Location: New Delhi
I'm leading with this story to get it out of the way. I don't want this to be an "I'm so precious" whingey-whiney, moany-groany daily recap.
But seriously, Room 503 has NOT been kind to us.
At 3:30 this morning I was jolted out of sleep by the rolling sound of thunder and absoluelty torrential rain. It sounded like someone was outside pouring out buckets of water. A definite match for what my imagination would conjour as monsoonal rain.
And I was choking - couldn't get my breath. There was a stench in the room that was simply overwhelming. It didn't smell like rotting food or off meat or a crusty old bin. It was just so very unique. It was heavy and putrid and just on a new level of stench. Had a drink of water to try and clear the "taste" of the smell. There was something off in Delhi! And for those thinking we were responsible for that smell - nope - this was bigger than us , it was literally DELHI.
Decided that because I was awake I might as well make a toilet stop. Was settled on the loo (here we go .. another toilet story) and I felt four streams of water dripping onto me from above - one clipping my shoulders, one dead centre on the top of my head and two into my lap. No joke, the roof of the bathroom was leaking. I convinced myself that the leak was emanating from the toilet which would have been above me on level six.
It was a mightmare - but even worse because I was awake and this was real!!!
I needed a good wash and some disinfectant and felt that deploying an umbrella might be a solution moving forward.
Of course in the day light hours, @Mac determined it was "only" the overhead vent leaking - which we duly reported to the Front Desk. We had water pooled on the tiled floor and the backup toilet rolls were thoroughly drenched. What an encore from 503.
TODAY'S HIGLIGHTS
Breakfast and getaway
Made it to breakfast and were able to put together sensible choices from the wide selection of Indian and Western offerings. Mind you , we had worked up a great appetite because the lift in the hotel was out of order (of course it was!) Made our way down the six flights of stairs and managed to chat with a few other visitors on a different #Tripadeal tour.
With tummies loaded, and the lift thankfully working, we retrieved the backpack and joined the group for our day exploring the many different faces of Delhi, both old and new.
Our 50 minute peak hour traffic commute back onto the city was fascinating. The traffic chaos and side walk antics of the locals just going about their daily lives would easily have been enough- but combined with @Vishal's expert commentary that covered the history, development and emergence of an independent India - this was our very own five star documentary.
We had a time capsule lesson that included the influence of the Muslim Dynasty of the Mughals in the 1500s, the importance of the Aryan Civilisation, the influence of the British and the subsequent fight for independence and the 7 time reconstruction of Delhi to bring us to a modern day India with a mind blowing population of 1.4 billion.
23 million of these reside in Delhi and I think we encountered most of them today in our peak hour crawl.
Gosh, the streets were chaotic and quite frankly, perched in the privileged comfort of our 20 seater air conditioned luxury coach for our outer western suburb commute, they could be described as downright filthy.
Rubbish and debris, housing/buildings complete and incomplete and stained with mould, markets and stalls operated from pristine shops or derelict makeshift lean toos, electric rickshaws, buses, metro rail, motor cycles, push bikes and cars in every stage of disrepair, cows, monkeys, dogs, cats and squirrels and every other motorised moving thing or living thing was twisting and weaving and honking or just standing in or wading through pooled water on nearly flooded streets. It was mind blowing.And the marked lanes of the highway were really just a token gesture for funnelling the traffic - where there were two marked lanes at least three lanes of traffic formed.
Washing seemed to be hanging everywhere - on trees, on fences, out of windows. And there must have been al whole laundry progressive dance underway because there were bursts of rained alternated with periods of fine weather. On the Rickshaw Ride later in the morning we spotted one shop with three wash buckets outside and watched the team wash the dishes and cooking pots and the clothing by hand on the footpath. We think they were using separate buckets. Not sure
Today's Highlights
Some discussions to build understanding of the people of India by @Vishal while we were in the bus.
a. The mother tongue is Hindi although everyone we have come in contact with speaks English. Children learn both languages at school as the joint official languages. There are 272 regional languages and 1800 dialects.
