Lost dutchman mine

Alleged belongings of the dutchman

The legend of the Lost Dutchman mine is a treasure-seeking tale of the old west.  One that still draws people in even today.
People have disappeared or been found dead in the area, causing theories and stories to develop around all the different possibilities of history and what treasure is really out there.  The conflicts to be found in it are the claims to accurate history, the claims to land and mines, and the claims to treasure found.

The legend goes that a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz, the "dutchman", found a wealthy gold mine in the Superstition Mountains in the mid 1800s. He died leaving a drawn map which gave only hints to the mine's location. Since then, treasure hunters have come from all over to search but no one has found anything.  Mixed throughout the legend are details of violence and beheading among those searching for gold

The mining museum of their belongings left behind

Today there are hikers, campers and horseback riders instead of suspicious gold hunters--but they are still out there, too.

The real treasure, though, is probably the mix of fact and fiction in the story of the dutchman's mine, and the hunt--the one for the truth of the characters involved amidst all the legend.

Superstition mountains

Diwan-i-khas and the Peacock Throne

Visitors can still go see the Diwan-i-Khas at the Red Fort, the private audience hall of the Mughal emperors.  And though it's run down and the restoration work slow, it's still a beautiful building.  White marble, intricately carved pillars inlaid with semi-precious stones.
Emperor Shah Jahan was so pleased with the pavilion that he had these words engraved on it:  "If there is paradise on the face of this earth, it is this, it is this."

The last time court was held here was during 1857, when the last Mughal emperor was making the fateful decision of whether or not to join the forces who were in revolt against the British rulers.  Though he tried to resist, he was swept up in a conflict that ended in tragedy for the empire and his family.

Along with the royal family, something else is missing from the Diwan-i-Khas.  The Peacock throne.
The throne used to sit on a pedestal as the centerpiece of all the Mughal splendor.

Shah Jahan had it made when he ruled the empire from Delhi.  The national treasury was displayed for all to see.  A statement in gold, diamonds, sapphires and pearls to say, "We are not just kings here, we are emperors."

The Mughals were defeated by a Persian army in 1739 and the Peacock throne was plundered.  A short time after, the Persian ruler himself was assassinated and the throne was dismantled, its jewels and gold dispersed to different factions.

The sun may have set on the Mughal empire and their treasures may be stolen and lost to history.  But a few hints of what once was still remain.

Hindu Rao baoli

Hooray for sighting another baoli!

The Hindu Rao baoli has certainly seen some damage.
It could be from lack of upkeep, or it could have happened in the battle of 1857.

Even so, it has a nice green color and I would have been sorry to miss it...as we almost did.

From atop the Pir Ghaib, I looked all around for where the nearby baoli I'd read about was located and couldn't find anything.

I'd given up.

As we walked out, a woman asked me if we'd gone to see the Ashoka pillar nearby. Yes, we'd already seen that, I told her.
"And the baoli?" she asked.
"No, where is it?"
"It's down the road and on the left."
"Oh further down the road. Good. We will see it."
"You want to see it?"
"Yes."
"I will come with you. I have the key."
The key! Ohoh! How marvelous the holder of all the keys was standing here before us, or we never would have gotten in, even if we had found the baoli!

But because we had met her, she walked with us, opened the gate and told us to look all around.
All around is what she said, and you know, there are not many safety precautions taken in places around here. I easily could have ended up in a pit of green slime.
And that's what the police officer who stepped in also worried. He came inside the gate and scolded the keeper-of-the-keys: "Don't let them go there or there. It may give way and they will fall."
No worries, man, I do not want to fall into that.
Nor did I want to get the nice, key lady in trouble.

So we looked around, took pictures, thanked her and moved on.
One more Delhi baoli: check.

Smith's cupola

This cupola used to be on the top of the Qutab Minar. Now it sits in a corner of the complex.

In 1828 there was an earthquake and the tower got damaged. When the British repaired it, the engineer, Major Smith, had this cupola added to the top to replace the damaged one.
Twenty years later, Lord Hardinge decided it didn't fit with the rest of the architecture and had it removed.

Now it stands way out of the way, it's own little bit of story unnoticed by most.

The detail of something that was meant to be so far above eye level, unable to be seen by most is kind of magnificent. Like finding a treasure.

Another little gem about this cupola is that while standing way over here in the corner, the whole minar finally fits in a camera shot.

I find that the stories about the Qutab are taller than the tower itself.
That's kind of magnificent, too.

The search for a vase

I decided that flowers need to live in my house.
The flowers that will be living in my house will need a place to stay.

A vase was needed.

And I went looking for one.
I stood in the market looking at an assortment of vases, fish bowls and candle holders--nothing very striking.
"We have a shop," the man said, and pointed to a tiny hole of a window in the wall nearby.
"Where's the door?" I asked and one of the boys nearby led me to their small, dark room where hundreds of vases and candle holders were stacked on dusty, crowded shelves.
It wasn't really like a shop at all, but more like someones forgotten cellar storage.
I blinked and my eyes adjusted to the light. It was such a dusty, cave-like room, I wanted to walk back out and go look somewhere else for a vase. But instead I took a closer look at what was around me.

Sometimes it's a matter of finding the beauty amidst the unexpected, right? Sorting through the trash to find the treasure.
Shine up the old brass lamp and out pops a genie to grant your wishes.
Smile at the somber old woman on the street and watch the amazing transformation when her own return smile lights up her face.

So I had that boy pull vases out of the deep recesses of the shelves and dust them, and I held them up to the slim bit of light coming through the tiny window.

In the end, I found one to take home with me. It cleaned up even better than I thought it would. It surprised me even more once I had it home, cleaned and in the light.
For the seeker, hidden beauty once revealed is a treasure indeed.