Day 2 - Red Fort and Central Delhi

Delhi Metro Rocks! SS became an instant fan, the moment he saw the spanking stations and the trains. It is comparable to any world-class metro. There's a near-airport-like security at each station, with bags being screened an all. In some stations, people actually stand in line to board the train - at least until the train arrives. Our eyes lit up the moment we saw the metro map and spotted the station at the Qutb Minar. It was only later we realized that most of the lines in the map were under construction. We took a three day pass to travel as many times as we want.

As soon as you enter through the Lahore Gate at Red Fort, the first sight that greets you is a machine gun pointed at your chest. "What if that CSF soldier sneezes and accidentally fires that gun?" asked SS. The thought is scary - not that it would happen, but if it did, it would just be dismissed as a small price for our "security". The only ones to lose would be the near and dear ones of the victims. Security however, does not protect you from the stray dogs that wander around the Gate. Today, a large one took a liking to my camera bag. I had a real tough time driving it away.

The decision to start early morning at the Red Fort was both good and bad. There were none of those Tamil Champus in their weird costumes and poses obstructing our photos. We had the place to ourselves, to click as many photographs as we wanted. However, reaching early meant that there were no shops open inside the Fort - even the restaurant would open only at 11:00 AM. We had to do with biscuits for breakfast!

The handicrafts museum was a disappointment. After a lengthy post-lunch walk from Pragati Maidan metro station, the exhibits were just a few. A lot of impetus has been given for converting the place into a mini-market, where artists from various states produce and sell their wares. Jantar Mantar was no different. It pales in comparison to its illustrious cousin in Jaipur. There were only four main structures, not so well maintained. The most impressive of the four was the Misra Yantra, more famous for being the symbol of the 1982 Asian Games. There were some explanations given as to what it does, using words such as Meridian and Declination, all of made no sense to me. There was a moderate crowd (with usual mix of champus), who were more interested posing for photos on top of the various structures than on their functioning. The gardens around the place were full of couples busy fondling each other in a public show of affection. After all, it was Valentine's Day.

The situation was no different at Purana Quila. Manoj wanted me to click the photo of him and his girlfriend. He didn't have a camera of his own. I obliged happily, and have promised to send him the photo once i reach Bangalore. It was however, already evening when we stepped into Purana Quila. The only thing that interested us was the Sher Mandal - believed to the library from which Humayun fell to his death.

After the disappointment at Karim's yesterday, we were satisfied with two sumptuous meals on Connaught Place - lunch at Kwality's on Sansad Marg, and dinner at Punji Balluch, opposite to Palika Bazaar. Kwality's had a toned-down ambience, with sober interiors - like any fine-dining restaurant you would come across. Balluch was more colorful, and also decked up for Valentine's Day (with nobody threatening to marry off people over here). Both places were expensive, but the food was worth it. Perhaps we were aided by our hunger - developed through the long walks we had had during the day.

Pic of the day: