November 17, 2014. Sights and sounds of Hyderabad

Sure enough, the Muslim morning Call To Prayer sounded right at 5:15 AM.  The speaker is right outside our window and sounds like a tornado warning siren.  Once it ends, another one starts from a more distant mosque.  That  one is more melodious with the people chanting in response to the mullah.  This is the view from our window, with the minaret equipped with loadspeakers.  ..

The first business of the day was a henna tattoo for Meredith.  We went to a grocery store where a "chap" has a henna stand.

We called him, and he arrived shortly.  This was a "test run" for the wedding ceremony which will be a more intricate henna tattoo, on her hands and feet.  He was really good and fast.

It was about $1.50 for a beautiful job.

After a lunch of paratha in punjabi style, we went to the market.  The traffic is so amazing.  These little yellow gas rickshas have replaced the human-pulled ones. They fit  5 people, but usually 10 + are crammed in.  And, everyone honks their car horns all the time.  Crazy!

First, we went shopping for Meredith's wedding sari.  The fabrics are so beautiful and colorful.  December is their busiest wedding season, so the shops were very busy.

From there, we went jewelry shopping.  As they say, brides get all "decked out" for the ceremony.  Meredith doesn't like gold, but gold it is.

Here is mother-in-law Bala helping her with the headpiece.

Here is the finished product, plus bangles, ankle bracelets and rings.

By the time we were finished, it was rush hour returning home and  the traffic was impossibly worse.  Lanes mean nothing.  The scooters are the scariest, darting in and out.

We had a relaxing evening at home, enjoying tandoori chicken for dinner. 

The temperature is in the 70s, so very pleasant.