Day One of our East African Safari: Exploring the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

Friday, July 11, 2025

Day One: Our African Safari Begins

Exploring the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania

Breakfast at The Retreat at Ngorongoro:

Llew and I awoke to an alarm we’d set and a wake-up call from the hotel as our days on safari begin early. This is a nuisance but understandable as any attempt at seeing animals must be made at the crack of dawn when they are out on the prowl, hungry and looking for a kill. Later, as the day heats up, most of them seek shade and shelter amidst the scanty vegetation--which makes it difficult for them to be spotted. When we were in South Africa, at Kruger NP, ten years ago, our wake-up calls used to be at 4.30 am with everyone expected in their safari van by 5.00 am. We were given tea, coffee and rusks to start our day and breakfast was usually served at 9.00 am when we returned from our drives.

Here, we were in our vans by 7.00 am—so we had an hour to consume breakfast before leaving. I am a Breakfast Person. I love a big breakfast when I am on vacation, but I am also a slow eater—I know from experience that I ought to give myself at least an hour to do both justice to my meal and to east slowly enough to digest it well. Hence, Llew and I decided to shower at the end of each dusty day rather than in the mornings. By 6.00 am, we were at the great Dining Hall ready to plunge into our first meal of the day!

And what a meal it was! There was something to suit every taste, every desire.

So here’s a word about our Breakfasts in all the resorts (and I promise not to say much about them again because they are all pretty much the same everywher!): Meals (including breakfasts) are laid out in vast buffets that almost encircle the periphery of the dining halls. There is always a hot cereal for starters: either oatmeal porridge or sorghum porridge (this is millets porridge—the poor man’s cereal, eaten all over the Third World. In India, it is often called Nachni or Ragi Porridge). I tasted it on the first day (in my resolve to taste as much local African food as possible) and it was delicious with the generous addition of maple syrup (available at the crepes’ counter). There is also a cold cereal station with muesli, granola, Frosties, Wheetabix, cocoa pops and other cereals to suit the littlest palates. Both hot and cold milk are available here. On the next set of tables, there are hot mains and sides. These include unfamiliar African staples such as Ugali and Arrowroot (grain-based steamed cakes that resemble Indian idlis) as well as Noodle dishes (to suit the Asian palate) and vegetable-based preparations. There is usually a crepes or pancake station as well and, of course, an Egg Station where eggs are made to order. As in the case of an FEB (Full English Breakfast—one of the great joys of my personal gastronomic life), there are all the fixin’s that go with it such as baked beans, sauteed mushrooms, pork and/or beef sausages, pork/beef bacon, potatoes in some shape or form and a variety of bread loaves so one can create one’s own toast. There is also a selection of bread rolls for those wishing to fill up on carbs (I tended to avoid these entirely). At the Fruit Station, there is an abundance of fresh fruit (including exotic, unfamiliar ones such as passion fruit), fruit salad and a number of fruit juices. I was delighted to find vanilla and strawberry milk shakes as well and, as I am unable to drink regular coffee (caffeine intolerance--and decaff was not always available), I would opt for these shakes. They were nutritious and filling (and fattening, I daresay!). I also resolved to have a different breakfast each day in hopes of tasting everything. Llew usually stuck to eggs done over-easy with all the accompaniments. Needless to say, we ate well (and that’s an understatement). By 7.00 am, we were well and truly stuffed and ready to enter the safari van at least ten pounds heavier

Off on our First Game Drive—Creating Groups of Six:

Our first game drive was to take place at one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World—the Ngorongoro Crater. It took us about an hour to drive to the spot. This gave us a chance to get to know our van companions as we were told by Amani, our tour director, that we needed to create a group of 6 persons who would be our travel companions for the entire trip. Changing vans, changing drivers and changing van companions was not encouraged for various reasons: the drivers have heavy accents and staying with one driver would enable us to get accustomed to his way of speaking and, hopefully, understand him better. In a big group, the likelihood of losing someone or leaving someone behind was slimmer if we knew exactly who was missing in our van and, thirdly, staying with the same driver would, I suppose, enable us to tip him as we saw fit, at the end of the trip. Accordingly, we teamed up with Doreen and John (very old friends) and with Albin and Louella (brand-new ones). This gave us an opportunity to ask background questions about our lives to break the ice. No surprise that we soon discovered common threads and connections with our lives back in India or with childhood friends or college classmates. We loved our little Six-some and would pretty much stick with this group for the rest of our travels. By the end of our safari, we felt as if we’d known each other forever. Naturally, we posed for a Sexy Six-some Picture at the start of our touring together.

Once our groups were in place, we were off. En route to the Crater, we passed by a large family of baboons—a matter of huge excitement to us all as it was the very first creatures we would spy together. We could see every member of at least three generations: massive grandfatherly fellows (slow of gait and ponderous), mid-aged specimens (males and females) and cute babies, clinging to their mother’s backs as they crossed the road in front of us with the air of fellows who owned it!

Our driver was a chap named Mussa. He was jolly and friendly, but sadly, left much to be desired in the divulging of information department. In other words, he told us almost nothing. Now, did he have the information—who knows? Did he have it and was he just too lazy to share it, who knows? At any rate, we realized that while our companions in the other vans were receiving a wealth of information relating to the terrain, the animals and their habitat, we were left blissfully ignorant. What a good job, the travel writer in me had used Lonely Planet to cull all sorts of information from the Internet which I was carrying with me. I used those printed notes to read up myself on how the Crater was created and why it is such a unique eco-system.

How the Ngorongoro Crater was Created:

So, from Lonely Planet, this is the information I had gathered: “The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest inactive, intact and unfilled volcanic caldera. The crater, which formed when a large volcano erupted and collapsed on itself two to three million years ago, is 610 metres (2,000 feet) deep and its floor covers 260 square kilometres (100 square miles). Estimates of the height of the original volcano range from 4,500 to 5,800 metres (14,800 to 19,000 feet) high. The crater floor is 1,800 metres (5,900 feet) above sea level. The crater was voted by Seven Natural Wonders as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa in Arusha, Tanzania, in February 2013. The Ngorongoro volcano was active from about 2.45 to 2 million years ago. Volcanic eruptions like that of Ngorongoro, which resulted in the formation of Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, were very common.”

As the caldera is inactive, it is a massive, flat basin that contains enough water to sustain life. To get down into it, you first need to climb up the sides of the volcanic mountain and then descend into it. The caldera roadway is lush with tropical vegetation. As I live in India now, it is easy for me to recognize the trees that form a luxuriant canopy as well as wayside weeds that line the road. Active with bird life, the trees are home to nesting birds whose song followed us every mile of the way. When, finally, we began our descent into the crater, we had marvelous views of the starkness of the plains—the very plains that have sustained animal life through the centuries (although no one is sure who first introduced the animals into this protected habitat).

A word also about the salinity/acidity of the waters in the caldera: They are particularly acidic (my source for this information was Atul Mohod, the CEO of Pepsico who was my flight companion on the sector from Bombay to Nairobi). Hence, over the centuries, the animals and birds in the caldera have accustomed themselves to it. They cannot survive outside the caldera as the sweet waters would kill them. By the same token, new animals introduced into the Crater do not survive as they have not evolved sufficiently to be able to drink of the acidic waters. I thought this tidbit was very interesting. Sadly, our driver Mussa did not tell us anything about this and Louella’s very basic question (“How was the Crater formed?”) did not receive an answer. Thanks to my Lonely Planet notes, we had the information she sought.

Surveying the Crater and Becoming Introduced to its Residents:

Before we began our first game drive, we stopped at a break stop to use rest rooms. It was at this point that we spied our first elephant—a lone chap, he munched away in the undergrowth, completely ignoring us. We also spied baboons and monkeys in the trees surrounding us. They were a happy harbinger of the many animals we would see as our game drive took off. A whole flock of Equatorian Guinea Fowl chirped and fluttered off in front of us. We would see these flocks of ground birds several times on our travels.

For the next two to three hours, we drove all over the Steppe. We started off by seeing a huge herd of Cape Buffalo—these are considered one of the Big Five (the others being Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhino). We’d already seen our first elephant (at the rest stop) and with the buffalo gazing placidly at us with full frontal stares, we had hit two of the Big Five within the first half our of scouting! Not a bad record at all!

I have to explain that while we were in closed vans, they have ceilings that could be lifted up to enable us to stand on our seats and glimpse the animals from a height. This was very different from our safari vans in South Africa that did not have this facility. Although sitting down and getting up can be a tedious exercise, at the end of each day, it really is an ingenious way to see the animals and I quite appreciated it.

As the morning continued, we caught a glimpse of our first pride of lions! Imagine, if you can, the excitement in our vans! By the banks of a small swamp, busy with bird life (coots, terns, plovers, lapwings, etc), a magnificent male Leo posed for us, raising his head most obligingly for our viewing pleasure. Like most lazy felines during the day, he was inert, wallowing in the comfort of a full stomach and the company of his companion—a female who lay only a couple of feet away, also snoozing. His distinctive dark brown mane—a feature that marks him differently from the Asian lion (whose mane remains gold to match his coat), spread around him like a blazing halo. In the photographs I took, he has a sad expression but remains unperturbed as he looks right into my camera. They would be the first of the many lions we would see over the next few days and the third of the Big Five we hoped to see. Not a bad series of sightings at all for one adventurous morning! After we took our fill of photographs, we moved on.

As we continued to explore the crater, we ran into ostriches—both males (black feathered bodies) and females (lighter brown in color). Further on, we saw our first group of zebras. These lovely creatures are docile and co-operative, moving out of the way of our vehicle without complaint, every time we encountered them. Indeed, we had many animal crossings on our first safari, the zebra giving rise to the cliched caption, “Watch out! Zebra Crossing!” And then we saw Wildebeest (also known as gnu)—dozens and dozens of them. Of course, these creatures do not migrate (as their compatirots in other parts of the Savannah do), They are confined to the crater which provides the ideal eco-system to meet their year-round needs—hence, they are not required to go through the dangers of migration for survival, year after year. We were fascinated by these animals—their size, their coloring (grey-black), their awkward gait, their beards, their numbers, their overall appearance. They are considered to be one of the Ugly Five (the others being the Marabou Stork, the Wart Hog, the Vulture and the Hyena—basically all except wildebeest, being scavenging creatures who feed on cadavers). And I can well understand that they would fall within the Ugly category (although I hate to use this term because I do believe that nothing that God has made is ever ugly) for they have faces that only a mother could love! That said, they seemed like gentle animals and in the days to come, we would see a few thousands of them quite easily as they flourish on the Savanah becoming easy pickings for big predators.

Stopping for Lunch by a Hippo Swamp:

By this time, a few hours had passed since we’d eaten our breakfast and animal-scouting can be pretty hungry activity, I discovered. We were grateful when our drivers stopped for another rest room break and a chance to stretch our legs at a swamp that had a few desultory hippos wallowing in it. We were not supposed to go beyond a clear sign and most of us adhered to the rules. Our driver told us that we’d receive packed lunch boxes that we could sit in the van and eat.

