Delhi and Darden

I got into Darden! Now back to the travels...
Delhi is quite an adventure and a crazy but wonderful place to start my Asia exploration. As expected, I stick out like a sore thumb and, in most places, I am the only tourist on the street (redheaded tourist at that) not to mention one of the only women in some neighborhoods. I tend to attract attention from people trying to sell me things (most often) or even half a dozen kids/teenagers at different sites who have asked to take a picture of me (at first I thought they wanted me to take a picture of them in front of the monument/tomb/mosque but after a moment of confusion, I realized that they want me in their picture like I am the tourist attraction).
My first morning I set off on an adventure on the Delhi metro which is very clean and has security guards checking bags and patting people down at the entrance. Connaught Circle is at the center of New Delhi and a bustling place to walk around with items for sale on the street and in a mix of shops from a sparkling Nike storefront to a crumbling doorway leading to a dim and narrow store. I found a little cafe for lunch and with no idea about what each dish contained, I pointed and hoped for the best. I was served my masala tea (delicious) and brought an assortment of small bowls; one had a green sauce, another what looked like a pepper chutney and then a bowl of small, whole, onions. I sat there hoping that this was some sort of accompaniment and sure enough, a few minutes later, my meal arrived. It came in what looked like a miniature silver bucket and was a spicy lentil dish that was delicious! I had also ordered garlic naan and I consumed it all in Indian food heaven. It was my second meal since arriving and I have been able to handle the heat with nary a tear or sweat drop (I don't know if that's because they look at me and make it tame or if it is my awesome spice tolerance - probably the former).
At the restaurant, I met Alex, an Aussie who joined me in travelling by auto rickshaw to Lodi Gardens (definitely the way to travel with the wind (exhaust) in your face and the ability to weave through traffic). The gardens provide a small refuge of green and house half a dozen tombs to explore. It also seems to be the playground of Delhi's elite as we saw many couples enjoying the sun and groups of young adults playing games and picnicing - this was the middle of a Friday.
Our next stop was Biria Mandir, a temple rising bright red and yellow above the gray rooftops. There were many people praying and behind the temple was a strange park of little fountains, animal statues and mazes that appeared to be the destination for schoolkids.
The next day, I left early to go to Old Delhi. I must have come out the wrong Metro exit and found myself in the middle of a courtyard with houses and a few local food vendors surrounding me but no street in sight. I made my way out early morning neighborhood bustle, down an alley onto the main road leading to the Red Fort. The sidewalks were lined with poor women and children in doorways and huddled around trash fires and the street was lined with men sitting side by side in a straight line. They were waiting for tea being distributed by two people walking down the line (and possibly food but I didn't see any). The line went on for over a km and ended at the gates of the fort.
The sun had recently risen and I was the only tourist (and woman) visiting the fort. While very large with many old buildings on the grounds - I wasn't overly impressed by the fort (and all the museums were closed so I had very little information).
Next stop was Jama Masjid, a spectacular mosque in the heart of the old city. It consists mostly of an outdoor courtyard with a long open hallway. There are two very large towers on the back corners of the courtyard that can be climbed (although women and children are not allowed to go 'unsupervised'). A guide led me up the dark and narrow tower stairs to the amazing view at the top. Before me was a panorama of the new, old, temples, mosques and crowds of the city - spectacular.
I departed the mosque and ventured down a winding street and narrow alley to Karim, a restaurant famous for its chefs who are decedents of Mughal dynasty cooks. They were only serving breakfast with two dishes to choose from (had no idea about either of them) so the waiter brought me out his favorite. Out from the famous kitchen came a bowl of gray/brown mush and meat chunks all soaking in a red oil (just what I was in the mood for at 1030 AM). Being a fan of food adventure, I dug in and discovered that the mush/sauce as a dip for bread wasn't half bad. I wasn't a huge fan of the oil and the meat was a fatty, briny chunk that I swallowed with difficulty. I'm glad that I tried it but I am thinking it won't be a repeat.
Next stop was the Lotus Temple which is very reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House. Later, short auto-rickshaw ride brought me to Humayan's tomb which was a huge structure surrounded by other tombs and a few acre's of greenery - great place to walk around.
I'm now in Agra (home of Taj Majal) after a very long day waiting for and riding on the Indian railways.