Delhi

Feeling a little defeated, we left Indore and caught our morning flight to Delhi. We hoped that our trip maybe would start turning around and decided to make the best of it.

Delhi had apparently not yet enjoyed the benefits of the monsoon and we landed in 115F heat! The best we could think of was renting an air-conditioned cab and see some things in Delhi before heading to the hotel.

This was a good idea, if the air-conditioning had worked. As Hanna put it, A/C stands in India for Almost Chilly. Nevertheless, we did get to go to a place we both really wanted to see: The Lotus Temple. This place reminds me so much of the Sydney Opera House by the Danish architect J Jørn Utzon. The temple is located on beautiful grounds and is really spectacular.

Afterwards, we drove around and saw the India Gate, The Monkey God and the beautiful presidential palace and we then headed to the tourist office to book our train tickets to Agra for the next day. We wanted to go and see the Taj Mahal. Consistent with the trip so far, we were out of luck and there were no more seats available on the train, but we could hire an expensive cab for $120!

By the late afternoon, the heat and the two previous days had taken their toll and we needed to head to the hotel. If you are even in Delhi, go stay at the Grand President Hotel in Karol Bagh. Don’t let the location deter you. Initially, you will wonder how quickly you can leave the area, but it all turned out fantastic. It is a great hotel at a reasonable price and the staff it so friendly. More importantly, it is clean!! We had for the first time in weeks a warm shower and it wasn’t long before we fell asleep.