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Published: August 16th 2008
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Well, I have arrived. Actually, I arrived a while ago but it has taken me a while to update this site due to some communications problems here in Delhi. Yesterday was independance day, and due to the holiday communications have been shut down in order to prevent potential terrorist communications (or so I was told).
I got here on the 14th around noon, and after a hair rasing cab ride and some wandering around I managed to get checked into my hotel by around 3:30 p.m. I basically just crashed right away since I hadnt slept on the planes at all. The next morning I though I would head out to Connaught place and see if I could make my way around to some of the sights. I was in for a bit of a surprise..... I realized that things here were going to be a lot different here from the way they are at home; however, I dont think I was prepared for just how different everything is. The sky, the traffic, the weather, etc... its all different. Every last thing is different.
I walked a few blocks from my hotel and realized that I was basically lost.
There was a young Indian girl getting out of a rickshaw and I decided to ask her for directions to the outer circle. Instead of pointing me in the right direction she basically took me by the hand and showed me how to ride the metro telling me exactly where to get off, and what station to ask for on my return trip. I was extremely thankful for the help.
So I made it to the outer circle only to find all the shops closed. Strange I thought, but I instead kept walking and made my way to the inner circle. Everything was closed there as well. Not sure what was going on I found a rickshaw driver and asked what time the shops would open. "Nothing will be open today sir, today is a holdiay" was the reply that I recieved. And that truly was the case. No shops, phone stations, or internet access was open or was likely to open all day, so at the drivers suggestion I hired him for a couple of hours to take me to some sights that he assured me would be open during the holiday. First stop was a nearby Hindu temple. It was absolutely spectacular, and pretty much the only truly peaceful place I would see all day. I was given an excellent tour, and a who's who regarding Hindu gods and goddesses, before I decided to move on.
Next I went to Talkatora garden where I went for a quick walk under the trees. There was a group of young boys practicing their cricket skills with their father, and several couples sitting quietly under trees. It wasnt exactly peaceful though as there were large groups of people gathered everywhere. I wasnt there too long and some people came up and urged me to join their celebration. People started handing me food and asking me a million questions. It was really nice, and everyone made me feel really welcome. It was also over too soon as the rickshaw driver soon found me a told me it was time to move on.
Next stop was the India gate where the driver took me as close as we were allowed to go. There were armed military officers all over the place due to the holiday and I wasnt able to get as close to it as I would have liked. The driver happily took my picture on the side of the road with the gate in the background though before I asked him to take me back to my hotel. Instead of taking me to my hotel however, he began taking me to trinket shops that magically were open during the holdiay (I thought everthing was closed?). I didnt get mad, and just went with the flow. I didnt buy anything and eventually he took me back to Paharganj and my hotel.
I spent that afternoon talking to the hotel manager and he gave me a crash course in how much to pay for what, and some things he thought I should go and see while I was here. We spent several hours chatting and eventually he led me up to the hotel roof. Pointing to the sky there were thousands of kites, and people all over neighboring rooftops. Part of the holidays tradition includes kite flying, and the sky was just littered with them. We spent a while longer talking before I decided to get some sleep. I still havent adjusted my sleep schedule to the time difference yet.
Today I decided to get out of Delhi. Its just a bit to hectic here for me right now so I decided to start my journey north. I managed to solve the prblem of walking to the train station without getting run over, and instantly I was confronted with a new set of problems. Booking a train ticket as a foreigner is not as easy as one might think. Luckily a Frenchman came over and showed me how to fill out the forms and get everything set up to make a reservation. 150 rupees later and I booked a reservation in a sleeper class train from the Old Delhi railstation to Haridwar, a 7 hour journey north of here. Feeling like I actually accomplished something, I decided to get some breakfast and then grab a rickshaw to the National Museum. I managed to spend six hours there today, and I dont think I saw half of what it had to offer. It was absolutely spectacular. Artifacts from the Indus Valley civilazation dating back to 3000 BC to 18th, and 19th century arms and armor and everyhing in between. On my way back from the museum I managed to stumble onto this hole in the wall internet cafe and to my surprise its working!! So I have spent the last hour and a half checking my mail, replying to messages, and adding this entry. I have a bunch of pictures to upload but you will all just have to wait. This connection is really slow, and I need to get going in order to get checked out of my hotel and off to the train station. Over the next few days I will get back online and upload some of my pictures.
To be honest, I think I am starting to get over the instant shock and fright of arriving in such an alien place to me. So far I have been treated extremely well by everyone who's path I have crossed and whenever I answer the question "where are you from?" with the country Canada people always give me a big smile. I cant wait to see what Haridwar and Rishikesh are like, and as I said, I will update this journal with some pictures once I have settled in there.
Cheers from India,
Vince
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anonymous
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Assuming that you will be coming back to Delhi don’t miss the following Qutub Minar , Humayun’s Tomb , Red Fort, Jama Masjid , Lotus temple ,Akshardham Temple and Lodhi Gardens. The first 3 are unesco world heritage sites. Akshardham is the largest Temple complex in the world . Lodhi garden is an oasis in the middle of the City - A wooded park littered with archaeological ruins. Lotus temple is a lotus shaped marble temple similar to the Sydney Opera house but larger. You can visit Red fort and Jama Masjid in Old Delhi by taking the metro from Paharganj to Chandni Chowk and walking to these sites .All the other sites You can visit by hiring a full day taxi or autorickshaw . Ask your hotel to fix it up. A taxi should be a round 800 rs and an auto around 300 rs.