We awoke on day 3 to the sound of birds in the trees! Looking out the window, we spotted green parakeets in the treetops. Lovely! Then we looked around and noticed more: the haze of a hot, humid morning obscuring the horizon; a beautiful mosque not far away; numerous cell towers; and an overpass slicing through the terrain to carry that high-speed train we rode into Delhi. The beautiful and the ugly, the good and the bad; the rich and the poor; all the contrasts of India visible right outside our window.
There were a lot of parakeets in the treetops making quite a racket so early in the morning! We managed to capture a photo of two.View from our window in the Taj Palace. The mosque is quite lovely but the haze detracts from the shimmer. Those cell towers are not attractive, but we certainly enjoyed the high-speed internet provided by the hotel!
After a quick breakfast, we checked-out of the hotel and boarded the buses once again. We are on our way to Humayun’s Tomb and a quick tour of Delhi before catching our plane to Mumbai. We will re-board the MS Amsterdam on her first of 2 days in Mumbai. We had thought we’d have time to do some roaming in Mumbai on day 2, but it turns out we will arrive back at the ship very late. We will be sleeping-in!!! So please, check out Archives for March 2017 for a quick review of the sites of Mumbai.
Meanwhile, let me show you the photos of Humayun’s Tomb and some highlights of Delhi:
As we began our day of sightseeing, we spotted, from the bus, this young boy selling coconut slices to the early morning commuters!Our first stop this morning is the government complex. The Ministry of External Affairs is on the left; Ministry of Finance on the right.The Jaipur Column and Presidential Palace are visible in the middle.Back on the bus, we are on our way to Humayun’s Tomb. We spotted 2 monkeys searching for food along the way.And another monkey is just walking down the sidewalk!Soon, we reach Humayun’s Tomb.By this time, we are familiar with the architectural quirks of the early Mughals. You enter a gate; walk forever to the next gate; and eventually, you reach your destination!This is the Bu Hylima Gateway to Humayun’s Tomb.Note the abundance of trees in the garden. They’ve been blooming and the blossoms are scattered all over the grounds. They are called the Fire of the Forest.Finally, Humayun’s Tomb comes into view!Once again, it was a trek to get there!!!Humayun was the 2nd Mughal Emperor. He died in 1556. But this tomb was not commissioned until 1565. His 1st wife and chief consort , Bega Begum, financed the mausoleum to the tune of 1.5 million Rupees!The last gateway to the tomb leads to a staircase rising up to the parapet.This is the view from the parapet, looking back to the Bu Hylima Gateway.Inside the mausoleum, Humayun’s Tomb sits under the dome. The sarcophagus is similar to those in the Taj Mahal.Humayun’s Tomb,sitting atop the parapet, is considered the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. It received its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.As we waited for our group of 49 to re-assemble, we enjoyed the shade and cool breezes of the garden.The flowers are called Fire of the Forest because of their bright fiery color.It’s a fragile flower and I left it behind.Before we left the Humayun grounds, we spotted these ladies collecting the blossoms and leaves that had fallen from the trees. They carry such heavy-looking loads!!!Our next stop was lunch at the Veda Restaurant. The meal was served small plate after small plate and provided us with a sample of really good Indian food!!!Then, a stop at another Buddhist Temple.And now, a windshield tour of the city as we begin to make our way to the airport for our flight to Mumbai. As the drive will take a couple of hours, we get to see a lot!!!! Here, we pass great stretches of the old city wall that once encircled Delhi.This is Connaught Place, built by the British 1929-33 as a commercial/residential area. The first luxury hotel in Delhi, the Imperial, was built here and Nehru, Gandhi and Lord Mountabatten would meet there to discuss the Partition of India.Connaught Place is a circle with inner and outer buildings. It is still a major financial and entertainment hub in Delhi.The Indian Air Force Headquarters.the Nehru PlanetariumGeneral Manager’s Office of the Northern Railway. Love the train in front!We pass the filming of a Bollywood movie!The Meena BazaarDriving through a poor part of town.Surya, the Sun God, Sculpture on display in the New Delhi Airport.And our late night arrival back in Mumbai. We pass the old British Railway Station.
We were told, repeatedly, by our guide, Ashok, that India is a nation of comparison, contrasts and contradictions. We were shown mostly the elegant. But I hope the photos have conveyed, somewhat, that sentiment of a dichotomy that is “the normal” in India. It is a complex and interesting country!
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