Slept All Day!

We arrived at our hotel at 1 AM Thursday morning. My parents went right to sleep. Maya was bouncing off the walls,so we stayed up til 3 AM unpacking and setting up our room. The guest suites are like small apartments that Computer companies rent out for their employees when they come to India to work. The suites are located within walking distance to my uncle and aunts house. My father can walk to their house easily and visit.

After sleeping for the better part of the day,we woke up around 4 PM.  Maya wanted to  take a walk in the neighborhood before dinner. Here are some of her photographs:

 This is a street sweeper, we saw them working on all the streets we walked on.

These are called "rikshaws" and there are tons of them driving like crazy all over. It is amazing how many people can fit into such a small vehicle

Instead of a "stop sign" this is what they have hanf=ging at the ends of the streets in out neighborhood: "halt and proceed"

Later that night, my uncle came by and we went to my favorite hotel in India ”West End Hotel”  which is run by the Taj group. It is a 20 acre oasis in the middle of the city with beautiful gardens, huge verandas and a British Colonial flair. The David Lean movie “A Passage to India” had some scenes filmed here. The dinner was fabulous. We ate at the hotel’s Masala Klub. Maya was overwhelmed by all the different spicy dishes, the flurry of waiters doting on the table and the atmosphere. It was so worth it!  Here are some of her pictures from the dinner:

  This was the gentleman who greeted us at teh door. We had to go through a security check to get into the hotel. Security is very tight  at all the hotels.

  Outside the restaurant with my parents.

 A chef was stationed outside the restaurant making hot chapaati's for all the diners! They were so good.

At the end of the meal, everyone received a copper finger bowl to wash their fingers. Authentic Indian food is usually eaten with the fingers scooping the food into your mouth.

Tomorrow we are going to Lal Bagh Botanical gardens or “the Red Garden” for their yearly flower show and to start some shopping!

Good Night!