Tales from a Calcutta Cemetery

“Temple? Go to temple? Science centre?”

“No, no thank you.” We wanted to see the remnants of the Empire. We wanted to see what was left of the chequered past of the colonialists and we had seen plenty of religious architecture after 9 days. Some were unassuming buildings with giant statues of the Buddha, some had massive brick towers and imposing steps echoing the beckoning call to prayer, some had brightly painted elephants and bells and flags. One was set to a backdrop of the Himalaya. Although each one was amazing, I wanted to see ghosts.

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A pinch of salt: New Delhi Metro

Before going to India, we read as much as we could, poured over travel guides and read this really great article on the New Delhi Metro. As this was my first trip outside of the western world I really didn’t know what to expect, or if I could handle it. (I stocked up on those herbal de-stress pills in a fit of desperation.)

The article is a fantastic whistle-stop guide to some of the best sites in Delhi. After reading it, I felt like we could do it. I felt empowered to use the metro and visit Delhi (I assumed) more like we would do at home.

I especially wanted to visit the Qutab Minar.