Our adventure continued on Sunday in Old Delhi, the original parts of the city, a maze of narrow alleyways, tiny open front shops, active citizens, and historical structures. And, of course, the ubiquitous horns of Delhi traffic. The fifth most populous city in the world (and the most rapidly growing), Delhi has over 11,000 residents per square kilometer (by contrast, OKC has 322 residents per square kilometer). Much of everyday life in India revolves around religion: about 83% of the population is Hindu, 13% Islamic, 3% Sikh, leaving only 2% of the population as anything else (we did pass a Southern Baptist Church in Old Delhi). Our rickshaw driver (more on that below) commented on what a beautiful, clear day we had, but the pollution still hung in the air. In every respect, Delhi is a whole other world from what we're used to in middle America.

We began our day at the Red Fort, dating to the 17th century, constructed by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Constructed of red sandstone, the fort walls stretch 1.5 miles around a complex of buildings, including throne rooms and shopping bazaar. Much of the interior of the fort is constructed in white marble.

Leaving the Red Fort, we rode in rickshaws through the narrow, rutted, muddy passages of Old Delhi. Often, the streets were barely wider than the rickshaw, shared by pedestrians and motorcycles. Simple, open-front shops lined the streets selling a variety of wares, everything from saris to auto parts. Between and in front of the shops, street vendors sold fruits and vegetables, prepared foods, used books, all on carts or just spread along the ground. Being pedaled through these old, narrow passages was sensory overload. Our rickshaw ride culminated at the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, a yellow sandstone structure built in the 15th century and surrounded by red sandstone walls.

After a delightful lunch consisting of a wide variety of Indian dishes all served family style in the funky Chor Bizarre restaurant, we stopped briefly at the Gandhi Memorial, the cite of Gandhi's home and assassination. The gardens were wonderfully kept, resulting in a peaceful respite from the hectic time in Old Delhi. To end our long day, we took an evening flight to Udaipur.