Blogs from New Delhi, National Capital Territory, India, Asia - page 117

Hey everyone, Last night there were a series of bomb blasts that ripped through New Delhi. The bombs went off near the Railway station. The city is on red alert and security is very high. So if anyone is heading for Delhi this weekend, please stay clear of the city and go to another city close by. Because your bags and haversacks will be checked at every 500m and it could become a major hassle to open and repack your bag every 15 minutes. The cops in Delhi are not at all polite nor do they compromise on anything. So fellow travellers just be careful this week if you are in or around Delhi. ciao... read more

Left Hare Kirshna Guesthouse at 9, decided not to pick up my "Gandi wear" and walked to New Delhi train station. Place was full of touts. Got the last ticket for Haridwar, I had to fill a form and wait for an hour or so to get my ticket. Hardiwar is a Holy Hindu city, located where the Ganges emerges from the Himalaya. Pilgrams go to the city to bathe in the Ganges. Travelled to Old Delhi train station in an auto rickshaw. Four miles of madness. Spent the day in the train station, eating, sleeping and talking to locals. Old Delhi train station is very dusty, lots of stalls selling Chai and fruit, no thanks. Piles of luggage and food are stacked up near the track, ready to be transported. The overnight train journey was ... read more

UPDATE: Thanks to all who have expressed concern about our safety and the earthquake yesterday. Although Delhi did feel the quake, we were southeast of the city on our way to Agra when it happened. The quake was northwest of Delhi on the border of Pakistan and the death toll has topped 19,000. It is Sunday morning and the last 48 hours have been one of the most stimulating experiences in either of our lives. As Lou and myself are fans of diverse experiences, being in India is like a warped trip to Disney World for us. The culture, sites, sounds, and smells are so unique to our backgrounds that each second is a revelation in itself. As I write this blog entry, we are lounging poolside surrounded by lush gardens and attendants, as we drink ... read more

Murray’s Grandparents (McKenzies) were missionaries in India, and this is where his mother was born. This trip is with Murray’s Uncle Peter and family to see places that are important in the McKenzie Family history. DELHI. We arrive in Delhi late Saturday night, and manage to get through the airport without too much trouble. At the exit we are assigned an official taxi number by the authorities. Once outside, Dehli madness begins. Murray is mobbed by taxi drivers, while a gang of porters wrench the baggage trolley out of my hands. Murray starts yelling at me to not let go of my trolley, so I wrestle with the porter to regain control and avoid being steered off towards an illicit taxi. Finally we get into the assigned taxi, after watching at least 12 hands assist with ... read more

An earlier group email which i've decided to add to this site: so - at 5 on wednesday evening, i was finally on my way to the big bad world that's been calling my name for quite a while now...! i flew through dubai - the first flight was really good, good movies (one bollywood ofcourse) and flight stuards who kept chatting to me and filling up my champagne glass! had a chat to a canadian guy, with the consequence of not getting any sleep on that flight. when i got to dubai and went to my delhi boarding gate, i met two backpacker guys (who were both travelling solo)...we decided to take a taxi to central delhi together. the flight to delhi was supposed to be some nice sleep time. but alas, that same canadian ... read more