23rd January
After a snow-heavy drive for the last hour, we arrived at a huge (800 bedrooms) Holiday Inn at Heathrow. The snow continued to the point we were mighty relieved at 5.20 the next morning we were only a short hopper drive away from Heathrow’s T2.
Smooth flight delivered us to a smog choked Delhi and car jammed roads, even at 11.30 pm on a Wednesday. Compensation was our delightful female driver – the travel agents use “Women on Wheels” for their airport taxi pick-ups etc, a charity set up to encourage women to stand up to the traditional Indian inferior female roles. Not only was she super friendly but also a great driver amidst the seemingly imminent crash environment. She even cut up a police car with flashing lights!
Tomorrow will reveal (or not) the infamous smog and nitrous oxide skyline and fumes of this huge city. Its population is currently an estimated 18.6 million, nope change that to 25 million (Lonely Planet). It includes at least four former cities, as each new ruler has stamped his city footprint. And a gleaming metro system to outshine the tuk tuks, cycle rickshaws, motorbikes and scooters, not to mention cars, vans, buses, coaches and lorries, all hell bent on watching the front of their vehicles and ignoring the rear, Hyde Park corner style driving ad extremens.
And Thursday turned out to be sunny, at least until about 4pm when rain showers visited. We have walked, metroed (£5 for a three day tourist card), tuk tukd x3 for an exhausting day. Much of the area beside the river Yamuna is seriously fenced off for the next four days in readiness of the India Day march on 26th January. Prime Minister Modi entertains Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s President, whilst the Indian armed forces apparently parade for only a ticketed audience. And to gain a ticket you have to be an invited VIP or a local resident. So we saw nothing other than the distant outside of The Red Fort, The India Gate and various other famed buildings. We did see the house of Mahatma Ghandi and that of Indira Ghandi and her son Ranjiv Ghandi, all assassinated last century (I remember, but some of our readers I suspect will not).
There are many police, it seems, everywhere, with fierce weaponry, and serious body and bag searches before you can enter the museums and even the metro. And we have been warned many times already about hanging on to bags, phones, etc. to prevent their theft; we’ve not been here 24 hours ….. This city is full of risk takers.
It is also full of sales people. If some of our forays to Turkey, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya et al have felt oppressive because it seems all are hawking their wares all the time and everywhere, they’ve just been our learning. This class-ridden country has its capital city proving its class system extends to its hawkers. Beggars in the street – men, women and children, many with limbs missing or other disatbilities – up to too persistent haughty shop keepers, all are ‘on the make’, as in doing their utmost to let you part with some of your cash.
And then you see an elephant laden with cut branches, crossing a frantic traffic junction; monkeys chasing each other over tarpaulin or plastic market stall roofs and chipmunks darting up trees, bushes and walls next to the chock-a-block highways. A city of contrasts.
First curry today, recommended by the most persistent of our tuk tuk drivers; just excellent, every single part, in a restaurant outside the Khan Market, Delhi’s foodies’ favourite, apparently.
Chris & Kath's Travel Time 