Three countries in five days. This part of the trip was definitely the most hectic, but it was also exciting. We got to see just enough of India and Turkey to make us interested enough to want to come back again.

Our first stop was India. When we arrived to New Delhi, the first thing we felt was the wave of heat that hit us the moment we opened the doors of the air conditioned airport. When we got in the cab, we were all shocked at the traffic- it was crazy. People were turning around and going against the flow of traffic because they didn’t want to get stuck in a traffic jam. Separate lanes were ignored- the road was a mix of cars, rickshaws, people, motorcycles and animals. We finally made it to the hotel, where we took a short break in order to enjoy the air conditioning in our rooms.

We then decided to make our way to the main bazaar on foot. Sidewalks don’t exist in New Delhi, so the road is shared by cars and people alike. Making our way to the grand bazaar was terrifying. Cars would honk to let you know they were coming but wouldn’t stop to let you pass. Rickshaws and motorcycles weaved in and out of the street going in both directions.
The main bazaar is one road with shops and vendors lining the street. The smell was overwhelming- a mix of spices, car exhaust and animals. Again, there was no sidewalk, but walking on the road meant a risk of getting run over by the impatient drivers. We spent most of the day there, eating and shopping. My mom, sisters and I got fitted for traditional Indian clothing called punjabis.

The next day, we had guided tour in the morning. We went to visit Humayan’s Tomb, a smaller version of the Taj Mahal. We also went to the India gate and to a Hindu temple. After lunch, we went to the train station. After waiting for more than an hour in the loud, dirty and crowded station, we boarded the train to Agra. We made it to Agra in the evening.

Early the next morning, we went to go see the Taj Mahal. We had to wake up very early in order to avoid the high temperatures that happen after the sun rises. The Taj Mahal was stunning, with the white marble, intricate decorations and symmetry everywhere. After a tour of the Taj Mahal, we went to see the Red Fort in Agra and then headed back to Delhi by car. We woke up the next day at three a.m. and headed to the airport to go to Istanbul.

We arrived at noon, and I was awed by the beauty of Istanbul. It was the complete opposite of what I had just experienced in Delhi. The city is beautiful, boasting cobblestone streets, beautiful mosques and trees everywhere. The city is built around the Bay of Bosphorus, which also means that Istanbul is on two continents- Asia and Europe. We stopped to get a bite to eat of delicious Turkish food, and then walked to the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. The blue mosque was beautiful, and is still a working mosque. The Hagia Sophia, however, is now a museum. After touring both, we took the Metro down to the Bay. There, we took an evening cruise on the Bosphorus. It was beautiful- we were able to see the sun set over the city. Afterwards, we walked through a bazaar and sat down to have some Turkish coffee.

The next day, we went to the cisterns near the Hagia Sophia. The cisterns are a huge underground cavern filled with pillars and water. After walking around, we went to the Old Bazaar, where we spent the rest of the day. My mom and I stopped at the spice bazaar, which was filled with beautiful colors and exotic smells. After we did some shopping, we picked up our bags from the hotel and went to the airport to finally make it to Israel.