Delhi

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Journey with Turkish Air was good, an interesting Afghan beside me. He's the national seed co-ordinator for the UN, no less, and insists I can visit and enjoy Afghanistan as a tourist, if I go to the right places, hmmm..... maybe next time.



Delhi Nothing quite prepares you for Delhi, not even a previous visit. Chaos was invented here, I think, and it's practised very successfully every day - traffic, noise, enormous numbers of humanity zig-zagging in random directions, like a beehive at work. Raj, our Delhi fixer is very good and we hired him to take us around the sights, much less of a hassle - the place is full of smiley tricksters who inists where you want to go is closed,but he knows just the place that's open. Delhi's not for the fainthearted, but what a fascinating place none-the-less.




It feels much safer here than in South America, even the tricksters go away with a smile. I expected fog and cool here in the north, but it's very warm, about 25 deg - no rain for 3 years they tell me. The place is gearing up big time for the Commonwealth games next year - more serious than the London Olympics it seems.




The hotel is near the railway station, which means it's in a really old part of town - this is the real Delhi, with it's traders, street food sellers, and bikes, cars, tuk-tuks all making a racket. Strangely the hotel is a quiet Oasis, not many guests even though it's the high season, and 5 hotel staff to every guest by the looks of it.

Gandhi's last home is a very serene house and grounds. Here he received many visitors, including one in a crowd that gunned him down at the end of prayers.


After 2 tiring but exhilarating days in Delhi, it's an early morning start on the 6.00 train to Jaipur. Free tea, biks, and a free breakfast of veggie things - Virgin trains could learn a lot from these guys. Settling into the hotel... next blog in a couple of a days..

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Photos

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The cat that's got the cream- Gary enjoys a thali in 'The Banana Leaf'

In the Park
Locals look and laugh at the bizarre western clothes of the Bromsgrove Gazette photographer.

Visiting child
At Hanayums tomb some visitors prefer the culture pick-me-up of 'Bingo'

India Gate
High state of alert, scene of a terrorist attack in the heart of Delhi 2 years ago.

Raj
Raj, our Delhi fixer with his wonderful Ambassador taxi.

Cool morning
Keeping one's head warm wouldn't be quite right without a Vivienne Westwood creation.

Rail to Jaipur
Mum and children on the way to school by the railway track

Gandhi's Museum
Where Gandhi was gunned down.