Goodbye India

We made the most of our 18 hour "layover" in Delhi before we boarded our midnight flight to Bangkok. We arrived early in the morning, booked a cheap (and really shitty) room for the day so we could leave our heavy backpacks behind, and set out walking. First stopping at the India Gate, the largest war memorial in India commemorating World War I and the Afghan Wars. From there we made it to the Humayun's Tomb, by way of the fanciest street in Delhi, lined with mansions and embassies. A kind of mini Taj Mahal, constructed a century before, with a similar layout and purpose. And as it turns out, it was a great place for bird watching, complete with hawks, parrots, woodpeckers, and others. Next, we took a tuk tuk (3 wheeled rickshaw) to the National Gallery of Modern Art, which was filled with artwork from the past 3 centuries. Although European influences came through most of the artwork, it was still nice to see the Indian interpretation. After our mini tour of New Delhi we stopped in a popular kebab stand and ate veggie rolls, wrapped in parathas (saucy vegetables wrapped in a potato pancake) very greasy and very delicious, all the flavors of India wrapped up in one roll. A great final meal in India.

A busy day in Delhi and we were back in the airport, spending our last rupees and on to our next destination.