Ravenous by this stage, we opened our boxes to find: Chicken Wraps (they were tasty, but very dry), a Vegetable samosa (a result of two centuries of migration from Gujarat to East Africa, initially to work the fields and mines and later to be administrative landlords themselves), a packet of potato crisps, a bowl of fruit salad, a banana, an apple, a brownie (very dry and tasteless) and a juice box. It was edible, I suppose, but I have to admit that by the third day, we groaned at the thought of yet another packed lunch. They left a lot to be desired and none of us ate them with any relish. After lunch, a few of us stretched our legs towards the water front where I spied a lovely pelican skimming the waters, whose picture I managed to take.

Post-lunch, the game drive continued, We spied loads of gazelles that we quickly came to recognize as Thompson’s Gazelles and Reed Gazelles. These form easy food reserves for predators because they are small enough and easily outrun. About an hour and a half later, after wending our way back to our Retreat and after passing by many more of the same animals we’d seen in the morning (Cape Buffalo, wildebeest and zebras), we arrived at our hotel. I learned that unlike India, there are no water buffalo in Africa. These are land specimens who drink at watering holes but do not enjoy wallowing in them.

A Walk in the Property of our Hotel:

I was glad when a few of our travel companions suggested a walk on the property, not long after we arrived at our Hotel. While I would have preferred my customary afternoon nap, I have to say that this was the only day we’d actually be able to explore the vast property of the hotel—in the days to come, we’d be out for the entire day, returning to the hotel after dark, when it was no longer advisable to wander in the properties alone.

was still enough daylight today to enable us to explore the beautifully landscaped gardens, to admire the philosophical wisdom sprinkled all around in the form of signage tucked away among the foliage and bushes, to photograph tropical flowers such as Bird of Paradise (heliconia), Trumpet Vine, Crab Claws, hibiscus in varied colors, bougainvillea, etc. and to take in the lovely pond sprinkled with water lilies. There was a charming half-moon Japanese Bridge built over it and it formed the perfect spot at which the lot of us posed for a picture. It was deeply reminiscent for me of Impressionist artist Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, outside of Paris, that Llew and I had visited, many decades ago, and which had been the subject of so many of his paintings including his most famous series, The Water-Lilies. Enchanted by the soothing sights around us and the trill of frequent birdsong in the trees, we were transported to another world. Sadly, the heavily overcast skies of the entire day had not warmed the water in the swimming pool enough for any of us to take a dip, but John managed to make it to the gym and a couple of guys caught a swift game of table-tennis in the games room. Others preferred to linger amidst the greenery, noting the names of plant species and taking occasional pictures.

Back for Showers, Dressing for Dinner and Dancing and Attending a Tour Talk:

Our wandering done, almost all of us returned to our rooms to take lovely hot showers and get dressed for dinner. After the rather paltry packed lunch we’d had, most of us were starving and ready to devor a horse. However, that pleasure would have to wait, as Amani, our tour director, had instructed us to meet in a conference room for an introductory session. We were encouraged to order drinks from the bar (not included in our package tour price) and with a lovely pale-green apple cocktail in my hand (complete with paper umbrella), I made my way to the Conference Room with the others.

Amani used this opportunity to get us to say our names and from where we had arrived. By this time, we had met everybody –all 28 members of our group—but we discovered at this session that they came from Long Island, Connecticut, Staten Island, Miami, London, Israel and India (Llew and me). Almost all mentioned the names of Avril and Mickey, the couple who had initiated this tour and taken it off ground by contacting some of the friends with whom they had traveled earlier to the Holy Land. Then, friends told more friends and the numbers swelled. Sadly, at the 11th house, Avril and Mickey had to pull out of the trip, for health reasons. Although Llew and I had met them just once, many years ago, at the home of our friends, Doreen and John, we did not see them again after that. We had met many of the other participants at parties on Long Island, over the years, and it was great to re-connect with them. It was also fun to find a Bombay connection with the couple from Staten Island, Em and Jude. I happen to be good friends in my yoga class with Em’s sister, Fran. Also a good number of the participants knew my brother Roger. In this manner, we discovered connections that kept us gasping. The members of our safari van also discovered, from the meeting, that while most of the others had received extensive natural history information from their drivers, we had received nothing. We were very disappointed indeed. Mussa had told us barely anything. Apart from naming the animals and birds as we passed by them, he had said nothing. As Amani asked for feedback, we used the opportunity to tell him that we were dissatisfied by the lack of commentary from Mussa and hoped to receive more on our next safari drive. It was a very fruitful meeting indeed as we were asked to state our expectations of the trip and most folks said they hoped to see the Big Five as well as witness the Great Migration.

When the meeting ended, we made our way to the Dining Hall to take our seats and then adjourn to the accompanying buffet section where we filled our plates with the goodies on display. I chose to try African Jollof Rice, Creamed Spinach, Curried Chickpeas, Fried Chicken, Beef and Tomato Stew—after experimenting with some of the extraordinarily fresh salads and a delicious Spinach Soup (the soups were always outstanding) . Dessert was always too tempting to resist although I have to say that I rarely came across something that was truly scrumptious. There was always a variety of cakes, tiny pastries and bowls of fresh fruit. You could stay healthy, if you chose to, but few of us did!

Celebrating Birthdays the African Way:

It was at this dinner that we experienced our first birthday celebration, the African Way! It is customary in Africa, when a birthday in being celebrated, for the entire kitchen and wait staff to form a procession at the head of which is the Head Waiter bearing a frosted cake with candles. Lights are usually dimmed, a drum is produced from somewhere, the procession breaks into a native song and wends its way around the tables stirring up as much fanfare as possible. All the while, they sing a song that goes, “Jamba, Jamba Jamba…Jamba…etc.” Jamba, by the way, means Hullo. Over the next few days, we would hear this song often and would be able to hum or sing along too. The cake is then plonked in front of the birthday person who cuts it after the lights are turned on again. In this way, those celebrating special occasions can be made to feel special as well.

I was very fortunate, ten years ago, when I had arrived at our hotel, the Hamilton Tented Camps Resort in Skukuza, South Africa, on my birthday. I’d had the sheer pleasure of such a boisterous birthday celebration myself as the staff produced champagne flutes and plates and served everyone a bit of bubbly and a slice of cake. So I knew well how tempted one feels to film the whole spectacle or to join in the procession and many members of our group did.

Music and Dancing After Dinner:

Of course, when you put a bunch of Bandra Catholics together, you must expect music and dancing. As we left the Dining Hall and made our way to the Bar, we found a spot by a huge fireplace where we all settled down to show off our moves! Em and Jude had carried a boom box (a small one) and with the music going, a few of them got on to the makeshift floor and urged everyone else to join in, Before you knew it, we had a dance party underway with everyone losing their inhibitions, letting their hair down and having a crack at taking a few steps. It was a lot of fun and we had a really good time until Llew found his energy reserves deserting him and decided to call it a day.

Yes, it had been a very eventful day and it was only the first of them! Having seen three of the Big Five, everyone felt optimistic about ticking them all off their list. And, on that happy note, we made our way back to our rooms (with staff escorting us with Maasai sticks as animals are known to wander on to the property) and sank down on the lovely plush beds that had been beautifully made up for us, with mosquito nets drawn all around, hot water bottles snuggled under at the foot of each bed and a fire ready to be lit on request. I have to say that it was really freezing in the rooms and we were grateful for our warm hoodies and down jackets. We requested a fire to be lit for us, a member of the staff came and did this, but by the time we finished our showers, the last dying embers were all that we could see. Still, it was profoundly romantic to be in a colonial world, with a warm fire in the grate, mosquito nets billowing around our beds, hot tea and coffee available for us to brew in our rooms (should we choose to—although no decaff, alas) and the promise of yet another lovely day to look forward to on the morrow.

Until tomorrow, Hakuna Matata (No Worries, No Troubles).

It's a Long Journey from Nairobi to Karatu through Kilimanjaro

Thursday, July 10, 2025:

Nairobi-Kilimanjaro.

It's a Long Journey from Nairobi to Karatu through Kilimanjaro

We need not have worried for we were out for the count during the entire flight. I have to say that traveling Business Class on Kenya Airways turned out to be a bit of a waste for the two of us as we merely sat down in our seats when we fell fast asleep. In fact, the last thing I remember was our aircraft picking up speed as it taxied on the runway and then climbing into the sky. That was it. It was almost 3.00 am in Bombay and we’d had no sleep at all through the night. Little wonder that we just sank back into our roomy seats, placed them in reclining position, accepted the offer of a drink (both of us had a glass of champagne) and were out like a light. We were so dead asleep that we did not even hear the trolly go by with the drinks and cocktail service, nor did we hear the trolley go by with dinner. We simply missed it all as we caught up on our sleep.

By the time we surfaced, it was about 6.00 am (local Kenyan time) and fellow-passengers were requesting the cabin crew for coffee. Assuming that we would be served at least a light breakfast before we disembarked, I was surprised when the stewardess told me that we’d be landing in under an hour and no breakfast would be served. My companion turned out to be a very nice man named Atul Mohod, who happened to be the CEO of Pepsico in Nairobi. This flight was a regular one for him as he moved back and forth between Africa and Nagpur, where his Indian home is based. Atul turned out to have a wealth of information about Africa as he has lived in various countries in Africa for over 25 years (including Tanzania and Kenya). He gave me a great number of tips about going on a safari and, when the plane was about to land, he very kindly offered me his window seat to enable me to see Nairobi National Park (NP) from the window (as it borders the airport). Needless to say, I took a few pictures while airborne and landing, little knowing that ten days later, we would actually be in Nairobi NP ourselves.

It was Atul who told me that Indians deliberately choose to fly to the West on Kenya Airways and opt for a long 7-8 hour layover (after obtaining a multiple entry visa) as it enables them to clear Immigration and head straight to the Kenya Tourism Board counter in the airport lobby. Here, they purchase a 4-5 hour safari (in Nairobi NP) which costs $50 per head. They are then picked up from the airport by the Safari company, taken on a morning game drive and returned to the airport well in time to board their connecting flight to other parts of the West (having, in the process, seen four of the Big Five—there are no elephants in Nairobi NP). It seems like such a brilliant idea to me and one I well might opt for in years to come).

Our touchdown in Nairobi was very smooth and as I looked around Nairobi airport from the aircraft, it seemed to be a very small one with very limited traffic. Atul confirmed this—it was small, he said, and had a very tiny duty free shopping area. He volunteered to lead us to the Pride of Africa Lounge which we could use for free as Business Class passengers. I had also done some prior research and had found out that the Aspire Lounge is also available for regular passengers who were offered some snacks and beverages for free (although they would have to pay for meals and alcoholic drinks).

Using the Pride of Africa Lounge at Nairobi Airport:

Well, having arrived in the Pride of Africa Lounge (take lift from Gate 17 to Second floor), thanks to Atul, we had about eight hours to kill before leaving to join a big group of our co-travelers who would be arriving later in the day from the USA. Llew and I surveyed the massive expanse of Lounge space that included bathrooms with full showering facilities, individual cubicles in a ‘silent zone’ with full size single beds for those wanting to catch up on sleep, a full bar with a vast range of alcoholic drinks and various food stations offering everything from soup to pizza, pasta and sandwiches to hot meals and desserts.