People folĺow Hinduism (1800 - 1500 BCE started by a nomadic tribe called Aryans.) They found land on banks of Indus River that was very fertile amd settled in the area (Indus Valley Civilisation.) Alexander the Great mentioned them in his his writings as the region of "Hindu Kush."
b. Understanding the home
95% of India's population follow the Hindu way of life - which is based on the idea of "doing the good deeds" towards the whole world. There is also a belief in rebirth (for humans) and reincarnation (for the Gods.)
Every (traditional) home is based on an extended family. The elders of the household have a small shrine that has pictures of gods or deities and incense is burned to start the day. Each a fresh meal is prepared for everyone in the family amd the first portion of the meal is made as an offering to the Gods. If a cow or a beggar or a bird etc appears on your doorstep, a portion of the fresh meal is offered. During at least two meals a day the family members joins together to enjoy a meal together. This is a time to share all the highs and lows of the family's life.
c. A minority with significant influence
Sikhs started in the late 15th century as a blend of Islam and Hindi and found their roots in a "community kitchen " based on brotherhood, compassion and generosity. The Sikhs call their faith "The way of the guru." Its origins started with 10 spiritual gurus - the last of the 10 gurus announced that he would be "the last." An incredibly fascinating history surrounds this highly respected minority group - a few more documentaries are needed.
d. Pervasiveness of the man small in statue but big in humanity
@Vishal made constant and connected references to Mahatma Ghandi sometimes promoted by one of the impressive statues or by an event in the history of India's journey to modern day independence. His leadership of the civil rights movement through his non violent struggle for independence meant there were plenty of stories to tell.
@Vishnal's stories began with the 24 day day Salt March that Ghandi led in his attempt to abolish the stranglehold of British rule and ended with Ghandi's assassination.
Ghandi spent his last 144 days in Delhi before his assassination, and lead his local community in prayer each evening. On 30th January 1948 two people knelt in the prayer group with him, pulled out a gun and shot him.
Another little taster to tease interest in learning more!
Places visited
A. Jama Masjid - the mosque
First the Fort was constructed (currently under reconstruction and clised so we are not visiting) the the mosque was subsequently constructed as a place to pray with the people. Built on a high rise for shelter from flooding it was built by the same Moghul who constructed the Taj Mahal and it is the largest mosque in India.
its familar layout with soaring minarets and decorative Arabic mottifs and designs has a courtyard that can hold 25 000 worshippers. Of course, we were making our visit in the a break between the five daily calls to prayer time in the public viewing times.
And yes, dressing up was required. Shoes had to be removed which made for a very slippery traverse over both the red sandstone and marble tiles. Men had to cover their legs and ladies had to done the compulsory full length dress. @Mac opted to wrap his sarong over his man bag and elicited lots of chuckles for his "new look" midsection profile.
This established the basic routine of the day - shoes off, layers on, a guided walk to give some insights and a little snippet of "free time."
B. Rickshaw Ride through Chandni Chowk
This enabled a close up view of the ramshackle markets housed in the laneways and back streets. Yep, it was two on board and then a diminutive pedal person to provide the power to get that little vehicle through the gaps along the route. We received heavy warnings here about protecting our personal belongings and everyone in the group completed the activity without loss. There is no denying it was handwork for our diminutive drivers - on an incline we even offered to get out and push but he responded "Thank you - but I've got it." Many of the other group members had to get out of their carriages and walk a little.
There was a rhyme and reason to the disorganisation - each section of the market specialised in something - it might be electronics, car parts, books, jewellery, food, clothing. Yoy could see this specialisation but were constantly wondering how this worked. The streets were flooded and the locals were making vain attempts to divert the water and the apparent success of the overhead wiring in delivering electricity in such a tangle remains a mystery! At one stage we did have a little wonder about electricity and water not being friends and were sort of relieved we didn’t have to get out and stand in the water.
It was chaotic but the rain had stopped and we gasped our way through near misses, crazy swerving, unexpected braking stops. Loved the experience and only had one little bingle in our ride and with the tone of the exchange between pedal-er and the other driver we were relieved we didn't speak Hindi or one of its 1800 dialects.
C. Ghandi Gardens
Beautiful grounds that host thousands of visitors per day paying homage to Mahatma Ghandi. Lush carpets of green grass, walkways, shrubs and trees all lovongly tended.
