4th of July

We have our first guest here for a visit from the US. Lesa's sister Heidi has joined us in the steaming heat of Noida! The timing was perfect because she got to join us for an evening at the US Embassy to celebrate the 4th of July (US Independence Day). All Americans (US Passport holders) were invited to the event. Defintely had a blast - there was American food (hotdogs, beef hamburgers, fries, Tex Mex), a great live band, fireworks, cake and competitions.. There was even a US Marine Corps honor guard. One of the highlights for me was watching forty young kids beat ten off-duty Marines in a tug of war. The next day, Heidi got her first big taste of sight-seeing in the steaming heat of Delhi. We took her to the famous Chandi Chowk neighborhood to see the massive Red Fort .
The fort was built between 1639 and 1648 by the Mogul Ruler, Shah Jahan. The fort is a World Heritage site. We also headed across the street to the large Jain Temple in Chandi Chowk. The Temple is famous for its bird hospital where birds of all types are brought for recovery. The Jains are known for their reverence of nature and protection of all living creatures.

Heidi will be "swimming in india" with us for several weeks... she is in for quite a fun, albeit warm, adventure! Stay tuned.