Not having had breakfast on the flight, we treated ourselves to a good feed. Llew had the FEB (Full English Breakfasts) by feasting on scrambled eggs, beef sausages, beef bacon, grilled tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, hash browns and toast while I chose waffles with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. We both finished off with orange juice and really good Kenyan decaff coffee. It was a very full meal indeed (and the first of the huge meals we would continue to consume for the next ten days). Wifi facilities were available and we kept track of the progress of our fellow-passengers in different parts of the world. Some of them had arrived in Doha as they were flying Qatar Airways from New York and needed to transit in Doha. It was all fun and very exciting. After a while, we went looking for free bed cubicles so that we could stretch out and go to sleep and we did this too. Both of us were too full to have lunch but we did have coffee and dessert at tea-time and then had drinks (wine and gin and tonic) and dinner (tomato soup, salad, pasta in marinara sauce) before leaving to look for our connecting flight to Kilimanjaro. That all this was complimentary was truly amazing. It was a fabulous way to stretch our legs, get used to a new time zone and ease into our travels in Africa with a whole, quiet, free day to ourselves.

By this time, having sent out an inquiring txt, we discovered that a group of our travel companions were in the Aspire Lounge on the Ground floor, We finished up our drinks and snacks and got organized to go down to meet them as our Boarding time was nearing. En route to the Lounge, we met them—I recognized them from the many pictures that they had kept posting on our ‘Africa 2025’ Whatsapp group ever since their departure from the US (Gino and company). They were delighted to meet us and after introductions were made, we continued walking towards our gate where we took the first of the many group pictures we would click for the rest of the week. They were a jolly lot and clearly close friends. However, they welcomed us warmly in their midst.

Fight to Kilimanjaro:

I was excited to take a flight to Kilimanjaro. Ever since I had become familiar with the work of Ernest Hemingway (his A Farewell to Arms is one of my favorite novels of all time), I had been fascinated by his novella, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and had actually downloaded it on my Ipad with the idea of reading it while we were actually in Kilimanjaro. I also hoped to catch a glimpse of the great mountain (the tallest on the African continent) just before we landed at our destination. I was told by the stewardess that it would be visible on the left side of the plane and since Business Class on this leg of our travel was almost empty, I positioned myself strategically to see the mountain.

Alas! Twilight was fast falling over the land and there was heavy cloud cover that was certain to obscure the views. The stewardess spoke to the Captain who confirmed that while ordinarily I would have seen the mountain from my left side window, it was highly doubtful we would see it this evening. It was already too dark and too cloudy. Oh well…perhaps we would catch a glimpse of it from one of our lodges later in the week. Much later, I discovered that one of my travel companions and close friends, Doreen, had received quite a stunning view of it from her aircraft window. She shared her picture with me and I was satisfied.

Accordingly, we settled down to enjoy the short (one hour) flight and alighted at Kilimanjaro airport from where we had to walk about five minutes along the tarmac with our carry-on baggage to reach the airport terminal where we had to clear Immigration (as we had already crossed the border while in flight and were now in Tanzania). Llew and I posed by the ‘Welcome to Tanzania’ sign that featured Mount Kilimanjaro, the most iconic landmark in Africa. The border crossing took a vast amount of time as we were a large group and all of them had checked in their baggage. It took ages before the entire group retrieved their baggage from the carousel and we were able to get outside to meet our tour representative who was standing with a sign that said, “Farina”—the last name of one of the members of their group, Gino Farina. I identified myself to him and before long, he led us to a tall, strapping, young man who introduced himself to me as Amani. He said he was the tour representative for Faith Holidays. While waiting for the others to pick up their baggage, clear Immigration and join us, we discovered, through Amani, that the trip had started off on the wrong foot for two of our friends and fellow-travelers, Brian and Marilyn, whose baggage had not reached, the previous evening (they had opted to fly in early and take an extra day-trip that they had planned out themselves). What’s worse, Marilyn had left her phone in the transport that would take us to the Lodge and was stressed out about retreiving. She was eagerly awaiting our arrival in the hope that we would bring their baggage and her phone with us. Sadly, their baggage had not yet reached (more than 24 hours later) and we were unable to bring it with us.

Finally, almost an hour later, the entire group was out and able to follow Amani’s lead. We were taken to our waiting coaches where our baggage was piled in and, in the pitch darkness, we began our long drive to Karatu to our accommodation for the night, a place called The Retreat at Ngorongoro. Most of the group were dead tired or half asleep by this point as, unlike us, they had traveled halfway around the world to reach Africa—plus they’d had a seven-hour layover at Nairobi too. Many dozed off as the miles were eaten between Kilimanjaro and Karatu. There was some initial excited conversation in the coach, but very soon people nodded off and silence descended upon our van—there was another van that traveled alongside ours as we were a very large group indeed and could not all be accommodated in one van. Aside from Arusha, a large city, through whose outskirts we passed, we were basically in the rural heartland of Tanzania with nothing of real interest to see.

Arrival and Dinner at The Retreat at Ngorongoro:

I had assumed that upon arrival at The Retreat, we would check in and go directly to our rooms to crash. But the three hour drive had caused unexpected hunger pangs and, by the time we neared our hotel, we were all thinking about dinner. Fortunately for us, Amani reassured us that the Hotel was aware of our late arrival and would be staying up to serve us a hot meal.

The Retreat is indeed a gorgeous space—beautifully decorated with African Bush motifs and in earthy colors, it is a warm, welcoming place set in sprawling gardens that are superbly landscaped. We had a very quick check in before we piled into the Dining Hall. The buffet had been cleared out (as it was long past midnight) but we were treated to a delicious sit-down dinner with a vast number of interesting and delicious things to eat. There was Cream of Pumpkin Soup to begin our meal. This was followed by Candied Pineapple, Creamed Spinach, Beef Stew, Fried Tilapia, Sauteed Carrots and Green Beans, Cucumber Salad, Cauliflower Tempura, and three desserts including one they called “Creamy Cheese” which was like Panna Cotta. There were also African donuts called Mandazi (like New Orleans’ beignets without the icing sugar) that are found all over the hotels in which we stayed. Despite the lateness of the hour, we were hungry enough to devor it all and we did justice to the skills of the chefs who had taken immense time and trouble to feed our needs.

Settling Down in our Room at The Retreat at Ngorongoro—Finally!

After our dinner, our room key was handed to us. Our keychain was just wonderful. It was a large and very colorful bird! We soon discovered that room keys in each hotel are unique and charming: made of bone or horn or beaded, they were quite distinctive indeed. Our room turned out to be an individual villa set in delightful gardens—rather like the lovely resorts that have sprouted in Goa. As it was dark, we were escorted to our villa by hotel bell boys who showed us how light switches and bathroom fitments worked. It was a beautiful suite—very well appointed with an entrance lobby that doubled as a study and a bedroom with a large double bed fitted fully with mosquito nets (that brought an “Out of Africa” vibe to the setting). A fully working fireplace was a welcome sight as it was indeed really cold and we were grateful for our layers of warm clothing. There was a colonial ambience to it all, but sadly, we were simply too exhausted to enjoy the deluxe surroundings; and after unpacking our night clothes, brushing and flossing our teeth, we fell straight into bed (grateful for the freshly-filled hot water bottles that were nestled in our beds—such an unexpected but totally welcome luxury).

We looked forward very much to awaking at dawn in time for a big breakfast and a reunion with most of our friends—no to mention all the expected safari treats that lay in store.

Until tomorrow, Hakuna Matata…

Jambo East Africa--Adventures in Tanzania and Kenya. A Most Luxurious Departure from Bombay to Nairobi

JAMBO EAST AFRICA: ADVENTURES IN KENYA AN TANZANIA

JULY 10-20, 2025

Most people refer to an African Safari as “the trip of a lifetime”. For Llew and me, it was not quite the same thing as we had been on an African Safari about ten years ago. However, we had spent a whole week in Krueger National Park (NP) in South Africa and had never been to East Africa. We had also heard so much about the Great Migration of about a million beasts (mainly wildebeest—also known as gnu--and zebras) that occurs in East Africa in the months from July-October that we had promised ourselves that our next safari would be in this part of the world. Hence, when we heard in January from our friends in Connecticut, Ralph and Lynn, that a group of them had booked a safari in Kenya and Tanzania, we thought it the perfect opportunity to take in one of the great Natural Wonders of the World—the Great Migration—in person (as opposed to watching it on You Tube videos). By January of this year, we had booked a tour to join them and could not wait to depart, While a majority of the group would be traveling from the US to Africa, we’d be departing from Bombay, India, with the idea of picking up their arriving flight in Nairobi and then traveling onwards with them. Llew did a great job coordinating our flight bookings with theirs and before you knew it, we were ready to say Bye Bye Bombay and Jambo (Hello) Africa.

Wednesday, July 9, 2025:

Bombay-Nairobi.

A Most Luxurious Departure from Bombay.

Since our flight was to depart from Bombay at 2.45 am on July 10, we arranged an Uber car that arrived on schedule at our apartment in Bandra at 10.30 pm and dropped us off at Bombay International Airport at 11.30 pm. As we were not checking in any baggage, we had a smooth check-in process, cleared Immigration easily and had about two hours to use the Adani Lounge for free as we were traveling in Business Class. This facility was simply wonderful as we were able to get complimentary drinks (Llew had red wine, I had a glass of sparkling wine) and an array of buffet-style cocktail snacks and a full dinner. We opted for cheese and crackers, olives, hummus and beetroot dip with pita chips, and vegetarian sushi as we sipped our drinks and used wifi. We were also following the travel progress of other members of our vast team who were leaving from different parts of the world (US, UK and Israel) to connect with the entire team at the lodge in Karatu in Kenya where our first resort was located. These folks were already sending funny pictures of their departure and one could sense the excitement and enthusiasm of the group members as they set out on their own adventure of a lifetime. At boarding time, we used the Lounge restroom facilities and made our way to our gate—by this time, it was past midnight and already Thursday, July 10, 2025. It had been a really luxurious and very smooth departure from Bombay and we looked forward to getting some shut-eye on the aircraft.

Day Four (Final Day) in Delhi: Seeing and Doing Bits and Bobs of the Capital Before Departure. Connaught Place, Janpath, Safdarjang's Tomb, Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Chaat at Greater Kailash

CTuesday, February 4, 2025:

Delhi:

Day Four (Final Day) in Delhi: Seeing and Doing Bits and Bobs of the Capital Before Departure.

Connaught Place, Janpath, Safdarjang's Tomb, Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Chaat at Greater Kailash

Our last day in Delhi (on this trip) would be as hectic as you can imagine as we tried to cover all the unaccomplished bits and bobs that were on our To-Do and To-See List. We awoke and after showering and getting dressed, we packed up our backpacks and kept them ready for pick-up, at the end of the day, when we would head straight off to the airport. But first, there was breakfast to be enjoyed.

Breakfast and Off to Connaught Place:

As Llew has awoken with a dodgy tummy and I wanted to look for a Benarasi-style silk table runner in off-white with gold tassels, we decided to have breakfast and make a beeline for Janpath which a shopper’s haven, reportedly. Last night, my friend Anita had mentioned that the Indian Cottage Emporium at Janpath would be the best place to find exceptional Indian handicrafts under one roof and with fixed, reasonable government prices.

