India to Dubai

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10/06/14



Today we left Agra at the reasonable time of 8:30 a.m. heading by coach to Delhi, a trip of some 200 K’s that took four hours. The reason for this is that even though we drove on a new 6 lane freeway, the speed limit for buses is only 60K’s an hour. However no one sticks to the speed limit because even as the toll road is privately owned and policed no one is booked, due to the fact that authorities believe that if they book someone that person will not use the toll road again. Buses are governed to 90K’s an hour but with tolls toilet breaks etc. it takes four hours to get to Delhi from Agra. The toll booths are manned with boom gates so you can imagine how long it takes to go through the three tolls on the freeway. We then had to pay another toll as we approached Delhi. Picture the traffic entering the U.S.A. from Mexico, and you would have an idea of how chaotic it is.

Delhi with a population of some 20 million has 7 million cars on the roads and a further 1,000 cars coming onto the roads each day, the government is trying to build new roads and freeways to cope but it is a long and slow process.

We passed on the way in to Delhi, a family consisting of the mother with three daughters and one son, who were crossing the freeway, carrying loads of grass. Our guide told us that India is a male dominated society and as such the women do most of the work, they all were carrying the grass on their heads except the young boy who was sauntering along without a care in the world.

India is the largest democracy in the world with 800 million eligible voters, the Prime Minister Mr. Modi who was recently elected has great plans to make India a world power, and one of his plans include the construction of 100 new cities in India, plus water conservation, jobs, the environment etc. Much like our politicians at home!! On the outskirts of Delhi there is a new privately owned state of the art formula one racing track that has just been built, looked very impressive from the roadway. The amount of high rise buildings going up is unbelievable, there must have been close to 100 tower cranes in operation, on our approach to Delhi.

This afternoon we embarked on a rickshaw ride through old Delhi which has been rebuilt 7 times over the centuries. This area covers only 2 square miles and yet has a population of over 300,000 residents. Some of the shops are magnificent you would have to have a brave soul to venture into the dental surgeries we saw in Old Delhi.



11/06/14

Last day in India, our accommodation in Delhi and Agra was magnificent, we stayed in the most lavish hotels that have been on a par with the best hotels we have rested in in the world including Times Square New York, London etc. But it was great to get back to our little cabin on the Dawn Princess, in Dubai. The flight was uneventful 2 and a half hours and wound the clocks back 1 and a half hours. India for the size of the country only has one time zone, amazing when you consider the size of the country. It was great to leave the 48 degree heat in Delhi and arrive to 50 degree heat in Dubai, as we are so experienced in overseas travel two degrees is not much, to intrepid hardened warriors as Colleen and myself. The difference betwen the two countries is unimaginable Dubai, clean, green, no street rubbish, no beggars just beautiful, and India well better left unsaid. Don’t get me wrong the experience was well worth it, it is just sad that there is so much poverty and the gap between the rich and poor is incredible. Our guide told us that an Indian man who is a steel baron residing in London, paid 25 million pounds for his daughters wedding in France, the gap between the rich and poor is criminal.



We were going to go ashore tonight to watch the light display, but too tired so we will venture out into the heat tomorrow.

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Photos

Cows Breaky
Taken in Delhi I thought cows were vegetarian, I guess that is why they are sacred no wants to eat them

Agra fort
Old fort in Agra very large and quite a sight from the outside.

balloon ride
Need I say anymore, actually I can't take the credit for this photo it was in the local rag, highlighting the dangers of bike riders and their pillion passengers

Dinner dance Agra
A dancing troupe put on a display for us at dinner at the Seheraton Hotel in Agra.