Days in Delhi

Back in Delhi we were once again in the same hotel as before. The location was good for us- there was a street right next door full of all kinds of shopping, and there were restaurants ( a McDonalds too!) nearby. We spent the days in Delhi at the Indian International Trade Fair- an event that happens every year when countries from all over the world, and all the states of India build huge indoor booths to showcase products from their country or state. Both days that we went, our mode of transportation was the Delhi metro....let me just say I've NEVER in my life been so squished! We arrived at the station both days, purchased our tickets, went through a security check and then walked up a flight of stairs to the tracks. We got into partners (so as no one got left behind alone) and when the metro came, we grasped tightly and had to push our way through a solid mass of people trying to get off of the train and trying not to fall out! Luckily both times, my partner and I made it onto the car, and we rode for about five minutes like sardines in a can. Every inch of my body except for a small piece of my head and face was pressed tightly against the body part of another person. We were a completely stable block and didn't even budge a centimeter when the train stopped at stations- we all held each other up! That was an experience I'll never forget...I couldn't help but think about someone being claustrophobic...that would be so bad!
The trade fair was held at a huge ground area near the metro station, so when we got off the platform it was only a short walk down a dirt path before we arrived at a security check and then the entrance gate. There were buildings spread about us and inbetween there were paths and grass areas to sit. The paths were filled with ice cream and coffee carts, and the grass areas were overflowing with people sitting down to rest. It was a really cool experience to get to come to this, and I got some real insight into what the other states of India are like- not only did each state's building have information and photos, but there were even some that had their state's classical dance going on out front! The shopping was really good- mostly everything was decently priced and good quality, so my group (a group of twenty women who all LOVE shopping) spent most of our time browsing the stalls.
In the evenings we went out for dinner to a Punjabi (state in the north of India) restaurant that had everything cooking in an open area downstairs and the tables to sit upstairs. It was at this restaurant when I got to see naan (my favorite North Indian thick and soft bread like food) made in a tandoori oven! It was so cool! The man making it would first flatten the dough, then place it on a towl and stick it onto the side of a circular barrel that was embedded in the counter- a tandoori oven!It was also at this restaurant where I discovered the first Indian sweet that I love- gulab jamun- a round sweet that to me tastes kind of like a donut...SO good!
P.S. The image above is of the group I went with at the IITF.