There were ladies pulling the weeds from the carpet of green - I definitely felt an affinity.
The centre piece was a simple black platform, adorned with floral displays that are refreshed daily with a backdrop of an eternal flame. The walkway was lined with quotes from Ghandi. It was a simple, beautiful setting in perfect communion with nature absolutely reflective of the peaceful, yet powerful endeavours of Ghandi.
D. Sikh House and Community Kitchen
This one definitely involved dressing up and there was also washing of the feet at in the holy water on entry. All needed scarf head covering (I had my own) and men and women need their legs covered - I had long black pants on but @Mac had to don the "not quite long enough" little tartan number.
It was then time for a leisurely lunch before returning to more footwork .
E Laxminarayan Temple
G. Bahai lotus temple
Last stop of the day before the battle through peak hour traffic to get home.
There was also a lengthy introduction in two languages which meant by the time we entered we had four minutes to complete the sprint back to the group meetup. At 4:58 we were admitted but at 5:00pm all exits were locked because there was a reading of the holy scriptures. @Mac tried to get us out of the exit doors but the keeper was "keeping" and wouldn't budge on letting us through and we did a skidding U-Turn to dash back to the entry and squiggle our way out through the oncoming queues. We did not in any way encapsulate the spirit of quiet meditation!
Calling it a day
There was absolutely no interest from us in food - our lunch time bonanza was enough. But we were a bit partial to a cold drink (minus the ice of course) and settled in with the group for a rowdy evening of shared stories, incredible coincidences of shared connections and the creation of our "What'sAPP" group for stronger connections in the future through the obligatory sharing of photos.
This photo sharing is very handy, perhaps best amplified by the following tow photos. I had begged @Mac to get me a photo at one of the road stops of the cow and calf dominating traffic. Exhibit A is his effort. Thank goodness for photo sharing in the app, because Exhibit B is the same cow, from the same intersection, at the same time from Sue who was seated in front of us.
Spot the "cow" from @Mac's angle - my begged for pic for the highlights reel
A full day - but a great day as our introduction to the incredible diversity and contrast that is India. Very appreciate of a great guide! A little less footwork tomorrow - it is a repositioning day.
Weather: 33, early morning thunderstorms and intermittent rain clearing in the afternoon. Hot and steamy.
Steps: 14 217 in wet conditions - many in @Mac's dream of #barefeet
Health Check: continued perfection!
Accommodation: Hotel SK Premium Park, New Delhi - staff are great, breakfast and evening bar access hit the spot
Enjoying the bar with tthe Indian Trippers
On the Menu
Enjoyed an amazing lunch with spice choices, loads of breads, rice, condiments, a generous long Island iced tea for @Mac and a new beer for me. Glorious setting, incredible wait staff and delicious food.
Will need to remove the table below because it can't be edited on the phone - tried lots of local stuff today - here's hoping the probiotics are on guard!
|
✔ |
Biryani |
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Madras Curry |
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Rogan Josh |
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Chapati |
|
|
Butter Chicken |
|
Mutter Paneer |
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Saag Paneer |
|
Dal |
|
|
Chat |
✔ |
Naan |
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Samosas |
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Keema |
|
|
Dosa |
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Papadum |
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Tandoori Chicken |
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Pakora |
|
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Gulab Jamun |
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Paratha |
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Tikka Masala |
✔ |
Pasanda |
|
|
Korma |
✔ |
Raita |
|
Vindaloo |
|
Lassi |
Straight from the itinerary:
After breakfast, enjoy a city tour of old and new Delhi. The tour will take in Raj Ghat (where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated), Red Fort (made famous by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan) and Jama Masjid (the largest mosque in India) which has three great gateways, four angled towers and two minarets constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. Also enjoy a rickshaw tour through Chandni Chowk, a colourful shopping bazaar in Old Delhi.
Next, travel to Laxminarayan Temple, a site dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and good fortune. You’ll also witness the India Gate, a 42-metre high war memorial and stone of triumph. The tour continues with a visit to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the palace-like building home to the President of India. Your remaining day is at leisure
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