Fame on Christmas Day

It took us all morning to open our presents and then we hired a taxi for the day to take us to Qutb Minar, CP, Power Corridor and Khan Market (although we didn't make it to Khan Market today). We did not hire him to take us to an emporium which he attempted to do and then lied to us when we wanted to go to CP 'all the shops are shut today', they weren't and we just wanted food. Enough moaning about the driver because other than him trying to squeeze us for every rupee we had a great Indian Christmas Day.

Qutb Minar is a beautiful mosque/ruin/giant pillar. M&D got to witness and then experience the joys of Indian families constantly wanting to take pictures of you and awkward pictures of you with each member of their family, a quintessential Indian experience. It turned out that Qutb Minar is the place to go on Christmas Day and then all of these wanted a picture with M&D as we were leaving, James and I strolled off into the traffic leaving them to enjoy the fame of being white! There were hundreds of families visiting but it was the bus loads of school children that were filing out of the complex like a mass production factory. Every school child wanted to say hello and shake our hands and then James and Dad made friends with a group of boys who followed us around the complex for the rest of the time, occasionally asking for pictures and saying hello on repeat. I was the tour guide for the morning and I think everyone left the complex not just with great pictures and wonderful experiences but mostly an interesting insight of Qutb Minar!

James and I had walked along the power corridor in the blazing heat of summer so it was brilliant for us to enjoy the walk this time in the cooler air; without stopping for ice cream every two minutes. The power corridor is a strip of road in South Delhi that consists of the president's house, important government buildings and India gate. We spent most of our energy telling auto drivers that we were OK and did not require a lift, even if it was 'very cheap'.

Our Christmas meal, and present to M&D was dinner at 'The Imperial' one of Delhi's finest hotels and a top rated Indian restaurant. Just walking into this fabulous hotel sends you back in time to the colonial period and the British Raj. It is the swankiest hotel we have ever been in with lovely period features and attention to every detail. There was a nice elephant statue that we considered, 'doing a Jenny' and stealing but they had nailed it to the table-they really had thought of everything. The Spice Route was the chosen restaurant for our 2013 Christmas dinner and the menu sound delightful. I was pleased as it mainly catered toward Southern Indian cuisine, which is different to the curry we get in England and flavours M&D hadn't or probably won't have the opportunity to taste as North Indian food is more like curry we get in England! The food was good but the environment was the winner for me on the night. We were thrilled when we got a taxi back to Basil's in the old style 'bumblebee' taxi fully equipped with carpet seats and ceilings. With no crackers or Christmas Pud it didn't feel like Christmas Day but it was another amazing day with M&D in this crazy country!