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Published: July 28th 2009
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So a bit late on the updates,
So the adventure in Delhi started in the airport, I had paid an outrageous amount to stay at a place in Old Delhi just so I can have a airport pickup and not have to deal with touts right away as I heard in Delhi there a bit relentless. The only thing is when I got out of the airport and searched for my name, NADA! I was getting a bit worried slash pissed since I didn't have their number/lonely planet or anything for that matter. I had to call home to get my sis to check my email and get the number so I can call them. When I called they said they couldn't arrange one since I told them too late, a bit peeved I waited in line at the prepaid taxi. People were coming up left and right trying to charge 700 rupees ($16) for a ride that should only cost around 220. I was second in line and then the guy comes up and says he's been waiting. BULLSHIT but oh well I was on my way to the hotel with an extra $26 added on thanks to a
few extra phone calls.
The first night I stayed in Old Delhi which is about 20 minutes away from New, I don't really know the diff but I was close to the Red Fort which was sweet. I saw it from the rooftop restaurant but never quite made it there. After a short kip I went to grab something to eat, everything is vegetarian here so not too much choices, I had aloo parantha which is kinda like a potato-roti quesadila. They had a travel office located downstairs so I just went in for a gander trying to figure out prices. I had already knew how much things should roughly be. But after talking with the bloke I could tell he was the touts of touts, he tried to charge me 15,000 rupees ($418) for a transportation and accommodation for a trip that should cost maybe $100. I knew not to book but I played along. So note to fellow travelers don't stay at Hotel Tara Palace, even though its the first one that comes up on google its a big overpriced shame.
After I went searching for the markets the bloke had told me about, but after
walking and almost getting run over a bunch of times I turned around. Oh this was the first time that I saw a cow on the street - I thought they were just joking but its oh so real. Oh Ya! Its also true that they guys hold pinkys here, quite a scene. After a bit of walking around and taking a few photo ops I couldn't find any restaurants per say that were 'delhi belly' safe so I settled on mackers! I got a McVeggie Pop (Pizzapop) and an Aloo Burger, again no meat! There wasn't really too much to see so I headed in for the night.
The next day I made up a lie so they would grab me a taxi to another hotel in the main bazaar and not overcharge me. This time I stayed at a really nice place a bit pricey 1100 rupees ($25) but they didn't have anything cheaper and I was just staying there 2 nights. Food at the roof top restaurant was delicious and full of meat, lush chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, chilli chicken. This place also had a travel agency so I went to check it out. The
same trip to Agra with the first place that was going to cost 3000 rupees only cost 550 here so I knew this place was a score. I also managed to grab a lonely planet for $12 which was sweet. Note to fellow travelers if you can get yourself to a touristy area you could normally pick up a lonely planet for $10 saving yourself the $45 price tag back at home.
Later on I grabbed a ricksaw to the market, Sarjoini Nagar (or something like) It was suppose to have good western clothes for cheap. When I first arrived I thought I'd been had I saw nothing of the sort. But after some walking around I found some really cool stuff. I did restrain myself as I had no room what so ever in my suitcase and wasn't about to ship more things back. I ended up buying a pair for Paul Smith shoes which were lush for $30. The roaming sales people here are relentless they would wait outside the store until you come out to try and sell you I ended up buying a couple things for a total of $4 just so they'd promise me
they'd stop hassling me I've never had to do this before but its actually ridiculous here. I headed in after that for an early night as I had to wake up at 6am for the bus to Agra.
The next morning started good, I sat next to this lady who I then figured out owned the bus we were on. She was really kind and pointed out tourist attractions along the way. She even bought be breaky!. We talked for a couple of hours and then she left me 😞, 2 seats to myself I was in for a treat especially in India, didn't last quite long as this India father who was sitting with his wife and 2 kids on a 2 seater paid to sit next to me which was no biggie until later on.
The first stop was the Red Fort which was a big gigantic huge red fort. The entrance fees were ridiculous, Indians paid 20 rupees and everyone else 300. I tried to say I was Indian but it didn't quite work out. The next 2 stops were useless 'shopping at my cousin' and food stops. What can you expect its India. After
a couple hours we headed to the Taj. The bus tour guy was a con artist he wanted me to pay 500 rupees so I can get in under a 20 rupee ticket a '250 discount' he called it. I wasn't going for it cause I was pretty sure it was 500 rupees anyways. Long story short it was 750 but he tried to make myself and 2 other England-Indians who really looked and spoke the part pay 500. We weren't having it so we paid the full 750 to spite him.
The Taj was amazing! I actually felt giddy walking up to it, I mean you see it in pictures and hear about it all the time but when you see it first hand its just unbelievable. Took all the typical pictures and just sat for a bit watching it. Went inside but it wasn't what I expected, didn't really know what I expected but it was pretty blah. The outside though was lush! After that we left to go to another 2 necessary stops. The touts here are relentless they want to sell you useless things like whips :S.
Needless to say here is when the
journey got a bit rough, another 8 hours - I really just wanted to head back, but I guess you get what you pay for. The bloke sitting next to me turned into him and his kid which made for a very rough ride home. Oh what I forgot to tell you the 'Tourist' bus we were on was not exactly the tourist bus I had in mind. With India's 1.3 billion people some of them are tourists too - so needless to stay there was just 2 other Western folk on the bus. We got back at 2am and after a much needed shower I passed out.
Up next: Rishikesh
xx
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Niraj
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Needs Help
Hey Krish , if you need nay help let me know.