ONE PEOPLE, PARALLEL UNIVERSE (The Romney Theory)

After having spent half of Day One making arrangements for travel to Jaipur on Wednesday (more to come in a few days), Day Two becomes officially Day One. By the end of the day, we will feel like it became Day One, Day Two and Day Three. So much could not be packed into one. But trust me, it was. First off to Lal Qila, a fort built by the Shah Jahan in 1638. We loved that the Government understands that, if tourists can afford to come to India, surely they can contribute a bigger share in admission thus allowing Indian folks to come in almost for free. Sounds like a fair attempt at some redistribution of wealth. See Fast Facts

The whiter side of the Mughlai heritage

Back to the Shah's little shack. The British, while trying to recreate this country, renamed the fort Red Fort. Can't fault them for having too much imagination (No disrespect intended to my dear friends, Catherine and Colin). These are gorgeous grounds with elegant buildings. These digs must have been quite a place. Took about 10 years to build (workplan obviously modeled after the one for the upgrade of the highway system in Montreal) with outer walls that stretch for over two kms.

All good things come to those who wait.

Papa Shah was a happy man until Junior decided that it was his time to get the keys to the car, took poor dad and imprisoned him in the family fort. You know this story does not have a happy ending. The fort, today, proudly wears remnants of its glorious, albeit violent, past but shows what centuries of neglect will do. Persian invaders opened the ball, followed by the Brits who took over in 1857. Since independence, the fort was used by the Indian army, not known for its interior design skills. But fear not, the Indian workforce is on the case!

Walking contradiction

Women in colorful dresses point to how bland we look with our khakis and beiges! They stand out against the rooms of marble while, at the same time, totally blending in to the décor. Lovely to look at, it reminds us of the relationship between he who has and she who is not!

Think you have it hard? Think again

Leaving political commentary behind for now and more about the day. One of the reasons we had picked the Lal Qila among the many, many, many sights in Delhi is because of its proximity to Old Delhi. We had been warned against visiting, told about the pickpockets, small criminals, etc. But once I read about this spice market, equal to non in all of Asia, there was no stopping us and are we glad. What a place! A sea of people focused on the day, doing what they can to make sure they are there for tomorrow. Crumbling buildings, orderly human chaos, sounds and smells...we take it all in with open eyes and minds.

Free ridership today

Two days young but already weary of pulling out maps or asking for directions, we did not find the spice market. But no regrets. It gave us the opportunity to dive deeper into the maze of streets.

Fascinating like no other places we have seen before. A little of Fez, a little bit of Dakar. This is not for the faint of heart.

But along with the hardship and poverty, we see people with the brigthest of smiles and kindness in their voice as they greet each other. Lessons to be learnt here, no doubt.

Fast facts


– How to encourage people to take advantage of heritage sites: You make the admission free. An India, looks like nothing is free by design. A 10 rupees admission, about $0.20, lets a lot of folks in with a pricing strategy to keep the beggars out.

– In a city of 16 millions, congested and polluted, public transport is the answer. New Delhi seems to have caught on with its ever expanding metro system. Eight rupees will get you on board!

– Last but not least, a first in our lives, Fredy sends laundry out to be washed. Fredy's T-shirts never looked so good

All the colors of Fredy's rainbow!

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