The Delhi Metro is one of the easiest metros I have ever been on.

It is easy to change lines and trains come every one to two minutes. And, it is very clean! Just a bit dusty so watch your step on the stairs. Karol Barg to Rajiv Chowk/Connaught Place (think, 42nd Street or King's Cross) costs 10 rupees which is about 20 US cents. You need to go through security before getting on the train and it can as crowded as sardines once in the carriages. However, if you are female, you are in luck! There are train carriages only for women and men are fined heavily if caught hitching a ride. I couldn't figure out why it was so empty until I stumbled upon one.

Connaught Place:

I was about to scream if one more young man came up to me with, "I promise I am not trying to sell you something" and "I just want to talk." One whippersnapper even had the nerve to ask me whether I was angry or scared when I politely declined. That and being escorted everywhere was driving me mad. I may have to ask for directions (and mind you, 90% of the time I haven't asked) but I am perfectly capable getting there on my own, thank you very much! So, when I found myself in front of the Imperial Hotel, I thought it prime time to go in and get a cold drink.

The Imperial Hotel is where my mother used to stay when she led tours around the world from Mexico. It is a Raj-era hotel with marble floors, gilded mirrors and dark, wood paneling in the bars. It even has a patisserie and afternoon tea is served from three o'clock. As I sipped my freshly brewed iced tea, it was fun to picture my mother, younger than me at the time, walking around the same hotel during the 70s. During one trip, she even had the opportunity to meet Indira Gandhi (the first female prime minister of India).  Indira Gandhi was a bit of a hero of mine during my first trip to India. During my second trip, I came to understand how controversial she was. My mother describes her as being small, charismatic and powerful.