On the train back to Delhi for the 3rd time. I decided since my first visit into Delhi was culture shock
& the 2nd visit was strictly errands & business, that we should see the beauty of Delhi & stay in a nicer area.  Besides my new Girlfriend lives in the nicest area I had seen and she knows all the good places to eat & tour.  We stayed in a fabulous guesthouse, very luxurious compared to previous stays & it was still cheap. We were waited on by 2 Indian boys who managed the place. They cleaned & cooked anything we requested and were so sweet.  They actually hugged us when we left and that is not common for Indians. Especially the working class.  One thing the Indians do though is they are so attentive they stand over you & stare while you eat in case you want anything while you are eating!!  That was strange and Sanjay said that is there culture! So you just have to tell them all is fine, You dont need anything else!!  I thought it quite cute & humorous!  I could see where it could be annoying with the wrong person.We visited the Haus Kaus village with very artistic flavors of unique shops, shopping & westernized restaurants.  A beautiful park is behind the village with a small lake and ruins.  They were actually shooting a movie or commercial that day so lots of on lookers.

  One thing you realize that in some cities like Delhi if you are a Westerner they think you are like a Movie star & want to take your picture with one of their family members or the entire family! At first you find it endearing. Then they all start stalking you and you have to say No not now.  We played with Sanjays big camera which we hadn’t used in awhile!!

Fun at the ruins! In the big cities the younger girls dress more westernized but most women and especially older women wear the traditional Sari’s. Even when it is very hot. the pheasants wear the unbreathable sari’s while working in the fields.  I dont know how they do it but tradition runs very deep here. It is so intense for the women in India.  They are looked down upon as 2nd class citizens.  The young women are starting to rebel & change the traditions but it will take a long time. The older generations will have to die off first.  The Sari’s are beautiful and many of the women are stunning.I can dress more normal in the cities but you have to be careful because  if you go sleeveless or too low cut you are looked down upon even as a westerner and get glared at in a condescending way by the older women. The men on the other hand go crazy because they are not use to seeing women’s legs or upper body exposed.  So it is best to keep somewhat covered even in the sweltering heat!!  Not really happy about that in the heat but I do what is necessary for safety. 

We explored A Krishna Temple 

ruins and the Outstanding Lotus Temple.  

This is a more modern temple by a newer more open minded religion of Oneness called Bahia.  It is only 175 yrs old & all denominations are welcomed.  The architecture was designed like a Lotus Flower and as it grew dark it lit up and actually looked like a space ship!!! The inside reminded me of a modern Christian church in the US. Very sterile.   We ate at some fantastic restaurants each night

and the grand finale was the beautiful Lodhi Gardens surrounded by Muslim ruins.  A delightful meal.

Entering Lodhi Gardens.  One thing about India is all meals are prepared fresh & homemade.  All juices are fresh squeezed. After you figure out what to eat that pleases your palate it is a delicious experience.

Totally different food than the US.  There are things you cant find that are personal staples but all in all you learn to substitute or adapt.  They have great fresh juice stands along the road everywhere but you cant use them because of how they clean the blenders with regular water.  All water has to be bottled or filtered. No exceptions unless you want nasty parasites.  Even the upper class Indians are careful. To be safe you have to ask every restaurant you enter.  

So My experience in Delhi was much better this time and gave me a new perspective.