Hyderabad

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Our guide helped with the directions in the impossible traffic. A new metro system is being built which clogs everything up even more. Our first stop was at the Charminar (four minarets). This is the symbol and historical heart of Hyderabad. It was not too busy because we arrived before the crowds. We climbed up one of the minarets for a view over some of Hyderabad and also of the decorative detail of the building. on the left we could see the Jamma mosque. This is the second largest mosque in India. We shopped for bangles in a street that sells nothing except bangles. Hyderabad is famous for its jewellry especially pearls and bangles. There was also a shop selling old Indian coins, including coins from the imperialist era.

We have visited very few museums on this trip, but this one was a large one. This was a museum collected largely by one man. He was a Nizam ruler under the British in the first half C20 and he was very rich. It is the Salar Jung museum, the third largest in India. It has a whole gallery devoted to walking sticks with carved heads in all sorts of shapes. Some of the walking sticks include a small dagger concealed within the stick, one had an umbrella and several had parts that moved. Other distinctive rooms were the ivory room, the jade room and the miniatures room. There was a lot to see here and we didn't emerge until 4 p.m.

After a little shopping trip we returned to the hotel. Mr Kannan joined us for dinner at the local retaurant we found yesterday. The photo show Mr Kannan with Ginnie at the Charminar.

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