Delhi, India

So we've arrived in New Delhi and it was clear just from the drive from the airport that a lot has changed since I was here four years ago. A shiny, new terminal that rivals most airports in the U.S. greets travellers. This made Sally very happy, because our arrival in India was much less spectacular, where we had to fight through disorganized masses of people in a dingy, suffocating, non-AC terminal just to exit the airport. The cab we took into Delhi was easily booked and it ran on natural gas, as do all commercial vehicles in Delhi. We can't even imagine what the smog would be like if this were not the case, because the sun still shines behing a thick brown haze. And, speaking of sun, it is hottt! The heat on the ride in from the airport was unlike anything else I have experienced, easily 100 + but fortunately it is a dry heat. But I digress.

Brand new four lane highways lead you into the city where one fines newly paved roads and sidewalks and motorists that actually follow traffic laws. Unlike the Hyderabad, the streets of New Delhi are tree-lined and the air, though anything but clean, is free of the smell of petrol that was ubiquitous in Hyderabad and Mumbai. Other infrastructure in Delhi also appears much improved since my last visit, including the metro, which was just recently completed. We haven't had reason to ride it yet, but we hear it is very nice.

As for our activities, our first aternoon in Delhi was spent catching up on sleep. We then traveled to Connaught place, the commercial center of New Delhi, where we milled around the various shops and the park in the center of the circle. After a while of jealously watching Delhi's youth show off their gymnastic and break-dancing talents, we walked to a South Indian restaurant where we had a lovely dinner comprised of the dosas, which are crepe-like pancakes stuffed with potatoes and onions or cocunut and served with various chutneys. Sally was especially fond of the vanilla ice cream with black currant sauce we had for dessert.

After a good nights rest, we went to Humayun's tomb. Humayun was the second of the great Mughal emperors. His tomb is a spectacular display of Mughal architecture, symmetrically constructed out of sandstone and white marble and adorened with beautiful carvings and trellises. The tomb is situated in a large garden, which is also really beautiful. We both enjoyed greatly.

After the tomb, we had a delicious lunch of khadi rolls. A khadi roll is egg, chicken or mutton, fried red onions, wrapped in a piece of fried naan and sprinkled with some extra greasy deliciousness. They were....fantastic. I am convinced that they would be a hige hit in the U.S. and am trying to convince Sally to open a franchise once she gets her business degree. Anyway, thats about it for now. We just booked our tickets to Agra to see the Taj and are currently bickering in true Sam and Sally fashion over our budget...more soon!