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Published: June 17th 2007
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Main Bazaar Resident
I'll try the beef, thanks. Well I made it to India! But I confused my times and didn’t realise I was arriving at 02:00am Ahhh Shiiitt!!.
So at about 3:00 am when I passed through customs. I hadn’t slept and I didn’t have a hostel booked, so instead of trying to brave Delhi airports infamous transport hub in the pitch black, whilst being hungry and sleep depraved. I instead collected my bag, strapped it on, and felled myself in a corner of the arrivals lounge with my alarm set to wake me at 5:30 am. I didn’t get much sleep as I woke every 15 minutes as a new wave of people crushed toward immigration, but it was better than nothing, and at least when I left the airport the sun was starting to rise.
I ran the taxi driver gauntlet (400 RPS) and made it to the public bus area, 50 RPS for the 1.5 hours to the city center, that’s more like it. But once I waded through generations of families and their luggage to the very last vacant seat, I was not so sure I had elected the right method into town, as I noticed painted on the back of every
Back of Public Bus Seat, Delhi.
"LOOK UNDER YOUR SEAT THERE COULD BE A BOMB, RAISE ALARM,EARN REWARD." passenger seat, a rather ominous message "LOOK UNDER YOUR SEAT THERE COULD BE A BOMB RAISE ALARM EARN REWARD"……… But by that time I had started to digest that statement, the bus was off and my decision to stay was made for me!
I was headed for the Paharganj, the small and frenzied suburb; defending New Delhi from Old. I arrived and thankful to get off the bus, I trudged my way down the small constricting alley of the Main Bazaar, the sheer enormity of the mass of people surrounding me was overwhelming. But as I avoided, people, cars, trucks, rickshaws and more there was one more distinctly new obstacle for me to evade.
Cows! Cows everywhere. It is the bizarrest thing, walking through India’s capital seeing Street vendor, Internet café, bus, COW! They didn’t seem to belong to anyone they just wander the streets and do as they like.
Anyway after successfully dodging all the local fauna I made it to a hostel, and after going through the now very familiar exercise of stowing all my gear, I got some well-deserved sleep.
I woke around 12:00, now refreshed and eagerly anticipating what awaited me outside… India!
Red Fort Pilgrimage .
Sunday at the Red Fort, Delhi. More specifically Delhi; a true sensory assault, the sights, sounds and smells all meld together creating an overpowering aura of excitement. Moreover Delhi exudes the complexities, contradictions, beauty and the vitality of a city where the past coexists with the present, most clearly portrayed by the dichotomy of New and Old Delhi. Many dynasties have ruled from Delhi thus leaving the city rich with histories monuments. One of which was my first port of call.
The Red Fort, the Red Fort was the palace for Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad. It gets its name from the massive wall of red sandstone that defines its eight sides. Over the last 400 years it has been occupied and looted by many, including both the Persians and the British. Yet it is still a beautiful place, seemingly just a popular with the locals as the tourists. The walls of the fort are smoothly dressed and open at two major gates, the Delhi and the Lahore gates. The Lahore Gate is the main entrance, which sits adjacent to Chandi Chowk. The intricate chaos and the beating heart of Old Delhi, and is where I meandered away the rest of the day.
From
The Red Fort Mosque, Delhi.
The Red Fort Mosque, Delhi. the main street of Chandi Chowk wind infinite unnamed alleys and streets which make up Old Delhi. In these crowded lanes it truly feels as though the basic character of the city has not changed much over the centuries. It is still home to bustling bazaars selling all manner of spices, clothes and trinkets, people living on the streets and rampant poverty. This was both very challenging and confronting, but probably the best way to acclimatise to India’s extreme personal diversity. I returned exhausted from both the physical and emotional pressure applied from Old Delhi.
They next day I headed for New Delhi, searching for a little more civility. I divided my day between Connaught Place the administrative nucleus of the comparatively well planned New Delhi. India Gate the 42 m stone memorial, commemorating the ninety odd thousand Indians who died in WWI, and Lodi Garden which houses the crumbling tomb and Mosque of Mubarak Shah Ibrahim Lodi, a Persian who seized the throne in 1421 and began the aptly named Lodi Dynasty.
There was a drastically different feel between New and Old Delhi. New Delhi is the administrative nucleus of India; its comparative wealth ultimately just reiterated the unfortunate
Chandi Chowk Bazaar, Old Delhi
Clean water Chandi Chowk Bazaar, Old Delhi. poverty of its older brother. But if you can see past surface level, Old Delhi has diverse cultural elements absorbed into its daily life, leaving its character enriched from history. None the less, I feel two days in Delhi is enough for now, tomorrow I have a 6 am train to Agra.
P.S ‘Things I have learnt along the way’
1. McDonalds is an endless source of western toilets, hence the “McDump” when you cant handle the “Long Bombe r”
2. Don’t bother shaving, it just grows back.
3. Disabled toilets are a great place for a wash when in transit. Prime real estate; spacious enough to put your pack down, abundant handrails to hang your stuff on, and offer great seclusion, no bay views however.
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Toby
non-member comment
We are going to have to drink a few thousand beers to catch up properly on your adventures ...
Luke, you are simply excellent. All of your adventures in China sounded fascinating to me, but as you know I have a long standing interest in that country and it's history. However, in one blog you have sparked an interest in India where previously I was never particularly interested. The shot of the Lodi Garden Mosque looks intreguing, I would love to be there with you. Caroline and I just got back from France where we spent the weekend. We took the car on the channel ferry and drove along the coast visiting little french villages and winerys. Had dinner in the keep of a 13th century castle. In Italy again next month, Milan this time. So between us, we are going to have to drink a few thousand beers when you get to the UK in order to catch up on all of our adventures. Keep up the blogs, Caroline and I both read them and marvel. Speak soon. Toby