Arriving in Delhi

As everyone knows after a 17 hour flight the last thing you want to do is navigate yourself around a foreign city. When I arrived in Delhi I was met by my guide, Arun, from Peirce & Leslie along with a driver who made my transition from a 17 hour flight and a 8.5 hour time difference seamless. Since I landed in the evening, I got much needed rest to be ready for my first day in Delhi!

The first day in Delhi was low key as we transitioned from the flight and time change. Luckily, I arrived a day early. Arun Pratap Singh Manohar (or Arun as he became to all of us) from Peirce & Leslie arrived to take us to meet out city guide who gave us a wonderful walking tour of New and Old Delhi. 

While we saw the beautiful sites of Delhi the guide did not hesitate to show us the other side of the city. We were taken to the Salaam Balak Trust Shelter where we were met by a young man who lived at the shelter and was a graduate. He told his own story of leaving his family at 6 years and how this shelter helped him to gain an education and essential life skills. In India many of the homeless children at the shelter we interacted with are also as young as 6. They are responsible for making their own way in the world due to a myriad of circumstances. While a tragic circumstance to be alone at a young age this shelter offered them a way to gain important skills and interacting with these young boys was a memorable part of my visit.

Pictured here with Bob Watson (left) and our guide Vishal

The Taj Mahal and the Ganges river are probably some of the best known sites in India.


Varanasi in the northern  state of Utter Pradesh, India is known as the "Athens of India" because of the rich cultural sites. It is also known as the "holy city of India" because the Ganges river flows through the city and its association with Lord Shiva, a Hundu God.

There are numerous religious temples and shrines to visit but most natives flock to Varanasi to make offerings to the Ganges river. We woke up prior to sunrise to see the sun emerge over the Ganges river. It was a beautiful sight as the sun crept up over the buildings and spread across the glistening river. It was so beautiful that I did mind getting up so early!

Not far from Varanasi is The city of Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, a must see when touring India. While the Taj Mahal is know for its ornate splendor and beautiful dome the story behind it is even more fascinating. It was commissioned under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 it is a Muslim mausoleum. It was built to house the body of the love of his life, his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She was his constant companion and confidant and in a time of arranged marriages their love story is unique. Shah Jahan is also buried at the Taj Mahal near his favorite wife.

We visited the Taj Mahal at sunset and again in the morning when the crowds were not allowed.