The 1st stop was Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Its gorgeous! It has a huge open square that can hold 25,000 people and the most unbelievable domes and towers. We climbed up one of the towers and were able to see all of Old and New Delhi. The kids loved the tower climb and talked of princesses and Shrek the whole way up. Good thing we didnt run into a dragon! Sue and I had to wear full length moo moo's to cover ourselves and we had to have Tom with us as unaccompanied women are not allowed in the tower. The kids followed protocol by washing their feet, hands and face in the communal pool before entering any of the sacred areas.
At the bottom of the mosque is Chandni Chowk. This is a famous shopping area that has to be hundreds and hundreds of years old. The streets are so narrow that you could probably reach your arms out and touch each side. They are lined with silk and gold and diamonds and flowers and food and books and maps and handpainted paper. You wind through the market on a bicycle ricksaw and its just too cool for words.
We then escaped to the A/C of the car and headed out to see Raj Ghat (a memorial to Ghandhi). This is where he was cremated and it draws hoards of tourists/visitors. There is a guy with a cobra sitting out front and you can have your picture taken for a few ruppees. Billy reached right out and touched the cobra, ewww... Kay and I missed the memorial itself as she was having a full blown meltdown. That was fun.
Lunch we traditional Punjabi food and by the looks of it a very popular place for tourists. It was the 1st time in a week that we were surrounded by other white people in a restaraunt. The food was amazing even if it was the most expensive meal we had while on vacation.
We ended the day at Humayun's Tomb. This is our favorite place in Delhi. It is a gorgeous walled garden with a tomb/mosque within it. It is said the the Shah Jahan was so impressed by the architecture and gardens that he modeled the Taj Mahal after it. You can see it, its an amazing mix of muslim, hindu and persian influence. 350 years ago it was finished. Haji Begum was an absent minded ruler. When he died (he fell down the stairs of the library when he realized he was missing the call to prayers) his wife built this monument. If I remember correctly, 150 years later, Iran invaded the area and lived in the walled area for 3 months, pillaging all the riches that were within it.
After an action packed day, it was off to the airport. Our flight left about 6 hours before Sue's so she was able to see us off. The kids couldnt stop hugging her and kept running to give her "just one more hug". Then Jimmy turned to me and said "Sue, is trying not to cry, isnt she mom? I'm really going to miss her".
The flight home was uneventful (aka no vomit) and the kids cant stop talking about Sue and how much fun they had. Jimmy even asks to sleep in "sue's room" because he misses her.
So, back to every day life in India:)
(We love you Sue!!)
