Getting to the first place we stayed in New Delhi was absolutely crazy. India is totally overwhelming. We got out of the metro, which we took from the airport and immediately there are just ten times as many people around as you expect or would ever want. Most of them are talking to you, all of them are staring at you. We came out on the wrong side of the train station and so we had to walk a thousand miles around it, whereupon we finally gave up and hailed a tuk tuk, which we should have done from the start. Then we tried to show him where we were going on my dying phone, which I had extra batteries for, all of which were dead. Then we spent the entire ride arguing with the driver that we were going the wrong way, as my maps app was telling me. In our defense, the driver stopped for directions about thirty times. However, he was completely right and got us to the hotel which was a room with a bed and a blanket that I remain skeptical was or will ever be cleaned. As we’d learn is typical in India there were four thousand light switches to provide camouflage for the three that do anything, and the bathroom looked creepy. But it was like $8 a night so still a great deal. Anyways the next day I actually took a picture, here’s the main square near where we stayed as seen from a rooftop breakfast spot:

After breakfast we went to the red fort, which is really impressive until you see the red forts in every other Indian city. Actually this one stands up okay:

Here’s some pictures from inside:

The arches blew this guys mind:

A crowd of people gathered to take pictures with Heather outside before we went in.

We walked back through Chandni Chowk, a huge very old market area. It was very crowded and intimidating for the beginning of India, I think by the end we would have considered it quite tame. Heather was absolutely certain my camera would be stolen.

Street food which I never ate. I’m very serious about food poisoning, that’s why I only get it from restaurants in India twice:

Storefront shmorefront:

The next day we went on a whirlwind adventure that I planned out for us. First we went to India Gate, curiously placed nowhere near any border:

Then to Purana Qila, another giant reddish fort, much older than the regular red fort. All the forts are massive walled complexes, there’s lots of smaller buildings inside:

Here’s a picture I made trying to make that last picture more interesting:

Here are some pictures from the inside of Purana Qila:

Annnnd here’s a cool picture of the tuk tuk driver who took us from India Gate to Purana Qila. He drove a hard bargain, if I recall correctly.

The last thing we did in New Delhi was Akshardham Temple, hands down the most impressive place there but a place that does not allow photos to the point that they have a place where you have to check your cameras and phones, and the Lotus Temple which I do have pictures of. Of which I do have pictures? I’ll post them next because I think this is already a bit long and I’m still uploading pictures that are too large so they load slow.