This jet lag thing is getting a bit annoying. I was up again at 3am attempting to fall back asleep. I finally got another hour in before waking up at 6:30am to live stream the BCS Championship game! GO NOLES! Sadly, all I got to watch was the first half. But I have an amazing cousin who live-texted me over iMessage and Facebook so I would know what was going on <3 Last night I also had my first stomach issue. Luckily, it was only acid reflux from spicy soup and I was able to quell it with pepto bismol.
The second stop of the day was the Lotus Ba'hai Temple. We had to remove our shoes while walking up to the temple, then wait in line to get in. The temple is huge, white, and shaped like a lotus. Even though the temple was built by those of the Ba'hai faith, their religion teaches unity and spirituality through shared prayer from all other beliefs, so they encourage everyone to come in and pray to whatever God(s) they believe in. A religious leader outside gave us a brief lesson on Ba'hai, which was very interesting and appealing to me.
We went back to the hostel after the Tomb, then walked to the Faridabad market for water and fruit juice from the grocery store. For dinner, I chose to stick with only rice, bread, and cucumbers rather than trying more soup. Hopefully my stomach wont act up tonight.
Today was such a great day! The sun was shining, I felt awake and happy, and I got to experience so much! The first stop of the day was the Qutub Minar. It is a tall tower structure built by the Moghuls in celebration of their victory in conquering India. The Qutub Minar is part of the Qutub Minar Complex consisting of a few tombs and various other ruins. Indians at the complex kept asking to take pictures with us, so it was really funny and we felt popular haha. We all get stared at constantly of course for being white and dressed in Western fashion.
The second stop of the day was the Lotus Ba'hai Temple. We had to remove our shoes while walking up to the temple, then wait in line to get in. The temple is huge, white, and shaped like a lotus. Even though the temple was built by those of the Ba'hai faith, their religion teaches unity and spirituality through shared prayer from all other beliefs, so they encourage everyone to come in and pray to whatever God(s) they believe in. A religious leader outside gave us a brief lesson on Ba'hai, which was very interesting and appealing to me.
The next stop was at a high class market in New Delhi. There were areas for saris, punjabis, scarves, shoes, spices, art, sculptures, figurines, and I'm sure much more that I didn't discover! I purchased a tunic to wear with leggings or jeans, some chai masala tea, and....I got a sari! My sari is so beautiful, and I absolutely love it! I will post pictures on facebook when I wear it to see the Bollywood movie tomorrow.
The last stop on our sightseeing journey was Humayan's Tomb. The tomb is the structure that the design of the Taj Mahal is based on. Ironically, Humayan's tomb was built by a wife for her husband, and the Taj Mahal was built by a husband for his wife. It is also a Muslim structure. The actual tomb of Humayan is in the middle under the large rotunda, then there are 3 different tombs in rooms in the 4 cardinal directions of other relatives.
We went back to the hostel after the Tomb, then walked to the Faridabad market for water and fruit juice from the grocery store. For dinner, I chose to stick with only rice, bread, and cucumbers rather than trying more soup. Hopefully my stomach wont act up tonight.
I am settled into bed after a shower with plans to read and stay awake as late as possible in the hopes of sleeping through the night.
Much love,
Alyssa
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