India Day 3 - Delhi

Our start time today was pretty decent - 8:30 am. Little did we know it would turn out to be a 12 hour day!

We have a nice little comfy bus for the 16 of us. Our first destination was a G Adventures sponsored street kids program tour, and our guide was a former student in the program. They take street kids in, try to find their parents, and return them home. If the home is unsuitable, other options are explored. In the meantime, they are fed, clothed and schooled.

Our walk, near the New Delhi Train Station area, took us through some very interesting neighbourhoods. We were gob-smacked by the tangled mess of electrical wiring overhead everywhere. I thought I had seen some risky situations before, but this topped the cake.

Next, we went to Jami Masjid, the largest mosque in the whole of India. It was built in 1656 and the courtyard holds up to 20,000 people! G Adventures covered the entrance cost but there was an additional 300 rupee charge to take your camera inside. That amounts to about $7 just for the privilege of being able to take photos. I paid it of course, but what a charge! I was using my point and shoot camera today as I had a rather unfortunate mishap this morning with the zoom lens (which is also my only lens) on my SLR camera. It is toast. I had hopes of being able to find a camera store today but it wasn't in the cards. Another member of our group has the same camera and 3 batteries as well as an extra camera. I have only 2 batteries and he lent me one of his batteries. Bless him!

When we were done there, we got into rickshaws. These are tricycles with a driver, and a seat in the back for two people. We were given a tour of Chandni Chowk market area of Old Delhi. With the bus, our progress had been slow and at a standstill as we approached the mosque. I had thought using the cycle rickshaw would be faster. Nope!

Oh! My! Gosh! There is Nothing in this world like a rickshaw ride in Old Delhi! The incessant honking of horns was beyond belief for this small town girl. The traffic congestion wasn't much better with the rickshaws. The tight spaces and the zigzagging was worrisome at times. The people, the shops, and the displays kept me gawking.

There were dogs, monkeys and goats. And for two days now, the city workers who pick up garbage are on strike.

After a good long ride, we got out and walked over to a famous bakery/sweet shop where KV ordered us a samosa and let us try some sweet concoction. 

We were then given time in the spice market. But first KV took me over to a shop that looked like it might sell camera equipment. No such luck.

Chandni Chowk is divided into various areas and whole blocks or more have mostly one type of business. Besides the spice market, there was a used auto parts area, an optical market selling all manner of eyewear, and a block of stores selling wedding invitations.

Then the same rickshaws who waited for us came and took us back to the big mosque where the bus was parked. Somehow one of our group's rickshaws got lost and we had quite a wait until the cyclist made it back safely with them.

KV decided it was lunch time and we ate at a fancy restaurant. It was on the 3rd or 4th floor, and to get up there, we all rode in a huge elevator that had seats and held all of us at once. I have been told many times over, not to eat salads due to the risk of 'Delhi Belly' and so far I have heeded that advice. Although I crave salads, my memory of Peru keeps me cautious. I ordered a chicken dish and roti. It's like a naan bread only toasted. I think I am going to be living on that for this trip. I found that I like naan bread better as its more chewy and soft.

My table mates are a young couple (and I mean young) from Australia and we had good conversation about India, politics, our home country and life. They were well-travelled and I was impressed with their maturity, education and their willingness and ability to converse with someone much older.

We had a long drive to the Qutb Minar where I had visited yesterday. Besides having the tallest minaret, there are many interesting arches, pillars, walls and carvings to explore. I had no difficulty enjoying it again indifferent light. 

My Flat Stanley even came out of my backpack to get a few selfies!

Our last stop of the day was another repeat one, but also an interesting one - the Sikh Temple where they feed the people. The kitchen wasn't as full or as busy. However, we got to go in the temple as the line ups were non-existent (and yesterday it was at least a half hour wait to go in so I passed). Also this time, it was late and the temple was lit up and quite spectacular.

Back at the hotel, I ordered cream of chicken soup and garlic naan. The soup was tasty but weird. It wasn't very creamy and looked more like milk. Oh well!

Dear Trip Diary: you take too long! 

India Day 2 - New Delhi

From home before I left,  I had booked a photo tour for the day, thinking I'd better see all of Delhi that I could. I got up when my alarm rang as I was supposed to start at 9 am. All I really wanted to do was sleep and sleep.

The driver took me to my photographer guide and we went to many places. Humayun's Tomb, built in 1565, was a wonderful start to the day. The complex consisted of several structures and the area wasn't very crowded. 

The domed ceiling of the Entrance Chamber

I had hoped to go where I wouldn't be going tomorrow, but we did hit a couple of the same places. One of them was the Qutb Minar, the second tallest minar in India.  A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the tower is made of red sandstone and marble, and is 240 feet with a diameter of 47 feet at the base and 9 feet at the peak.

My guide was great at knowing where to stand for the best views. He also kept very good track of me which I really appreciated. Even in big crowds when I stopped following him to take a photo or two of something that caught my eye, he would notice and wait for me. The perfect man - haha! We saw many brides and grooms having "pre-wedding photo" sessions. My guide thought it was ridiculous. His fiancée had wanted those kind of pics taken and he had refused he told me.

We made a short stop at Agrasen ki Baoli, a 60-meter long and 15-meter wide historical step well.  Step wells are wells or ponds in which the water may be reached by descending a set of steps, and they are most common in western India. 

Lunch was at an authentic Indian restaurant at Connaught Place. It was quite busy and popular with the locals and has been in business for a great many years. I asked him to order for me and the food was quite tasty. I was a little concerned about how clean the plates and utensils were but I tried not to think about it. I hope my vaccine and oregano oil keep me from the scourge of the infamous "Delhi Belly". Time will tell.

After lunch, we went to the best stop of the day, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Temple. It is a Sikh mosque where they prepare food and feed people on a daily basis. The food prep area was fascinating and I got a great many amazing shots. They feed hundreds, if not thousands of people every day in shifts. There is no cost to whoever eats there. Some come because of poverty, others come because of religious reasons. The food is donated as is the labor involved in prepping, cooking, serving and clean up.

My guide had one more photo stop for me, the India Gate. This structure is a war memorial dedicated to 82,000 soldiers who died in the First World War.

The time for my group tour meeting was changed to 5pm from 6pm so that changed my itinerary for the day somewhat. Our guide is K V Singh and we are to call him KV. He gave us a lot of info about the itinerary and about India in general for over an hour.

After that, most of the group went out for supper nearby. The food, Tandori chicken and butter naan bread, was delicious. However I won't be having a glass of wine there ever, again as it cost more than the food!

It seems like a good group, well-traveled, mostly Canadians, and around my age. Hurray! I am struggling to stay awake. I will sleep well!