Safdarjang Tomb: from mistake to majesty

March 17, 2012

It's Saturday! Yey! I've been waiting for Saturday to arrive since I planned on going around Delhi, or at least being able to be at another tourist spot or two! Julie, a co-volunteer asked the day before (was it?!) if I would mind if she'd come along. Of course, I said not! It was actually better to have someone with me, walking around in a foreign city!

Look, it's the entrance!!!

Afghan Darbar: the lightness of eating

March 15, 2012

So, after all that shopping (and waiting too!), everyone's feeling hungrier than ever! (I hope they won't deny it! hahaha)

Katie recommended an Afghan restaurant, outside the central area of Lajpat Nagar, which she said has among the best breads (or did she use wonderful?!) she has tried and is of reasonable prices. Of course, I knew nothing about Afghan food so it was a very exciting opportunity for me! YUM!

Since we don't really know what to order, we just asked Katie for the best ones and decided to have two veg and one non-veg dishes for our table (made up of five ladies). I forgot to check (snoop!) on what the other table ordered (two ladies and two guys). We ordered an eggplant dish, a spinach dish (best-seller), and a chicken dish. That with the bread and a plate of rice!

Eggplant Dish (with yoghurt on top)

Lajpat Nagar (Central Market)

March 15, 2012

Since WE LOVE SHOPPING (not that much since I'm on tight budget but for oneness and solidarity plus the experience, sige na nga!), we headed to Lajpat Nagar aka Central Market where a variety of Salwar Kamees (the top and bottom female attire duo) shops and tailors abound, among other equally essential (for locals) and interesting (for foreigners) finds!

Katie, who lives near here, leads the way

Hindi Class Photo

March 15, 2012

Do you remember that one day in your academic year when you feel either really excited or 

extremely feeling not participatory? Well, folks! In the Philippines, that's usually the class picture day! And of course, as insisted by Class Teacher Seetha ji (followed by our cameras being taken out from the bag), I present to you the VSO March '12 cycle Hindi Class!

Hindi Class sans Alan (who took this photo)

Marching Band a la Fiesta

March 12, 2012

After getting our stuff (meds for me and grocery items for the others), we found ourselves walking around in a different neighborhood. I think we were somewhere in the inner sections of the Lodhi Colony. We actually went through some roads that lead to local housing and saw community schools and parks. We were drawn (though we won't admit it) by the booming sounds of a playing band.

Oh my rashes!

March 12, 2012

After the trip to Old Delhi, I discovered that rashes have started to appear on my neck. I was feeling itchy and I thought it was because of the dust and the spices mixed with the Chandni Chowk air. Luckily enough, we had the VSO medical session in this day. The VSO medical adviser gave us medical safety precautions and procedures during our stay here in India. After that, I asked him for a consultation and prescription. And he gave me this:

No prescription, No medicine policy

He also told me that VSO will reimburse my medical expenses (Yey!) so I'll just need to go to the Chemists (sometimes called DRUGGISTS!) to get my allergy tablets and cream. Total cost for 10 tablets and a tube: Rs. 198. It was so cheap compared to Philippine prices!

Karim's Muhglai Food: generations-old royal culinary tradition

March 11, 2012

Across the road from Jama Masjid is Karim's, a family restaurant. So why did we choose to eat at this family restaurant? Well, this family was the "official" royal chefs during the Mughal period (Muslim emperors). Therefore, for a taste of authentic Mughlai Imperial cuisine, we set out to try generations-old tradition of this family's cooking!

There are 3 or 4 restaurant buildings for Karim's so the queue
was for different ones

I think it was already around 3pm when we got here and yet, the number of people lining up for food remains the same as if it's lunch time peak hour. We know it was a good sign, that we were in the right place. The thing is, WE ARE SO HUNGRY ALREADY!

Masjid-i Jahan-Numa (Jama Masjid)

March 11, 2012

After the climb, we boarded the rickshaws once more and it brought us to our final monument/place of interest to see for the day--Jama Masjid.

A towering structure in Old Delhi

Jama Masjid (Masjid-i Jahan-Numa), is the principal mosque of Old Delhi and is the largest and most popular mosque in India. 

Of course, another climb!

Old Delhi Spice Market: a view from the top

March 8, 2012

For some reason, we did not stop at the ground level overview of the spice market. We headed four floors up, through some very steep and not-the-epitome-of-safety kind of stairs of a can-be-classified-as-condemned kind of building. The view, well half of it, was worth the climb.

I wonder why we never saw this plaza while on the ground

Old Delhi Spice Market

March 11, 2012

Another highlight of an Old Delhi visit is the spice market.

Take your pick!

Indian food is very spicy (not necessarily hot) and flavorful. The reason? It's the striking balance in the mixture of spices that comes with every dish--be it vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

Cinnamon (first time I saw it not on a bread roll!)