November 4, 2016
I woke up bright and early today to get to the Agra Fort at 7:30am. It was just Jay and I who went, and I'm really glad we got up that early to go see it. There was practically nobody else there. We were able to get through the whole thing in about an hour, and that includes getting all the pictures we wanted with our stupid poses. It was interesting being in such a fort that is still in pretty good condition for its age. There wasn't really much to do or see there, though. We just roamed the whole fort that was available. There was one shady place within the fort, and I imagine it's much more shady on a full day. There is a small mosque you can step into to take pictures and whatnot. You are required to take off your shoes before entering. There was an older guy and a younger child hanging around that area and said they'll watch over our shoes for 50 Rupees and make sure they're not stolen. We paid the 50 Rupees, because I know if we didn't, then THEY would be the ones stealing our shoes!
After Agra Fort, our driver picked us up and took us back to the hotel so we could pack up our stuff and checkout. From there, we drove to New Delhi. The traffic in New Delhi really messed up our timing. We didn't get to our hotel until around 3:30pm. We were going to go to the Lotus Temple, but it would been closed by the time we made it. Instead, we went to a place called Jantar Mantar. It was filled with what looked like ancient astronomy architectures. It was pretty awesome and I got a few pictures with dumb poses there. I forgot to point out the smog in New Delhi! Holy crap is it bad! At first, I thought it was fog. But usually with fog, there is a bit of humidity in the air. I also realized it was pollution smog when my nostrils started to burn a bit and I began to have some coughs.
After Jantar Mantar, our driver took us to the Indian equivalent of the United State's Capitol Hill. That includes the Parliament House, the Rajpat, and the President's house - the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was a really neat area. It was the only place so far in this trip where I felt like I could have maybe been back in the US - aside from all the smog. There was also a lawn/mall area around that area where military parades take place. There were people hanging out on the mall riding minibikes, flying kites, socializing, you name it. I also bought some chai off a street vendor. It was spicy and scolding hot, but I enjoyed it. I knew it was safe because it was boiled. There were also so many cute women in the area! My eyes couldn't stop moving! Anyway - before I get too excited over here - further down from the lawn/mall area is India Gate. It's a war memorial commemorating Indian soldiers who have died in war since World War I, I think. The names of over 13,000 servicemen are inscribed on the memorial. There is also an eternal flame and an upright rifle with a helmet on it that serves as India's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
After that, we went to a Sikh temple. I think it was called Gurudwara Bangla Sahib. It was a really grand temple. We had to go in barefoot. And before we could go in, we had to put on a scarf to cover our hair and learn a little bit about the Sikh religion. I guess Sikh's see everyone as an equal and do not discriminate. We were also told that they are one of the most peaceful religions and they seek to remove darkness and replace it with light. That's kind of humorous because, after we left the learning session, Jay was telling me how Sikh's make up a large amount of the Indian military and are generally more aggressive people. It kind of contradicted what we were just told. I'll believe what Jay says. Before we actually entered the temple, we had to wash our hands and clean our feet. You are supposed to participate in the routines while going through the temple. Jay and his family did, but I didn't. I'm not exactly the most religious, but I'm pretty sure it goes against my religion. I just walked through and observed everything and nobody bothered me about it.
That was all we covered today. There was much more on the itinerary, but there just wasn't any time. And we have to catch a flight at 10:30am tomorrow morning to Mumbai. Overall, I enjoyed New Delhi, aside from the smog. It seems much more modern than Chennai and Agra - at least the parts I saw.
So on the Tinder front. That girl I've been talking to is going to meet up with me when I get back to Chennai on Wednesday. We are going to meet around 8pm at a place called Amethyst Cafe in Royapettah. Jay is definitely going to come with me, just to be safe. That girl and I became Facebook friends, and she looks legit, so I'm not as worried. She appears to be super outgoing. But I still wonder why she agreed to meet me knowing that I'm only visiting temporarily and am leaving the country to return home the very next day. I mean, I know my motivations and what I want (to find an Indian woman whom I eventually marry someday). But I think finding someone also on that wavelength is such a shot in the dark. I have no expectations, and we'll see what happens.