Hence, after eating a hearty breakfast in our Fulbright Residence cafeteria (I had scrambled eggs today with buttered toast (and jam for Llew), plus cornflakes and hot milk, a plate of apples and hot coffee, we made a short visit to the Fulbright office to meet Neeraj whom I had missed yesterday. We had a lovely visit together as Anupam joined in too and after catching up for awhile, we set off.

Shopping at Janpath:

Janpath is very easy to reach from our residence as it is the second stop on the Violet Line which serves our metro stop (Mandi House). Once there, we found the India Cottage Emporium soon enough as Anita had mentioned that it was just opposite the Tibetan Market—which is simply a series of sidewalk shops selling items from Tibet.

However, our foray into the emporium did not glean results as they did not have what I was looking for. Instead we decided to take a look at the shops on Connaught Place which is one of Delhi’s best-known landmarks and another fine achievement of Lutyens-Baker as architects.

Exploring Connaught Place and Connaught Circus:

Everyone knows Connaught Place. It is a popular hangout but also houses many private companies such as airline offices and travel agencies. The place is also known as Connaught Circus as it is designed and constructed in the shape of concentric circles that are created through the use of open-air shopping arcades punctuated by Greek Doric columns in white. The closest we get to such a structure in Bombay is Horniman Circle.

As we were essentially looking for a pharmacy, we did google it and found one in a place about a ten minute walk away. Using Google maps, we found our way there at a place called Apollo Pharmacy from where we bought some Dolo which Llew took immediately. It is clear that Delhi’s notorious pollution had gotten to him and despite the fact that we wore masks throughout, his chest became affected by the poor air-quality, his nose was leaking and his chest felt congested. We hoped that the medication would make a difference.

At this point, we began to look for the state emporiums that seem to be clustered in this area. A young man came up to help us and told us to take a rickshaw to the place where we could find it. Miraculously, a rickshaw driver appeared and told us he would take us there for Rs. 10! Unbelievable! We ought to have smelled a rat at that point. He said he’d take us to a place called Dilli Haath—a series of handicraft shops. Of course, he hoped we would shop vigorously and he would receive a cut from our purchases. But in this place too, we could not find what we wanted. The same rickshaw driver was waiting outside to take us to the next handicrafts shop—called Indian handlooms. But we were done with shopping and told him to take us to Safdarjang’s Tomb instead. He agreed to take us for Rs. 50 which was also a steal. We got in and soon realized that he was bent on taking us to the Handloom Stop. Once there, when we did not get out of the rickshaw because we were not interested in looking any further, he make a U-turn, but then just five minutes later, he complained that his rickshaw was not working well and dropped us off at a corner! Clearly, these touts are only interested in attracting people into their vehicles who will shop hugely and give them a cut (for bringing customers to the stores). He did not want to drive too far away from the shopping circuit—and, therefore, deserted us!

Fortunately for us, we were able to call an Uber Rick that then took us to our next destination, Safdarjang’s Tomb and Mausoleum.

Visiting the Tomb of Safdarjang:

You cannot miss Safdarjang’s Tomb when you are cruising through the streets of Delhi. It is en route to the Lodi Colony on Aurobindo Ghosh Marg and I was intrigued by what I had seen of its entrance on at least three occasions that we passed by it. Getting off at the gate from our rickshaw, we made our way to the entrance to purchase a ticket to enter.

As in the case of all Mughal monuments, this one too is approached by a huge gate or Darwaza that frames the magnificence of the building concealed behind. It was built in 1754 and is considered the last ember on the dying flames of Mughal architecture in India.

So here’s a word about Safdarjang (from Wikipedia):

Safdarjung, Nawab of Awadh, was made prime minister (Vazir) of the Mughal Empire (Wazir ul-Mamlak-i-Hindustan) when Ahmed Shah Bahadur ascended the throne in 1748. As Vazir, he usurped all powers under his control as the king was only a puppet, a figurehead, who was into enjoying life with wine, opium, and women. But his control over the emperor's family was so cruel that the emperor called the Marathas to rid of their Vazir. The Marathas drove Safdarjung out of Delhi in 1753. He died soon after in 1754.

After his death, his son Nawab Shujaud Daula pleaded with the Mughal Emperor to permit him to erect a tomb for his father in Delhi. He then built the tomb, which was designed by an Abyssininan architect. It was built by Bilal Muhammad Khan, at the cost of three lacs of rupees. When you come to think of it, considering that he was so reviled in his lifetime, his son is fortunate that the Emperor permitted him to build the mausoleum at all.

It is a stunning monument and definitely worth seeing, especially if one is on a tour of Islamic architecture in India and wishes to trace its evolution. If one goes chronologically, then this monument would come last in the line as it is an 18th century monument, representative of the achievement of the Mughal empire when in its dying throes and just before the Battle of Plassey (1757) would end Mughal supremacy on the Indian sub-continent and make way for imperial British rule in India.

Just past the entrance gate, where we stopped to take pictures, we arrived at the picture postcard-perfect spot which is highly reminiscent of the Taj Mahal in Agra. The mausoleum is built entirely of red sandstone with slight marble inlay embellishments to define its contours, But its most striking aspect is its gigantic marble dome—truly the Mughals had mastered the art of creating domes that rivalled Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence, Italy, in terms of size and style. Unlike Humayun’s Tomb, which is older and larger, this has minarets at the four corners—in imitation of the Taj Mahal—but they are attached to the main building and not separated along the periphery of the plinth. There is something gloriously poetic about these Islamic mausoleums that bring out deep excitement in me. I was really thrilled to see this place as it has been at least fifty years since I had last seen it—I am certain I had seen it as a young teenager on a family trip to Delhi. This time round, I could completely appreciate its architectural details and its interior embellishments.

Safdarjang’s marble cenotaph lies right in the center of the structure. It is well decorated with carvings. The marble floor around it is decorated with pietra dura (such as one sees at the Taj)—so the Taj clearly inspired this decoration. We circumnavigated the cenotaph and looked up to find it rather stark in its lack of embellishment. The terrace, like all such Mughal monuments, has a low latticed wall. The place is exceedingly peaceful, unlike all the other monuments we had visited, because so few people come here. The Mughal gardens spread all around, in the Persian Char Bagh deign, featured well-manicured lawns that were a cool delight to the eye. But after taking the mandatory pictures, there was really not much to do and we made our way out towards the main entrance.

Off to Chandni Chowk to see the Red Fort:

By this time, it was well past 12 noon and we were beginning to be conscious of the paucity of time. We wanted to see Shah Jehan’s Red Fort as it is the only significant Mughal monument that we had not yet glimpsed on this trip. However, we would not have the time to go inside (this takes almost an entire morning and we have toured it a couple of times earlier). Hence, we decided to get an Uber auto to take us to Chandni Chowk so that we could take a few pictures of the imposing, towering red sandstone walls before moving on to the next item on our agenda.

The ride by rickshaw was long as the place was quite a distance from Safdarjang’s Tomb. Once we entered Chandni Chowk, our progress was also very slow as traffic made it very difficult to move ahead. But, eventually, we reached. Our driver let us off and we walked for about ten minutes around the corner of the main road, to get some pictures of the ramparts of this glorious Fort before we went out in search of the Jama Masjid Metro station (which we had passed) to get to the next stop on our agenda, Lunch at Great Kailash.

Can’t Leave Delhi Without Eating Chaat:

Of course, you cannot leave Delhi without eating the Northern Indian street-food known as Chaat. So off we went to Greater Kailash, one of the large colonies on the outskirts of the city, where my friend Sangeeta had suggested we eat chaat. For the uninitiated, Chaat is a very unique aspect of North Indian cuisine that is a cross between a snack and a meal. It is composed entirely of fried items that look like crackers, very thin noodles, etc. that are then eaten with mashed potato, chickpeas, mung bean sprouts, etc. and then heavily doused with a variety of sauces including runny yogurt, date sauce, chilli sauce, etc. The combination of sweet-sour-salty-umami flavors is what makes this so interesting and so delicious. No two chaat stalls serve exactly the same combo and no two plates of chaat ever taste the same. Everything lies in the proportion of sauce and spice to base crackers. It’s really hard to describe. A word of caution here: Novices find this rather difficult to digest—the stomachs of the uninitiated find it too much of a shock to deal with so much strangeness. This is, therefore, the most notorious cause of Delhi Belly and I have grown wary of eating it myself as I seem to have lost my immunity.

All that said, in Greater Kailash I, is a place called Prince Chaat which is known strictly by reputation alone. Every auto rickshaw driver knows this place. So, once we got off the metro at Greater Kailash (a very long journey that took more than 45 minutes from the Red Fort), we hopped into a rick whose driver took us there.

To my utter astonishment, this place is only a road-side joint. You cannot sit inside and eat your chaat in peace. You must stand on the road and partake of these treats at the corner of a busy traffic intersection. Not to be daunted by the location or setting, we ordered gol gappe (known as pani puri in Bombay)—4 of them to a plate. And believe me, it was as much as I could handle, They are large and could barely fit in my mouth! They were ice-cold and the pani (cumin water) used was kept frigidly cold. This did a number on my very sensitive teeth. I have to say that my struggle to eat these treats took the pleasure away completely. Next, we ordered Delhi’s famous Paapri Chaat—this is a combination of items and flavors as I have described above. It was just superb—no question, Prince’s reputation rests on these concoctions.

By this time, it was almost 4.00pm and as we wanted to be at the airport at 7.00 pm for our 9.00 pm flight to Bombay, we had to get a move-on. We called for an Uber Rick to take us back to Greater Kailash (known colloquially as GK) metro station from where we hopped into the Violet line (no changes necessary) and arrived at our destination—Mandi House. From there, it was just a ten minute walk to our residence. Without wasting any time, we used the facilities, checked out, handed the key over to the watchman and called for a Rick to get us to Shivaji Stadium. We were running half an hour behind schedule as we had hoped to leave our residence at 5.00 pm. It was actually 5.30 pm when we left.

Journey to the Airport:

From Shivaji Stadium, we easily found the Airport Express Line station entrance and bought our tickets (Rs. 50 per head) to get to T1 at the airport. The journey took about twenty minutes with a stop in-between (Daula Kuan). We hopped off at Aerocity from where we found the shuttle (Rs. 40 each ticket) to get us to the Terminal for our Indigo flight. We were there exactly on schedule at 7.00 pm—which means that it takes 90 minutes to get from the airport to the Fulbright Residence (something to keep in mind for future travel).

Of course, from this point it was smooth sailing—or so we thought. We checked in one bag (as we were carrying a bottle of wine), received our boarding passes and made our way to the gate—I looked for something to eat as the chaat was not filling enough and our meal on the aircraft would only be at 9.30pm. At leisure, I skirted around the Food Court and picked up Chicken Chalupas from Taco Bell with a mango milkshake for Llew and chocolate milkshake for me before I also picked up a Chocolate Truffle pastry from Theo Broma.

