I did not like my guide much. Perhaps it was the commission racketthing from yesterday that soured me. We skipped the Red Fort, and I paid for the rickshaw and entrance to Jama Masjid. Altogether the difference is less than $15, but when I paid the travel agency for this, I don't expect to be charged again. Her explanations for things have never been illuminating either. Mostly she spent her words extolling how great the things she showed me were. I'dr ather get an explanation than a sales pitch. I will let the agency know, so they will use other guides instead.
Afterward, I came back to the hotel and rested a bit. I ate a lamb-burger at the hotel restaurant, then had a freak-out for a bit.
I forced myself to wander down to Connaught Place. I needed to get over my fear of being in a strange place. Not fully past it, but that helped overcome the worst of this episode. The touts are relentless. I wrote about this online so I won't repeat it here.
Connaught Place is definitely more upscale than other places I've been. Still, it's dirty and wouldn't pass even for the worst shopping in Seattle. I did find a bookshop (several) and purchased a few more books,as I am quickly working through the limited stash I brought.
After returning to the hotel, I finally learned the hotel system enough to dial through to Kartik's cousin, Amit Nanavati. We've made plans for tomorrow. It will be nice to see what locals do, especially since I will then get to spend Diwali not in some touristy thing.