Who Can Really Say?

And on the 14th day there was sun.

We drove out of Banjara Hills, the section of Hyderabad where my hotel is located, towards the Old City. The buildings along the road became increasingly older than those I've been traveling past on the way to work. We passed open air markets--

before finally approaching Charminar.

I'm disappointed in the pictures I took of Charminar -- we weren't far enough away to capture the entire height, or maybe it was just me, badly framing the shot. Heh! Who can really say?

There's a fresh produce market a stone's throw away. And when I say fresh, how about some raw sugar cane:

And pomegranetes:

One hundred yards or so from Charminar is the Makkah Masjid mosque, the largest in Hyderabad.

Next, we walked the halls of Chowmahalla Palace, the ceremonial palace of the Nizams of Hyderabad. The palace has undergone extensive renovation in recent years. Here's a view of a very large courtyard.

We walked inside the Durbar Hall, the throne room of the palace. Marble floor, crystal chandeliers -- just like back home!

Here's another view from the courtyard, of one of the palace buildings.

We left the palace and drove past Hussain Sagar lake, with a staute of Buddha in the middle of the water.

The day was running short and I didn't have time to go out to the Golkonda Fort, and the Birla Mandir Temple was not open. But I did get a picture of it from a distance.

I'm not sure which I regret not seeing more, but I'm not complaining. That I saw any of it is remarkable, and I will always remember it.