By the time I came back to the gate, I discovered that almost an hour had passed (service at the Food Court was that slow) and a gate change had been announced on Llew’s phone—not on the PA system. So, we had to move from Gate 8 to Gate 41! This involved taking an elevator and finding our way there and eventually eating our meal while waiting for boarding to be announced.

Both of us then carried our airplane meal (Chicken sandwiches) home with us as we were really full. The flight was short—we had blue masala tea on the flight—and eventually reached Bombay at 11. 30 pm. We took a rickshaw back home and reached at 12. 30 pm. It was well past 1.30 am before we actually went to bed after what had been a very long journey home indeed.

Conclusion:

We had a truly rollicking time in Delhi. My visits to this city are too few and far-between for my liking and I always forget how beautiful it is and how much I love it. On this visit, apart from being present at the birthday party for which we were invited, Llew and I made a thorough study of Islamic architecture from the 11the century (the Aibaks at the Qutb Minar) to the Lodis (12-13th century at Mehrauli and the Lodi Gardens) to the Great Mughals (Humayun—his tomb, Shah Jehan—his Red Fort and Jama Masjid—14-15th centuries) and finally to the last phase of this glorious reign (18th century—Safdarjang’s Tomb). It is truly fascinating how much the Mughals achieved in terms of architecture and garden landscape design and how many influences they incorporated into their monuments: Persian, Rajput, Florentine Renaissance, etc.

We also ate our way through the capital’s offerings by enjoying upscale, Michelin-quality restaurants such as Ego and Cho, charming French-style tea-rooms such as Laduree and Elma’s that reeked of Parisian elegance, renowned and historic kebab places such as Karim’s and modest street-side eateries such as Azam’s and Prince. In the process, we took in a grand gastronomic tour of food offerings and enjoyed every bit of them.

I do not know when we will have occasion to return to Delhi. But it is comforting to know that it is only a two hour flight away from Bombay and that the Fulbright Residence is always available for my use to offer quality accommodation in the very heart of the city. Delhi is endlessly fascinating and, no doubt, on another visit, there will be other places to see and other things to do. I very much look forward to that day.

Thanks for following me on these armchair-travels. I hope you have enjoyed living vicariously through my adventures as much as I enjoyed penning them for you.

Until next time…may the road rise up to greet you and make the wind be ever at your back.

Day Three in Dazzling Delhi: Mehrauli Archeological Park, Ambavatta One Complex, Exploring Lodi Colony’s Art District, Tea at Elma’s, Visiting Lotus Temple and Dilli Haath Exhibition, Driving Tour of New Delhi by Night and Dinner at Karim’s of Chandni Chowk

Monday, February 3, 2025

Delhi

Day Three in Dazzling Delhi: Mehrauli Archeological Park, Ambavatta One Complex, Exploring Lodi Colony’s Art District, Tea at Elma’s, Visiting Lotus Temple and Dilli Haath Exhibition, Driving Tour of New Delhi by Night and Dinner at Karim’s of Chandni Chowk

Today, our time in Delhi was crammed with such a vast variety of items to see and to do that it was far in excess of what I had expected

Breakfast and Off to Mehrauli:

After rising at leisure, we showered and made our way to the café for our complimentary breakfast of masala omlettes with buttered toast (and jam), fresh fruit (papaya, apples, bananas), cornflakes with milk and hot coffee. Well filled to meet the rigors of the day, we set out on foot to Mandi House Metro Station from where we took the metro to Qutb Minar Station (end of the line) as our aim was to get to Mehrauli which is beyond the outskirts of the city. By this point, we had mastered the Metro drill and knew how to get from one spot to the next while staying underground and avoiding Delhi’s notorious road traffic. Little did we guess what a convoluted journey we would have.

Once we alighted at the Qutb Minar Station, our nightmare began. Touts advertising the availability of their auto ricks began coaxing us to hire them to get to the Qutb Minar. I was under the impression that we could walk there—but it turned out to be more than 2 miles away! In the end, we hired a rick ourselves and were dropped off at the Qutub Minar. We could not see it at this point, but since we were not interested in going inside—but heading to Mehrauli instead—we did not get into the line to buy tickets.

Using our phones, we thought we’d find our way to Mehrauli Archeological Park that I had read about online. It supposedly contains hundreds of ancient Islamic tombs and mausoleums and strolling around them makes for a wonderful morning’s excursion. However, our phones were far from helpful and when we stopped to ask a group of men who looked like they might be able to guide us on foot, they turned out to be far more helpful than we could have imagined. They immediately offered to send us in a car with their driver. You can just imagine how shocked we were! And delighted! They said it was no trouble at all and, in fact, they actually sent a young man who happened to be in their group, with us, as our guide, on our journey.

So, there we were, in a stranger’s car, with his driver and making conversation with a young man who informed us that not many people go to this venue. And he was right. When we did eventually reach the spot, it was almost deserted. It is so out of the way and so hard to access if one doesn’t have private transport that it is clearly not on anyone’s beaten tourist track.

Exploring Mehrauli Archeological Park:

I have to say that there is nothing much to impress about the entrance to Mehrauli Archaeological Park. The place is really an overgrown jungle studded with Islamic monuments, most of which are in ruin. The few that still stand intact are hoary with age. While some of them are being refurbished slowly (with assistance from the Aga Khan Foundation), the rest languish sadly with few visitors.

We first went to the tombs and mosque of Jamali-Kamali which is the first significant monument that you come across on your wanderings.

The Jamali Kamali Mosque and Tomb:

This is a Sufi mosque and mausoleum complex that contains the tombs of Jamali and Kamali, located in the archaeological village of Mehrauli, in South Delhi, India. The mosque and the tomb were constructed in 1529, and Jamali was buried in the tomb after his death in 1535. The mosque and tomb structures are a Monument of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India. "Jamali" was the alias given to Shaikh Fazlu'llah, also known as Shaikh Jamali Kamboh or Jalal Khan, a renowned Sufi saint who lived duringthe times of the Lodi Dynasty and the Mughal Dynasty, a period from the rule of Sikander Lodi to that of Babur and Humayun.

While we did enter the mosque and noticed its exterior and interior design and its mihrab inside, we did not linger too long. We were not allowed to enter the adjoining Tomb enclosure as we were told that it is under renovation and out of bounds of visitors. After taking a few pictures we left. However, this 1500s edifice is significant in that it set the style and tone for tomb-mosques to follow. The name "Jamali" is Urdu, though originates from "Jamal" which means "beauty". Jamali was a popular poet who traveled widely around Asia and the Middle East. He became court poet during Lodi Dynasty rule and continued to enjoy the patronage of the Mughal rulers, Babur and his son Humayun. His poetry mirrored Persian mysticism of the times. His two popular works are The Sun and Moon and The Spiritual Journey of the Mystics. It is said that his tomb was completed during Humayun's rule. Kamali was an unknown individual who served as Jamali's disciple.

The Kings Steps or Rajaon Ki Baoli:

Walking out of this compound complex, we next arrived at the Rajaon ki Baoli (King’s Steps) which was a very long walk away. The complex is huge and you must be in good shape to be able to undertake all the walking that is involved as you go from one monument to the next. When we did find the King’s Steps, they were spectacular. It is Delhi’s most significant step-well. There are stairs that lead down to the water’s level, deep below. It is evident that refurbishment is being carried out as parts of it are now in brand-new shape while others still wear age on their sleeves. Again, after taking a few pictures, we left.

From this point on, we walked a few steps and right ahead of us were a series of cenotaphs concealed under domed structures. Many of the people buried here remain anonymous and some refurbishment allowed us to admire the architectural features and embellishment. We did take a few pictures and left.

Finally, our last port of call was Adham Khan’s Mausoleum, which is across the street from the park and the Mehrauli Bus Terminus, which towered in front of us in quite imposing gait. However, by then we had seen too many mausoleums that were very similar and were also tired and hungry and did not feel motivated to cross the street to enter it. Instead, we began to look for a rickshaw to take us for lunch and the place we chose was Cho, an award-winning Vietnamese restaurant that my friend Sangeeta had insisted we visit. A rickshaw did show up, eventually, and about five minutes later, after a very short ride, we were at the Ambavatta One Complex.

Exploring the Ambavatta One Complex:

The Ambavatta One Complex is well-known in Delhi. Although it is in faraway Mehrauli, it is a showcase for the finest work of India’s best-known fashion designers from Anita Dongre and Manish Malhotra to Falguni Shah Peacock and Tarun Tahiliani—indeed all the huge names are here. Needless to say, the biggest daddy of them all, Sabyasachi, has his own adjoining showroom, in its own compound next door.

The Complex is beautifully designed as an outdoor shopping arcade. It has dual floors with the designer showrooms on the ground floor and upscale restaurants (such as Cho) on the first floor. Great landscaping brings trees, flowers and potted greenery to the place. The end result is a very elitist space that offers big-time sticker shock. We merely skirted around the shops before finding out where Cho was located and getting there for lunch.

Lunch at Vietnamese Cho Restaurant:

As we adored the food in Vietnam, it made sense that we seek out a Vietnamese restaurant and Cho did not disappoint. Its décor is very pretty indeed—a sort of tropical jungle vibe with cool sophistication. We were the only people lunching in the establishment which, I presume, must have more clientele at dinner time. Once handed our menus, we decided first on a cool drink as all our trekking through the park had rendered us really dehydrated and very thirsty. We both chose something called a Mango Colada—a mixture of mango and pineapple juices with thyme highlights and vanilla ice-cream—it was refreshing and very delicious.

From the menu, we then selected Bahn Mi—the famous Vietnamese sandwich that is usually filled with a variety of meats (pate is a must—although there was none in our sandwich) and pickled veg—this was certainly present in the pickled cucumber. Ours had a breaded chicken cutlet in it which was very good and crisp. Overall, it was a very delicious sandwich, made better by the accompanying sweet-sour sauce. We also ordered Chicken Pho, as it is a dish (hearty soup with a flavorful broth) we can never resist. This was okay--nothing like the pho we had eaten in Vietnam or, best of all, in a small eatery in Hawai’i, which remains the best Pho we had ever eaten. Overall, it was a wonderful meal eaten in a delightful atmosphere.

Out friends Allan and Anita were supposed to join us for the rest of the day and after hearing from them, we made arrangements to meet them at Lodi Colony so that we could begin our tour of the Artist’s Colony.

Exploring the Lodi Colony Art District:

The Lodi Colony Art District was another thing I got to know about from doing some prior research before leaving for Delhi. As Anita is also an artist, I thought it would make sense to take her there and as she and Allan were game, we met them at a street corner in Lodi Colony after we alighted from the rickshaw that transported us from Ambavatta to Lodi Colony.

We soon discovered that the art work is splattered, in the form of murals, on all the walls of this vast colony that consists of a series of soft pink buildings. A few years ago, someone came up with the idea of inviting international artists to paint the sides of the buildings—their entrances really—with larger-than-life size murals to bring some color and interest to the plain walls. The end result is best seen in a car (which we were fortunate to have) as Anita and Allan came in a car with a driver, Mahesh. He drove us around from one block to the next. We stopped and alighted from the car if we saw paintings that caught our eye and would make a good backdrop for pictures. More than half an hour later, we had toured most of the area on wheels, taken a bunch of very interesting pictures of paintings done by international artists from India, Belgium, Singapore, etc. It is interesting how sportingly these artists joined in to make this a truly fascinating part of Delhi.

