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An exciting adventure in Old Delhi on a hot summer day.

Ginger

These pigeons are more attractive than our pigeons.

Ginger booked an Old Delhi Bazaar Walk and Haveli Visit a couple weeks before our trip. It had gotten excellent reviews on Tripadvisor and seemed a unique way to spend half a day and learn about how the majority of the locals live. It was not a disappointment, as the picture captions will tell.

This is the woman who taught me that they are just as curious about our behavior as we are of theirs. She wanted to know why I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Dhruv explained to her that it was for the same reason she dressed as she did: Its comfortable. One of her “protectors” asked to take a photo with him as though we were celebrities.
Farmer’s Market. The produce is all brought from outside the City limits.
Enjoying a yogurt drink from a pottery cup.
Lou sniffing the fresh cilantro.
Lost in the crowd.
A fresh batch of betel leaves.
That tiny little bit of betel leaves made me lose my lunch later in the day.
Lou seems to love the leaves.
They don’t have much of a smell but they pack a powerful punch.
This guy had no idea what his shirt said … or did he? Actually, Dhruv said it was quite common for people to wear western clothes without knowing what they said.
Fresh tea leaves.
The spices were making me sneeze.
Lou was getting a special blessing from a very happy vendor.
We bought some dates to bring home.
The flower market smell marvelous.
Lou got a special greeting. He was very popular amongst the vendors.
The stairs here are very steep, slippery and unstable. Tread carefully.
I was starting to feel a little hungry.
Cow power!
If you can’t make it to the temple, the temple comes to you.
This guy carts all those cans on pedal power.
Propane tanks carted on three wheels. This one was taken specially for Lou.
Our second rickshaw driver. He was very apologetic about the concussion he almost gave me.
Posing outside our guide’s home.
The front entry of our guide’s home.
Washing up before dinner.
Lou washing up before dinner.
Waiting in the formal living room for our guide.
A lunch prepared just for us.
Taking the inside stairs to the second level of our guide’s home.
Our guide’s bike. Later we would be sitting three astride, but only for a short distance.
A selfie with our guide.
I was on the bike behind Lou. Too bad I left my selfie stick back in the room.
Aggressive beggars are few. We were advised to completely ignore them. This one was banging and scraping on my window and yelling something at me.
Hands free communications.
Riding side-saddle. Sometimes they have their children sandwiched between them, which is illegal but not always enforced.
One of the hotel hostesses gave us a glimpse into a “pre-wedding” reception.
The beginning of our tour. Notice the ladder under one of the top story windows? Our guide told us someone jumps out of it at 8:15 every morning. We were horrified until he confessed he was joking.
An ice seller by day, politician by afternoon.
An example of the tangle of electrical wires that power Old Delhi.
Donkeys waiting patiently for their drivers at the subway station.
Garlic and flowers are tied around and above shops for good luck.
Preparing betel leaves for smoking.
A naan bread making machine.
Lou giving the soup a stir.
Lou learning how to flip the fry bread. It looks and tastes a lot like a sopapilla.
A hot and delicious breakfast in Old Delhi.
Very thin slices of silver which is used to wrap delicacies. Its edible!
A simple dessert of semolina, butter and honey.
Making springs of all sizes and thicknesses.
Receiving our daily blessing.
Dhruv taught us how to say a daily blessing.
Lou rings the luck bell.
A walk-up blessing window for people who are too busy to take off their shoes.
Lou tries driving the water.
Getting ready to race in aero position.
Rooftop pigeon games. They’re training to fly and return on command. If someone else’s pigeon returns with yours you keep them until they’re ransomed.
Rooftop monkeys.
We threw them a banana.
Yes. I did use a squatty potty. It couldn’t be helped.
Up with the pigeons.
These pigeons are more attractive than our pigeons.
This is a special tree that is considered a blessing. They are not allowed to trim it and must leave room for it to grow.
Look up. Another example of the tangle of electrical wires.
Lou admires the ancient sandstone handwork.
Our first rickshaw ride.
Our first rickshaw ride driver.
Lou gets his ears cleaned. Turns out he wasn’t deaf after all; just clogged.
Goods of all kinds are transported by bicycle.
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