Charge it, please.

Couple of the guys and I went on a tour of Delhi yesterday. It was very nice. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there are some clean and green parts of India. I've seen these mysterious places from pictures on the internet and television, but not in real life. So, it was good to have some first hand experience. One of the guys was able to rent a driver and a car for the day, 10am to 10pm, through his hotel. It only cost us 4000 total, not each. In Rupees of course, so about $30 per person. Not bad. I can swing that. Anyway, we had a good time.

The first stop was the Qutb Minar and ruins of the Quwwat-Ut-Islam Mosque. It was quite impressive. The Qutb Minar, the tallest stone tower in India, was built in 1199, stands 238 feet tall, and took 21 years to build. The remainder of the complex was started slightly earlier, but finished later. The walls and smaller structures were vandalized over the years for building supplies to construct other buildings.

Our next stop was the Lotus Temple. It's construction is similar to the Opera House in Sydney, Australia. We just walked around and didn't go inside. The line was a couple hours long, so we just observed the outside. OK, sorry, I have to reverse course for a second here. On the way to the Lotus Temple our driver decided that we should go to a “textile market” to just look around. OK. Not really knowing any better or having any choice in the matter, we drove around some dirt roads until we came to this old building. Hmm. Just one building? I thought this was a market? When we were herded inside, we were targeted and immediately latched on by an Indian salesman. I tell you what, those Indian salesmen are worse than any salesman in the States! We were ushered from one room to the next, and shown metal statues, fabric, jewelry, you name it. I realized, too late, that if you display any interest in anything they have, I was doing it to be nice, they will hound on you till you cave in! It's amazing how many different and creative ways they will suggest in order to get your money. I didn't cave, to their dismay and frustration, but it was brutal. Finally, after about :45 minutes there, we peeled ourselves away and went out the car. As we were leaving, out driver got a phone call, and I could tell that he wasn't too happy with it. I think it was from the shop we just left. Toward the end of the day, after our last tourist stop, our driver again suggested that we go into another one of these shops. He wouldn't even consider leaving until we did. It was almost a hostage scenario. I stepped in and then went right back out! It was the same set-up! I figured the little game out at that point. Our driver more than likely is making a cut from our purchases or it's family related somehow. Basically, they are just tourist traps and the little game is to get the tourist into the shop and pressure them to buy stuff. I think our driver gets a little cut from what we buy. Clever!

Anyway, after the Lotus Temple we went out to lunch and then tried to get to the Gate of India, but it was closed. Something to do with the security for the 60^th anniversary of their independence day. There were guards with AK-47's in little sandbag bunkers all over the city. I wanted to take a picture, but my common sense kicked in before I could do anything. I would probably be writing this from my State accommodated room had I clicked the shutter. So then we went to the tomb of Gandhi. That was pretty anti-climatic and packed with people, so we took off for the Red Fort.

The Red Fort is impressive! It just boggles my mind. I think of the little forts in the States that we visit and are all proud of, but this just blows my mind. It's huge! By the time we got the Red Fort, it was just about to close for the night. There was only an hour of visiting time left. My two friends, one being Philippino and the other Croatian, were of darker skin and were able to slip in unnoticed and without a ticket. However, yours truly, being of fair skin and the only person in the city wearing shorts, was stopped and asked for a ticket. Discrimination I say! Oh well, I wouldn't have had time anyway to really enjoy the inside, so I walked around the outside taking pictures, and having my picture taken, until my “friends” came back out. I plan on going back when I have more time. I imagine that I would need a good portion of the day to explore that fort.

Oh, another thing I forgot to mention. If and when you go to buy a ticket to get into these places, be ready for a little discrimination. Some places require a ticket, some don't. The Qutb Complexe and the Red Fort required a ticket, the other places didn't. Don't be surprised to see an “Indian” line and a “Foreigner” line for ticket purchasing. The Indian's pay about 10 Rupees for each ticket. However, the foreigners will pay just a little more; 250 Rupees per ticket! It's only $5, so it's not the end of the world. But the price difference is extremely common over here. Don't say that I didn't warn you.

It was really nice getting out and finally seeing a beautiful part of India. I felt relaxed and in a good mood all day. It recharged me a little bit, plus gave me some future incentive visit more of India. The area we stay in has just terrible in living conditions and really depresses me sometimes. We were also able to find were the metro train will drop you off in Delhi. The metro station is in a nice area and close to more tourist places. From my hotel I can walk about 15 minutes and then catch the metro into Delhi. I've been told that it only cost about 30 Rupees for the trip. Maybe more for foreigners though!