Tea at Elma’s Tea Room:

Once we were done with exploring the art district, we were ready for some refreshment. Anita’s friends told us about coffee shops in the area and off we went to look for them. We found Elma’s close by and inside ordered tea, coffee, and French fries as Anita was hungry. We sat for about half an hour and left for the next item on our agenda.

Visiting the Lotus Temple of the Bahai Faith:

Anita’s friend also suggested the Lotus Temple, a very unique structure that symbolizes the Bahai Faith of which there are very few practitioners around the world. Most of the Lotus Temples have the same design—I had been taken to one of them just outside Chicago by my friend, Marie-Lou, many years ago. There is also one in Haifa in Israel. There is a similar uniformity to all of them—white, imposing, structured like an open lotus flower.

Sadly, when we arrived at the spot, we discovered that it is closed on Mondays—hence, we could not enter the gates or go inside. We could take pictures from the outside just as the sun was setting over Delhi, This lent a lovely hazy orange backdrop to our pictures of the pure white temple. Without wasting too much time at this spot, we left.

Visiting the Dilli-Haath Exhibition:

It was Anita’s friends again who had suggested the Dilli-Haath exhibition which turned out to be a large open-air exhibition/fair/market filled with stalls showcasing the work of India’s artists and craftsmen from all over the country. There is an entry fee of Rs. 50 and with that, you have free access to the stalls of hundreds of people who have pretty much the same merchandise. Almost every second stall was from Kashmir and there is an abundance of items from carpets and shawls to stoles, kurtas, embroidered table linen to footwear, etc. Other stalls sell handicrafts, jewelry, framed wall art, leather bags, pashmina shawls, etc. It is a good way to pass an entire evening if you can find the time and have a little extra cash to spend on gifts for yourself or others. While Anita did some shopping, I merely browsed. And soon it was time to leave these precincts also and move on.

A Driving Tour of Delhi By Night:

Our evening with our friends ended with them obliging us fully by taking us on a driving tour of Delhi by night. This enabled us to see major contemporary monuments such as Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate both on The Mall lit up in all their colorful glory. India Gate has tri-colored bands at the top in red, white and green (colors of the Indian national flag) while Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) has a laser light program that floods the outer walls with changing colors. One minute it is a garish pink, another time a fluorescent green. To my mind, there is nothing subtle or appealing about it. Furthermore, we were viewing it from a very long distance as you are not allowed, for Security reasons, to go anywhere close to these buildings. I understand that visitors are free to tour the buildings with special permission…but I had seen the inside of these buildings many years ago and had no desire to see them again. For first-time visitors to Dehi, I guess this would be a must-see. For me, the opportunity to see the monuments lit up was the reason for taking the tour. And after getting a few pictures, we were ready to call it a day—but not before eating some dinner.

Dinner at Karim’s at Chandni Chowk:

So, we were then all set to drive to crowded Old Delhi—to Chandni Chowk, to be precise—to eat at a renowned and most legendary eatery in Delhi, Karim’s. Except that Anita’s sister dissuaded her from eating there and she conveyed her hesitation to us. We were not daunted and decided to go ahead anyway. Hence, after Anita’s driver Mahesh, managed to negotiate the congested, maze-like labyrinth of Chandni Chowk, he brought us right opposite the famous mosque (the largest in the world)—the Jama Masjid—at which point, we parted company. Anita and Allan left after we said our goodbyes to them and we footed it off to Karim’s by simply heading closer and closer to the mosque.

We found Karim’s soon enough after a rather excruciating journey on foot through crowds of people either going into or emerging from the mosque or exploring the street to find dinner as there are several well-known places for typical North Indian Islamic food in the area. However, Karim’s is the oldest and most reputed of them all—and so, that was where we were headed. Inside, by taking a very narrow alleyway, we opened into a large courtyard filled with tiny rooms—all of which were parts of the same restaurant.

The menu is limited but centered on meat dishes. We ordered chicken seekh kebabs which were awesome and nalli-nihari, a popular North Indian curry dish that consists of slow-cooked meat. While it was okay, Llew definitely makes a far better nihari! We ordered rumali rotis to go with our meal and really had a good end to a very interesting and fully packed day.

All that was left, was to walk to the Jama Masjid metro station (we had passed it en route to the restaurant), buy our tickets and ride all the way to Mandi House from where we hotfooted it off to our residence.

Indeed, it had been a very long day and we were ready to call it a night.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Dazzling Day Two in India’s Capital: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Humayun’s Tomb, Golf Course Poolside Party, National Museum, Dinner with Friends in Janakpuri.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Delhi

Dazzling Day Two in India’s Capital: Sacred Heart Cathedral, Humayun’s Tomb, Golf Course Poolside Party, National Museum, Dinner with Friends in Janakpuri.

Delhi is endlessly fascinating—whether you are cruising on wheels through the broad, tree-lined boulevards of Edwin Lutyens’s splendidly designed city or footing in through the narrow, maze-like lanes of Old Delhi—Chandni Chowk or Hazrat Nuzamuddin areas--you are fully taken by the assault on all your senses. Today offered us a whole spectrum of experiences that the city can provide.

Breakfast and Morning Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral:

We awoke at leisure in Anand Bhavan, the Fulbright Residence in Barakhamba—close to the Diplomatic Enclave of Chanakyapuri. It is incredibly quiet and serene here—especially on a Sunday where nobody is working on these lawn-surrounded premises.

After our showers, we dressed warmly (Delhi is spring or fall-like, at this time of year) and left for complimentary breakfast in the café on the premises of our living quarters. We had masala omlettes with buttered toast (jam was also provided), fresh fruit (papaya, apples, bananas), corn flakes with lovely hot milk and hot coffee—truly a royal repast to set us off for a day of strenuous sightseeing. Once our breakfast was done, we hailed an Uber rickshaw and went off to the first item on our agenda for the day: Sunday Mass at Delhi’s biggest Catholic church, Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Holy Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral:

The ride through the glorious, traffic-free streets of New Delhi on a Sunday morning was one of the most memorable parts of our day. I am completely enthralled by the buildings you pass which are beautifully signposted. One minute you will be passing by the Ministry of External Affairs building, another time it will be the Lalita Kala Akademi, yet another time, it might the Taj Palace Hotel. All these structures stand alongside broad, tree-lined boulevards that end in rotaries that are crafted around tiny parks filled with sculpture. There is visual interest at every turn and I was fully taken by everything we passed. Truly, Edwardian architects, Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, achieved true magnificence when they were assigned the building of a new capital in India in 1911.

To my utmost delight, we actually passed by the Jantar Mantar—that incredible observatory that Maharana Jai Singh of Jaipur built because he was crazy about astronomy and wished to study the skies at night. The discoveries he made and the manner in which he mapped the heavens are truly impressive. We did not have the time for a visit here, but I have been to the red sandstone Jantar Mantar on past visits to Delhi and I know that it is truly worth seeing.

It was not long before we were pulling up outside Sacred Heart Cathedral, a distinctive twin-spired building painted red and yellow (like most of the official buildings in Delhi) constructed and decorated in the Baroque style. We were taken, on the left side of the gate, by a tree that had been planted by Pope John Paul II on his visit to Delhi and to a sculpture right by it by Neeraj Gupta. On the opposite side of the gate is a statue of the same Pope, his hand raised in blessing.

On approaching the entrance of the church, we realized that Mass had just begun. It was just past 10.30 am. As we had intended to attend Mass today, it made sense to sit through the Mass which was in Hindi. The church was full and every pew was occupied. The Cathedral is quite beautiful indeed and the Mass happened to be con-celebrated with five priests at the altar, The best part of the service was the choir that was simply magnificent. They had a full cohort of voices plus a variety of musical instruments that lent tremendous heft to the service. We thoroughly enjoyed the Mass, received Communion and left at the very end, happy to have participated in the full service.

As soon as Mass was done, we took a few pictures and left. We hailed an Uber auto rick that then took us to the next place on our agenda: Hazrat Nizamuddin to see Humayun’s Tomb.

On to Humayun’s Tomb:

The Emperor Humayun (1508-1556, born Nazir al-Din Mohammed) was the son of Emperor Babur and the father of Emperor Akbar. When he died in 1556, his wife, Haji Begum, decided to spare no pains, time, money or trouble to build him a mausoleum that history would remember. The building predates the Taj Mahal in Agra (built 60 years later by his grand-son Shah Jehan for his wife, Nur) and is said to have inspired it. Indeed, your first glimpse of Humayun’s Tomb is just as breathtaking as the Taj. But for the fact that this is built in red sandstone and the latter in pure white marble, there is little to differentiate them.

As in the case of most significant Moghul mausoleums, you enter through a large gateway or Darwaza which is just as ornamented as the tomb building itself. But, in our case, since we entered from the Hazrat Nizamuddin side, we passed by a number of very significant structures that pertain to Humayun’s contemporaries—his barber, his wife, etc. As we walked along the newly-created pathway leading to the main building, we detoured to visit Isa Khan’s Tomb and Khan-e-Khannan, two Lodi-era and Lodi-style mausoleums, that honor the memory of the worthies that made a mark on their times. The entire place is being refurbished by the Aga Khan Foundation which is sparing no pains to bring these fabulous Islamic monuments up to snuff in conjunction with the Indian government. There were loads of tourists around—Indians and foreigners—as this is a major landmark in Delhi and since it was re-opened to the public (after being closed for renovation for almost a decade), it is well mobbed. We loved the details of these minor architectural achievements, admired their symmetry and proportions and the ornamentation in terms of carvings, calligraphy and enamel tile work. Inside these mausoleums, there are multiple cenotaphs to honor the memory of many members of the same family. In fact, this entire sprawling complex, that stretches from Humayun’s Tomb to the Sunder Nursery Gardens with their Lodi tombs (Sunder Burj and Lakkarwala Burj which we had explored yesterday) makes a whole day’s magnificent excursion.

And then we arrived at the main monument: The most striking feature of Humayun’s Tomb (once you cross the threshold of the Darwaza and enter the main space) is its double dome in pure white marble. This dome is said to have inspired the design of the Taj Mahal’s dome. Placed on an impressive pedestal or plinth (accessed by climbing a flight of very steep stairs), the monument towers above and dwarfs you. The combination of red sandstone with marble embellishment is so aesthetically done that you have to marvel at the architects and exterior designers of that era. Persian and Moghul design combine effortlessly as do the many small chatri or umbrella canopies that might have been inspired by Rajput design in nearby Rajasthan. These were once covered with blue tiles and they are still in evidence.

The inside of the mausoleum is rather stark in decoration. Unlike the Taj Mahal that overwhelms the eye with its pietra dura (hard stone inlay) and its many marble jallis (or carved screens), there is nothing but some ceiling decoration here. The red and off-white patterns that surround the cenotaph of Humayun (bang under the dome and its central pediment) are stunning in their simplicity and minimalist design. His wife, Hajji Begum lies next to him (not symmetrical) under a smaller marble cenotaph. The rooms inside the monument are constructed around the mathematical and geometrical principle associated with the Figure 8—of special significance to the Islamic religion.

you walk inside and outside this structure (on the plinth or terrace), you are continuously struck by the geometrical precision, the symmetrical elegance and the many-sided visual interests that the building provides. In other words, it is simply breathtaking. Repeatedly, I was forced to remember my first glimpse of this building when I was just sixteen years old and visiting Delhi for the first time with my family.

