dish after dish of Indian food. They also had salad from their land so they assured me it was safe and I ate it. It was delicious. The food was the best! The family was adorable and the night was glorious! It was one of those nights that you know you will always remember. To be invited into one’s home gives you a special glimpse into the true personality of the country. It was a wonderful thanksgiving and I didn’t even miss the turkey! However, we did miss the girls like crazy! When we got back to the hotel around 12:30, we had a chance to talk to them and send our love.