Looking Round Delhi

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What a contrast, New Delhi with its clean wide tree lined avenues and pristine government buildings and Old Delhi, which being complimentary is a slum! where seemingly millions of people cling on to a pathetically poor existance living with their pigs and cattle in the most appalling open sewered streets. Cripples, beggars and women with countless children all begging for whatever they can get.
I saw men and women openly urinating in the narrow open sewers which they call streets, and pigs and cattle feeding for what they can get from the mountains of uncollected rubbish and men walking round with rustly old rifles presumably for either crime or protection.
Every type of shop and business seems to be present from barbers shops consisting of a chair and a mirror hung from a tree to butchers where the fly ridden corpses of unidentifiable animals hung waiting to be purchased. Strangley among all this squaller you could see a business selling computers and several internet cafes. Its not possible to give a true picture other than to say it was frightening, filthy and busy.
Ragut, my driver commented that 'In India many people die from the heat, the cold, from earthquakes and disease, but nobody dies from lack of food" and this was born out by the multitude of shops cooking and selling all manner of muticoloured foods- it made your mouth water-but as Ragut said it would make your bottom very sore.

We were very fortunate on our visit to be able to enjoy the dress rehearsal for the forthcoming Independance day parade. We watched it from the presidents podium and probably had a better view than anybody would have on the actual day. The parade started at the Presidents fabulous mansion went past the government buildindgs and down a long straight avenue to their first world war memorial called India Gate which resmbles the Menin Gate in Belgium. We saw brigades of of troops riding brightly decorated camels and elepephants and superb horsemen riding the most imaculate horses and carrying the most fearsome looking lances.. Proud regiments of both male and female soldiers in full dress uniforms and accompanied by many different types of military band faultlessly marched passed us in perfect time. There were many colourful floats depicting all of India but best of all were the children wearing multi coloured regional costumes and singing and dancing with the most engaging smiles on their faces. The last part of the parade consisted og the police riding their Royal Enfield motor bkes and performing the most incredible feats of balance, often with up to 20 men on 2 or 3 bikes.

More to follow!

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