Midnight Again in India

This will be the third night in a row of getting to sleep well after midnight. For those who know me, this is not normal behavior, but the short time we have been in Delhi has been jam packed. My intent was to blog daily, but better late than never. Our first evening after checking in to our hotel we enjoyed a welcome dinner at the Ashoka Hotel's Oudh Restaurant. We met Vishal, our Indian agent and enjoyed an excellent meal in beautiful surroundings. The next day was very full, with visits to The Red Fort, the Raj Ghat, where Ghandi was cremated; Chandni , a bustling, crowded huge bazaar area; the Jama Masjid, the largest Mosque in India and the second largest in the world, and Birla House, where Ghandi stayed during his last fast and where he was assassinated. I would have to say the highlight since our arrival on Sat., 10/15/2011 was last night at a dinner in the home of Jadip and Joyita Shankar. They did everything I had hoped for in our "Cuisine Workshop" from demonstrating cooking techniques, and showing various spices and seasonings to providing a warm welcome to India formour guests who would otherwise never have the chance to visit an Indian home. Their beautiful, bright, articulate 15 year old daughter was delightful and the addition of Jadip's older brother and wife and a friend of the family rounded out the company. They served so many dishes they had spent the day preparing, it was a feast of the best of Indian cuisine, with several dishes that were new to me. A highlight of the evening for the ladies was getting wrapped in saris for our own little fashion show. (Watch for photo posting at a later date). Today was not as successful as yesterday as there were issues with timing starting in the AM which affected the day. We started the day at Humayan's tomb, which was a precurser and inspiration of the Taj Mahal. The Sikh Gurudwara was impressive to all and we got to make chapatis in the kitchen as volunteers prepared lunch for thousands of people. Quran Minar, well known for it's never rusting iron staff and impressive ruins was beautiful, though we were all tired by that time. Things got dicey during a drive to the Centre for Dalit Studies. Traffic was heavy and our driver and escort did not know the way, so the trip was twice as long as it could have been. Our drive through horrendous slums and grinding poverty was difficult for everyone. Dr. Massey related some historical aspects of the Caste system and discussed current challenges for Dalits. We had dinner with him and his wife at a local restaurant where the food and setting were very nice. I am afraid the happy outcome was not enough to counteract the dismay felt by everyone during our drive there. Luckily, the ride back to the hotel this evening was prompt and uneventful. We have learned from today and will make corrections for our trip next year. Tomorrow we start out at 8:00 for the drive to Sariska Tiger Camp and an afternoon jeep drive through the Preserve. It will be an interesting, but long drive. Hopefully the swimming pool will be in good repair..