Purani Dillee

Chandni Chowk area in Old Delhi. Old Delhi is quite distinct from the rest of Delhi. The streets are really narrow and crowded (this picture is of one of the wider, less congested streets...) and everything just kind of kept building on itself. That being said, it is very cool. Old Delhi is built on what used to Shajahanabad, a city that Shah Jahan built in the mid 1600s...but it was later pretty messed up by the British because the streets are narrow and twisty making them perfect for natives to escape foreign pursuers. The houses there used to be mostly havelis, which are basically houses with open space in the middle, open as in you can see the sky. They are sooo nice and seem quite a sanctuary because they are so quiet and cool compared to the bustle and sweat just outside their walls. The havelis were quite large meant to house extended families and had the open interior because back in the day women weren't exactly allowed to leave so they were allowed at least this space to be 'outside.' Now people have built in and around and over the havelis so the neighborhood is homes piled upon homes and great tangles and knots of electric wires (which makes you amazed that the electricity ever works...) We got to go on the roof of on of the homes, which was so cool because you can clearly just go from one roof/terrace to another so much so that you can go across streets and neighborhoods that way if you know where you are going. We went down one street call patli gali (literally 'thin gully') that was so thin that I wasn't sure my fat back pack would fit through...suffice to say, I'm glad we had a guide who grew up there or we would've easily gotten quite lost. (I can only imagine what fun it is for the kids there, sooo much mischief that could be done and crazy games that could be played. It really kind of reminded me of Aladdin). We didn't really eat anything from the 'chaats' (basically roadside food) there, but I guess that that's half the attraction, so I'll have to go back with someone that knows what the good stuff is; I think the parathas and mithais (sweets) are supposed to be amazing.

On a random note: I went to a Bible study Sunday night (which was quite good) where I ate meat for the first time in a long time; it was nice to be in the presence of other carnivores...I mean Christians.
the calm inside a haveli; this is actually a girls' school now