Our train (from Bombay to Delhi) had just stopped at Hazrat Nizamuddin Station and was making its way to Delhi (Central) Station when we passed right by the back of this monument. I remember becoming dumb-struck by its nearness, its size and its magnificence. This, my first brush with Moghul architecture, has been etched in my mind as one of my most enthralling travel moments.

Here are a few interesting facts about this edifice:

--It is modelled along the lines of the Gur-Amir, the mausoleum of Humayun’s ancestor, Timur (also known as Timur The Lame and Tamberlane) which I was fortunate enough to see in Samarkhand in Uzbekistan, a few years ago.

--It signified a huge departure from the less ornate tomb of his father, Babur, which is in Kabul in Afghanistan.

--It is set in grand Persian-style gardens known as “Char Bagh”. This set the tone for all other garden-tombs that followed (such as the Taj Mahal in Agra).

--Among the many marble cenotaphs in the building is that of Dara Shikoh, his great-great-grandson (eldest son of Shah Jehan) who was murdered by his youngest brother Aurangzeb who murdered all his siblings and usurped the throne to become the last of the great Moghul emperors.

The site was chosen on the banks of the Yamuna River, close to the Durgah and burial place of Nizamuddin Auliya, the Sufi Saint (whose shrine we had visited yesterday) as many members of royalty were devotees of the saint.

--In the last phase of Mughal history, the last emperor of Delhi, Bahadur Shah Zafar, took refuge here from the British in 1857—during the Great Rebellion Or the Sepoy Mutiny that swept over Northern India and passed power into the hands of the British Crown instead of the East India Company.

From every possible perspective—history, architecture, interior design and decoration and landscape design--this venue is an absolute must-see on any Delhi Itinerary. In fact, if one is headed to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, this ought to be a mandatory stop as it will prepare the visitor for the glory of the zenith of Islamic architecture on the Indian sub-continent.

Off to a Birthday Party:

We would have liked to have lingered much longer at Humayun’s Tomb, but, of course, we had to go to a luncheon birthday party and needed to get back home to dress for it. Hence, without wasting too much time, but after ensuring that we had seen everything of significance, we made our way out.

Exiting from the main entrance of Humayun’s Tomb (exactly the way we had entered), we ordered an Uber Rickshaw to take us back to our residence at Barrkhamba. It arrived in a few moments and, half an hour later, we were getting changed into our party finery and making our way back downstairs to get another Uber rick to the Golf Club where the party was being held by the poolside. As the road was closed for some odd reason, the driver dropped us outside. We had no idea how much we’d have to walk to get to the venue (it turned out to be probably more than a mile). We cleared Security and made our way to the pool where we were greeted outside by our friend Anita who speedily introduced us to a bunch of her family members and friends as the party was on in full swing.

We got drinks at the bar (a G&T for me and a Cabernet for Llew) and after socializing with a few people and realizing that the party had to close by 4.00 pm to accommodate another party, we made our way to the laden buffet table for lunch. The food was just delicious: salad, dahi vadas (I think they are called dahi bhallas in the North of India), chicken tikka curry, mutton rogan josh, jeera rice, dal tadka, tandoori rotis. And the best part, of course, being dessert, there was pineapple cream (birthday) cake in the shape of the figures 90, carrot halwa and gulab jamuns—all simply scrumps!

Of course, we ate our fill while chatting with Anita’s Maulana Azad Medical College classmates who were there in full strength and slowly, but surely, made our way out, as the party came to a close. A really lovely afternoon was made special by the fact that Anita’s mother (whose 90th birthday we were celebrating) looked just lovely, healthy, happy and able to participate fully in her celebration. At the end of the party, they gave us a ride to the main entrance from where we picked up an Uber Auto rick to take us to the next venue: a visit to the National Museum.

Visiting Delhi’s National Museum:

I had visited the National Museum in 2019 during my Fulbright stay in India. At that time, my focus was the exhibition of the jewels belonging to the Nizam of Hyderabad who was reputed to have one of the finest jewelry collections in the world. The Indian Government was astute enough to have acquired the collection and are known to exhibit it to the public once every ten years. Since I happened to be in Delhi during the last exhibition, I had taken full advantage of my visit to see it. And indeed it was stunning. However, at the end of my visit, I was tired and hungry and had no energy left at all to see the other highlights of the Museum. This time I wanted to make sure I saw them.

And at the very top of my list was the famed Dancing Girl which had been obtained from the Harrapan excavations of the Indus Valley. I had expected to see something akin to the famous Chola Bronzes of Tamil Nadu that are massive in size and staggering in weight. On the contrary and to my utter amazement, this little bronze figurine is no more than four inches tall (if that). Indeed, she is tiny but she is simply exquisite. Not only is she intact but the detail that has been etched and sculpted into her form is so impressive—from the 23-25 bangles that she wears on her arm to her stance (with her hip and knee stuck out provocatively), she is indeed a memorable figure in black bronze.

This highlight seen, we moved through some of the other galleries and took in an ivory tusk carved with scenes from the life of the Buddha, an ornate ivory altar (very finely and delicately carved as to resemble lace), Harrapan seals, Shiva as Nataraja (large Chola bronze sculpture), large terracotta castings of towering deities, very fine Moghul miniature paintings on small bits of ivory, etc. The sculpture courtyard that is rounded in design is also very interesting to see.

Overall, we had a brief but very enlightening and satisfying visit to the National Museum. I only wish I had more time in Delhi to have also been able to include the National Museum of Contemporary Art—but I have seen this excellent collection before and did not have the time on this visit.

Off to Get Some Rest Before an Evening’s Appointment:

Having already had a very hectic day, both Llew and I were ready to change out of our party finery and get back home. We called another Uber Auto rick and were dropped off at our residence where we changed and promptly dropped down for a nap. Our friends, Allen and Anita and her mother Kamala, had invited us to their place for dinner but we badly needed to get some rest before leaving for that appointment. We were wise enough to set our alarms on our phone as there was no way we’d have been able to wake up on time—so soundly did we sleep.

But, an hour later, we changed and left. This time, we took an Uber taxi to Janakpuri—which we did not realize was really a long way from our accommodation. It took us more than an hour (given Delhi’s traffic on a Sunday evening) to get there and we had some difficulty finding the place too.

But when we did eventually find it, we ended up having a lovely evening with our friends. They have a beautiful, really spacious home in Delhi, filled with lovely show pieces and photographs. Dinner was takeout Chinese food but since I was really still very full, I ate very little of the noodles, chicken Manchurian, sweet and sour vegetables and the spring rolls. Dessert was the delicious Pineapple Cream birthday cake—but again, much as I have a sweet tooth, a tiny piece was all I could manage after our large afternoon meal.

It had been a memorable day and we were ready to call another Uber Taxi (which took a very long time to come) before we were able to return to our residence (at well past 1.00 am) and crash.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

A Re-Discovery of Delhi: Day One--Lodi Gardens, Khan Market, Sunder Nursery Gardens, Hazrat Nizamuddin Durgah

Saturday, February 1, 2025

A Re-Discovery of Delhi:

Our trip to Delhi, motivated by an invitation to the birthday part of the mother of one of our close friends in New York, would be a re-discovery of the city for the two of us. Llew was returning after 2008 and I was last there in 2016 but only very briefly. Still, I recall always feeling stirred by this sprawling, ancient capital and always wishing I had more time to spend in it. These four days would allow us to do just that.

Departure from Bombay:

We left our Bandra flat at 4.30 am in an Uber car that flew along the highway and got us to the airport by 5.00 am. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 7.00nam—so we were very much on schedule. We had no bags to check in and managed to clear all boarding formalities in very little time. This left us free to wander around the airport and get lattes and hot chocolate from McDonald’s as it would be about 7.45 when we’d get our meal on board.

Out Indigo flight was on schedule and very comfortable. Before we knew it, it was done. We ate our chicken sandwiches on the flight and asked for the famous Indigo Blue masala tea which was really delicious. The meal fueled us up for what would be a pretty hectic morning.

Arrival in Delhi and Journey to Fulbright House:

I had received clear and detailed instructions from one of my colleagues in the USIEF (United States-India Education Foundation) Office on how to get from the airport to our residence for the next three nights. We could have taken an Uber but we opted to do it by public transport instead. Accordingly, after landing, we took the shuttle airport bus from T1 (where we had landed) to T3 (Rs. 40 per head) and were at the T3 station in about 20 minutes. At this point, we saw signs for the Airport Express Line (metro) and headed towards it. We went through Security (and frisking—(which one must do at every metro station) before buying our tickets to get to Shivaji Stadium (Connaught Place)—for Rs. 50 each.

The train reminded me very much of the Heathrow Express train that one takes from Heathrow to Paddington in order to be in Central London in 15 minutes. It is spiffy, silent, clean and very well maintained. There are two stops (Aerocity and Daula Kuan) before one arrives at Shivaji Stadium. Once out of the station, the headaches begin because a series of touts will come forward to entice you to take their auto rickshaws to get you to your final destination. We finally settled on a rick for Rs. 80 and then discovered that we were barely five minutes away, The same ride would probably have cost us Rs. 40 in Bombay.

So a word of caution about Delhi’s auto rickshaw drivers: Although they have meters in their vehicles, they do not ply by them. To make matters worse, we happened to be in the city on the very day the fares had been altered. The drivers took advantage of this development by not running their meters. One is expected to negotiate a price with them before entry—this is tough if one does not know the city and has no idea how far one’s destination is or how long it will take to get there. Very quickly we learned that Uber auto ricks are the way to go! They are much more reliable and much cheaper (at least half the cost of what the crookish drivers charge). The only problem with this arrangement is that sometimes the autos take awfully long to arrive or might not be available at all in far off parts of the city. In those cases, we ended up calling for Uber cars (slightly more expensive but just as reliable).

So as soon as we were dropped off at our destination (the Fulbright Residence that I am entitled to use as a Fulbright alumnus), we found the watchman who checked our names against his list of visitors, let us into the gate and gave us our key. As this is a property of the US Government, Security is very strict indeed. We held on to our keys for the duration of our stay.

