Visiting the Capital City

 

This past week I had the opportunity to go for a work training up in New Delhi. Other than transferring in the airport as we went onto some other destination, this was the first time that I had been. We decided we would use this as a scouting trip to see if we wanted to take the Muggles and Lady Hiva back up later. 

My initial impression was that New Delhi is similar to Mumbai in many ways but in others it is very different. In the diplomatic quarter (don't know if that is what it is officially called) there are wider streets and more trees than we see in Mumbai. But then Old town Delhi is busier and more crowded.

As part of my time there I signed up to do a walking street food tour in Old Delhi. I had so much fun! We went to several places that I have never been and probably would not have stopped to eat. But it was all good. We had to ignore the cockroaches, flies, and other questionably  sanitary practices and just experience the explosion of flavor! 

The first stop that we made was a Sikh temple. This was my favorite part of the entire trip. We were able to go through the kitchens where they feed over 10,000 people a day. Think "soup kitchen" but on a grander scale! I have never seen pots and pans that HUGE before! They had pressure cookers and rice cookers that were big enough to fit 2 or 3 adult humans inside. The sheer size and volume of the food preparation was enough to be overwhelmed. 

They cook wholesome food with lentils and rice. People come in to eat and are fed no matter what religion or nationality they are. It was so inspiring. 

We then walked through the old town market. There was so much to see and experience.  

Traffic was so bad! We were stuck in a chaotic jam. We made friends with some people going the other direction but were so close it felt like they were in the same vehicle.