12/4 A Day in Dusty Delhi

So off to the train station only a block away from my hotel.  Just as confusing as all the guidebooks and forums say.  Went to the wrong window.  Had to wade through touts telling me to go who knows where.  Persistence paid off and I found my self in a small office (think "Being John Malkovich" only in India) for tourists.  The ticketing process was relatively easy ... the traffic was another story.  We drove through the muslim section of Old Delhi.  Small streets filled with live goats, dead goats, tied goats, and goats wearing blue and white stripped sweaters.  Arrived at Jama Masjid apparently right before they closed for prayer.  Had to cover my self in a pink and white polka dotted dressing gown and white slippers.  Had enough time to wander around the expansive plaza, watch the birds, and listen to a man in a very small shrine talk about relics in Hindi (I think there may have been some hair from Mohommed).  Besides the massive scale, the view is lovely.  I could see a busy market and the walls of the Red Fort.  We then went to the Red Fort.  First blast of bad smells!  My driver walked me through the totally vacant subterranean walk way - very stinky, but brief.  Outside the Red Fort, a group of school boys stopped to take pictures with me.  Inside the fort, I felt like I was on the set of Jodhaa Akbar.  I really didn't have enough time to explore but none the less had one of those moments of "Am I really here"?  Next stop lunch which consisted of vegi kabobs and a whiskey sour with an egg white in it.  Is this common?  Nevertheless, I tried my hardest to ignore and work around the egg.  Afterward, we had a little break from the crowds at Gandhi's memorial.  Again, I wish I had more time to walk around the gardens.  There are several memorials and each one is incredible.  We then drove to India Gate. Interesting planning and a beautiful structure.  Then a quick drive up Parliment.  Huge and opulent.  By this time, I was pretty tired.  Back at the hotel, I rested a bit then went up to the roof for a beer. I felt like I was on the set of Blade Runner.  It's incredibly smoggy so there are no buildings to be seen in the distance. Car horns, hindi, music, marriage fireworks, strange neon signs, buildings falling apart, buildings being built, .... all surrounded in haze.  I was alone on the terrace until a seasoned Aussie traveler joined me.  After chatting for a bit, I went to bed ...  finally;)