Settling into our Delhi Digs:

I have stayed in Fulbright House before and am fairly familiar with its routines. However, because we arrived on a Saturday, there was no one around. We let ourselves into our room and found it very welcoming and comfortable. A girl called Stuti, already resident next door, was working on her computer in the common area. She gave us the wifi password and we settled ourselves down for a much-needed nap as we had woken up at 4.00 am and were ready for a snooze. Setting our alarms for an hour, we made ourselves very comfortable and enjoyed the quiet and serenity of one of the most peaceful parts of Delhi. This area is part of the Diplomatic Enclave and is surrounded by the embassies of Iran, Nepal, etc. It is a vast property with a large lawn in front and a café attached to the premises. This is where we would enjoy a complimentary breakfast each morning.

to the Lodi Gardens:

An hour’s nap later, we awakened refreshed and ready to tackle Delhi’s chaotic traffic. At 12.30pn, we set off to see the Lodi Gardens having taken instructions from the watchman. We found the Metro station called Mandi House and discovered the drill involved in going through Security (frisking again), buying a ticket (Rs. 40) to Jor Bagh (this involved a line change) and finding our platform. We had downloaded the metro map of Delhi on our phones but discovered, towards the end of our stay, that printed Meto maps are available at the stations (you have only to ask for them). We made our change at Central Secretariat and two stops later, were at Jor Bagh. The Lodi Gardens were only a short walk to the front entrance of the gardens.

Exploring the Lodi Gardens:

It’s a very good thing we had the Lodi Gardens at the very top of our sightseeing agenda as we soon discovered that all aspects of Islamic architecture on the Indian sub-continent have their roots in the buildings that were designed and constructed during the Lodi era. As soon as you enter the gardens, you are struck by the fact that they lie like a green oasis in the midst of the traffic-ridden city. This, by the way, is true of many parts of Delhi. There are these vast gardens, parks and green spaces that function like the lungs of the city. People take full advantage of them and they are used for exercise, strolling, relaxation and socializing.

As soon as we entered, we saw what looked like an ancient edifice ahead of us. It turned out to be Bada Gumbad, constructed in 1490, one of the many mausoleums that sprouted in the time of the Lodi dynasty in Delhi—the Lodis were part of the Delhi Sultanate. It’s construction is attributed to Sikandar Lodi and is remarkable because it is the first edifice to feature a full and rounded dome. It might have been intended as a free-standing tomb but no tombstone has been identified. The building, in its antiquity is highly photogenic and I found myself clicking pictures of it from every angle. The gardens were quite crowded with a lot of school groups in evidence—evidently on field trips. They were all over the property, taking pictures and exploring in giggling groups. From the main entrance over on the opposite, we could see yet another similar structure—this is Shish Gumbad—so-called because it was once adorned with mirrors (although none remain), However, the cobalt blue ornamentation at the entrance to the building is still in evidence. Walking around from one monument to the next, entering them to take note of the interiors (noting to write home about although there was very nice calligraphic decoration on the Bada Gumbad’s exterior walls) can be very tiring. It was fun to see people of every social class on the lawns, picnicking on mats that they’d spread out and tucking into food in every conceivable container that they’d carried with them. As it was about 1.30pm by this time, we too were peckish. It was time to see the last significant monument and leave to find some lunch.

The Tomb of Sikandar Lodi:

Sikandar Lodi, whose name was Nizam Khan, came to the throne of Delhi after the death of his father in 1489. He ruled till 1517 when his son, Ibrahim Lodi, ascended the throne and built this mausoleum in memory of his father. It is the first garden tomb on the Indian sub-continent and the oldest surviving garden-tomb in India. It is built in an octagonal design and is fully enclosed within a walled garden.

Like the other Lodi monuments in this garden, it wears its age on its sleeve. The crenulated walls give the monument great stature and the entry, up a flight of stairs, lends it status and importance. Once on the octagonal plinth, you cannot enter the main room—doors that are chained and padlocked prevent visitors from entering. However, you can peek inside and see the cenotaph in the center. When we were there, a bearded white visitor from Italy, sang a few lines in a rich baritone. When we asked him what he was singing , he said he was singing in Latin. It sounded marvelous, especially as the dome created an echo—the kind of effect he was clearly after.

When our circumnavigation around the tomb was done, we were ready to leave; but we still needed to find Athpula—Eight arched Bridge. This is another Lodi-era bridge that spans the river than runs through the garden. We found it really close to Sikandar’s Tomb and took a picture as a swan swam obligingly close to it and entered my frame quite sportingly. But then it was time for us to go, especially as we had spent quite a bit of time in these fascinating gardens with their towering established trees, sweet birdsong at every turn and lots of opportunities to people watch.

Off for Lunch to Khan Market:

By the time we were ready to leave the Lodi Gardens, it was past 2.00 pm and we were distinctly hungry. We hailed a rick and told him to take us to Khan Market because, by this time, we had made contact with our friends Allan and Anita, who wanted to spend some time with us. They had an errand at Khan Market and told us to meet them there, but to go ahead with lunch without them.

As soon as we arrived in Khan Market, we passed by a very modest kiosk which had a sign saying, Azam’s: Rolls, Kebabs, Kathi. It looked like the kind of place where we could get a quick, filling and reasonable-priced meal and, as we were too hungry to go scouting for another place, that’s where we stood (yes, stood—as there was no seating) and had our lunch: we decided to share a Mutton Kakori Kebab Kathi Roll and a Chicken Malai Tikka Kathi Roll—both served with a bit of cooling yoghurt and mint chutney. With each roll costing Rs. 300, it was not really inexpensive, but it was fairly tasty and made a filling meal.

We then walked around Khan Market for a bit and found it to be filled with upscale Indian boutique stores such as Nicobar, Anokhi and FabIndia but also imported chains such as Crocs and Hamleys. In addition, there were fancy eateries selling drinks and both Indian and Continental food. Just when we wondered whether we should stick around, we got a call from Anita who told us that they had actually just arrived at the Market. They told us to meet them at the entrance of Nicobar and less than ten minutes later, we were having a very affectionate reunion with our New York friends whom we had last seen in the summer (August of last year). At their suggestion, we decided to find a coffee shop in which we could sit down and catch up and have a lovely chinwag. So the guys went off to look for a suitable place while Anita and I did some browsing in Nicobar and received big-time sticker shock—the items were so expensive even with a 50% discount. Neither Anita nor I could understand why we would need to pay New York prices in a boutique in India—but this is what India has become: as pricey and inaccessible as you can imagine.

Afternoon Tea at Laduree:

To my great delight, I discovered that the guys had chosen Laduree, the fancy-schmancy French tearoom chain, for our natter. Just a few stores away, this very pretty tearoom that sells the most exquisite French pastry (each one retailing at Rs. 550—so also not cheap) and really good hot chocolate (as I know from experience of frequenting the chain in London, New York and Paris).

It was not long before we were seated to enjoy caffe lattes and hot chocolate and pastries: Llew and I shared the Plaisir Sucre (a chocolate hazelnut concoction) while Alan and Anita shared a Strawberry Tart that was as pretty as it was delicious. Of course, time flew as we chatted nineteen to the dozen about all sorts of things including our presence at her mother’s 90th birthday party the next afternoon. But, then it was time for them to get some alteration done at National—a tailoring establishment that also sold fabric. This gave us the chance to see the ‘back’ of Khan Market which we discovered that it is constructed around a charming garden. It’s a lovely place in which to browse even if you don’t really want to buy anything and had we more time, we’d surely have done this. But when their errand was done, they were ready to leave and Llew and I were ready to hit the next item on our sightseeing agenda.

A Visit to the Charming Sunder Nursery Gardens:

The Sunder Nursery Gardens are a fairly new addition to Delhi’s open spaces. They were vast acres of nursery land harboring hundreds of varieties of trees and other species and were used for the cultivation of plants and flowers that were then planted all over the city. However, in 2014, since the area also housed some fantastic Lodi-era tombs and mausoleums, the Aga Khan Trust for the Preservation of Arts and Culture came forward to fund the refurbishment of the structures and the gardens that surrounded them. The end result is a charming garden that is designed in imitation of a Persian-style carpet complete with blocks of lawns, terracotta light fixtures, loads of colorful flower beds including a rose garden. These surround domed mausoleums that are named Sunder Burj and Lakkawalla Burj—the two of which we had the time to visit. Meanwhile, we took pictures of the dahlias in full bloom as well as late-season roses. The water features or mini fountains were also playing and delighting the crowds of people who were there to shoot the breeze on a perfect evening in Delhi. We soon entered these structures, noted the plainness of their inferiors—although they make good settings for fashion photography—and as twilight was descending upon the city and the gardens, having skirted around the lake, we decided to move on.

Visiting the Nizamuddin Durgah:

Lonely Planet had informed me that Hazrat Nizammudin Durgah was not to be missed as it is one of the most mystical, magical places in Delhi. Accordingly, as darkness was rapidly descending upon the city, we left the Sunder Nursery Gardens (not to be mistaken for Sunder Nagar—a different neighborhood in Delhi) behind us to foot it to the Durgah.

A Durgah is a mosque and Delhi has some of the oldest ones in the country. This mosque is dedicated to the memory of Nizamuddin Auliya, a famous Sufi saint who was revered by the people in his own time. He died in 1325 at the ripe old age of 92 leaving legions of devotees in his wake. He popularized the poetic writing of a contemporary poet and singer called Amir Khusroo and together they devised a form of vocal entertainment called Quawalli—in which a team of singers and musicians uses the call and response technique of song to entertain their listeners. After Nizamuddin’s death, everyone wanted to be buried close to his final resting place—including aristocracy and royalty, This explains why there are so many tombs and mausoleums in the nearby Sunder Nursery Gardens.

A visit to this Durgah is unique because it has a long pathway that leads to the entrance. You need to go through a maze of very narrow streets lined on both sides by shops selling rose petals, attar and packets of tiny white sesame sweets (tilgul). For at least ten minutes before you get to the entrance, you will be pestered by shop keepers urging you to leave your shoes with them as you are not allowed to wear them inside. However, you need to wait until you get to the actual mosque itself—do not be in a hurry to leave your footwear behind.

Llew and I decided to take turns to enter the Durgah so that one of us minded the other’s shoes—we were afraid that our shoes would be missing when we returned. Inside, past an ornate arched entrance, fitted with mirrors and mother-of-pearl, we were in a large courtyard with many different little buildings and shrines. We could also hear loud music pouring out of the PA system and further ahead we could see hundreds of people crowded around another shrine where vocal music could be heard. We did not stay long—all I wanted to see was the marble dome and to experience the general air of spirituality and devotion that permeated the space. After taking a few pictures, we put our shoes back on and left. The way to the main road was equally daunting with crowds of people on both sides of the streets, devotees still entering as we were leaving and overwhelming sounds everywhere around us—a real assault on every one of our senses.

Off for Dinner to Ego for Thai Food:

It was then time for us to try to get to New Friend’s Colony where my friend Sangeeta had told me we should not miss the Thai food at a place called Ego Obsession. We found a rickshaw on the main road through Uber with difficulty and were able to ride quite a long way to the place which we found after a good half hour’s ride.

Ego Obsession was a lovely haven of quiet and classiness after the melee from which we had just come. We sank down gratefully on a comfortable sofa and ordered from an extensive menu. We decided to share the Tom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Milk Soup) and a Chicken Pad Thai which was filled with glass noodles, crunchy sprouts and peanuts. We chose water to drink and with that we had ourselves a really hearty and very tasty meal. The place did live up to its reputation and we were really pleased to end our day on such a happy note.

All that was left, after we paid out bill, was for Llew to buy himself a sweet paan from a passing stall, after which we used Uber to find a rick to take us back home to our residence on Hailey Road. It had been a very long day and we were both really tired and ready for bed.

Until tomorrow, cheerio...