delhi

Contrary to expectations, I liked Delhi.  I'd been warned that it was dirty, unsafe, and unfriendly, and yes there were elements of that, but it was also beautiful in parts, I met some amazing people, there was a sense of space and seasons (it was cold in the mornings!  And foggy!), and while the contrast between rich and poor was at times depressing, there was also energy and life.

And as ever, the food was spectacular.  Behold:

sabz hyderbadi (vegetables cook hyderbad style) and a local speciality aloo dish, the name of which escapes me, plus  tandoori roti

vegetable biriyani with  pav bhaji - a thick vegetable curry served with bread rolls, a typical street food in Delhi

dosa and a sambhar so hot I sweated over the desk

the remains of jeera aloo - delhi has the best potato dishes EVAH

tropical fruit for breakfast, I'll miss this

tadka dahl with a light palak with spinach and corn.  cooked quite differently to the south, it was light and healthy 

masala dosa on my last morning, beautifully cone shaped

a couple of final mouthfuls - upma with vermicelli and potato chole.  YUM.

I miss India already - the place has fantastic energy and the food is amazing.  Yes there is some stuff which is really hard (the attitude of some men towards women, the pollution, the staring at times, the poverty in places) but I can't wait to go back as a tourist and see much more - including Kashmir and the mountains, Varanasi and Kerala.

Fortunately, on our last night after work we had time to stop by a couple of Delhi sights - the Lotus Temple is Bahai, and enormous, and India Gate which looked beautiful in the twilight.

See you next time India.