India’s not for me!

30/07/2010 by Russell.

Delhi – first impressions

Arriving blurry eyed may not be the best thing, but in short Delhi is nothing less than a tip, a building site, a mess, inhabited by tooting motorised vehicles.

I am staying at a small hotel in the Bazaar area, the street is littered with trenches, bricks rubble, cows (yes), rickshaws, dogs sleeping, electricity wiring from which shops hang their wares, dust, heat. Its horrible. I even went to Connaught Place, a tad more upmarket and it is all the same, trenches, roadworks, and general mess. They say it’s for the Commonwealth Games, this amount of work will not be finished. Women do hard labour here, pick axes in hand to dig trenches, concrete in a bowl balanced on their heads to be used on site. I too have seen the plastic sheeting for a house on the pavements., just a level or two down from a simple shack, there are corrugated shacks here too.

The pavements here are littered with rubble, you walk in the road to the constant backdrop of cars m/cycles, taxis tooting there horns at you – not to tell you off but as a warning to say I am here.

However, had my washing done within hours upon arrival, 220 rupees, that’s around ｣3. The heat is stiffling, you sweat as soon as you hit pavement level, it is monsoon season, but it wont change the heat.

Overall, not impressed, Africa was far more civilised in structure and meritocracy, here anything goes, have been hussled already and have to redeem myself tomorrow. Have booked a Rhajastan trip through an agent at ridiculous fees – 250quid. In some respects it gets me going bt it is 3 times over the usual rate. Never again.

Help! its like that programme ‘Get me outta here’ in the jungle, except this one is different -a concrete jungle. Not a happy bunny. I did eat a veggie curry though which was my only food today, and was served aniseed and sugar to clear my palette afterwards, very good. I have found a McDonalds, will be off their tomorrow! Also have no toilet paper, so have treated myself some luxury for bathroom duties.

Time here is 10.20pm, UK it is 5.50pm, a 4 and a half hour difference, for SA its 3.5hrs behind. Goodnight.

Day 2

Off to the agent to claim some money back, they are very reluctant to do so, was there cajoling them for ｽ an hour, in the end I managed to get ｣50 back and left in a huff. Hate the place. I was so stupid. Just like every other person who passes their door. The guide books forewarn you about such deals, but they focus on the Railway station area, which I was aware of. I went to Connaught place like the sensible citizen seeking the official tourist office, and got hoodwinked.

I hate this place, everyone wants to make money out of you, auto rickshaw drives, cycle rickshaws, shop owners etc. Don’t come to India unless you are prepared to withstand this pressure. I can’t, have no-one to bounce my thoughts off and of course no-one to share rickshaw costs. These are a must to get around. The distances are great – in Delhi it can be up to 10km away from one tourist highlight to another.

I managed to get to India Gate, the national war memorial, of course this was under renovation for the Commonwealth Games – 69 days away. If you look at any pics, you will see that the city will still be a building site. I will describe this later.

From India Gate, I was of course hustled for a ride in a rickshaw by several men, one of whom was Rakesh, a bit of a saviour in some respects. He took me round Delhi (for a fee of course).

Monday is when national monuments are closed, so some parts were shut, but went to places like Gandhi’s house, but not inside because of closures, where he was assassinated, The Presidential Palace and government buildings, to Lodi Park, the Lakshmi Narayan temple, this is without even seeing Old Delhi etc..

Rakesh took me around to some craft houses too, carpets were beautiful, ｣500 delivered made of goats hair from Kashmir…beautiful. I have arranged with Rakesh to meet him upon my return to Delhi

The holes in the road are not for the fainthearted, they are seemingly digging up the whole of Delhi for the commonwealth games. The Bazaar area in Paharganj (where I stayed) is like a war strewn area. Half buildings, cattle, unmade road, holes in the ground, rubble, no pavements, just a dirt track mainly, and this is a major thoroughfare. Connaught Place is the same, imagine Trafalgar square with roadworks and the chaos this would bring.

The proposed boxing arena is a 40foot crater ( no exaggeration) the tennis courts next door are built but the stadium has no seating or courts etc, just a concrete hulk. There is less than 69 days to go. The work is being completed by hand, not huge chunks of machinery are being used.

Day 3 – off to Agra (Taj Mahal)

Train departs at 8.40am, up at 7 to meet Rakesh to get to the station. He is an enormous help to get me to the right platform, the train is huge – say 15carriages – and I have a reserved seat. Beforehand Rakesh tells me of the scams of thieves, who will be eyeing me up, looking at me and even trading me to other thieves to see if they can pick my pocket somehow, get my luggage etc. I sat on the train like a cowering cat in my bunk. Luckily I had an Indian family who wanted to sleep in my shared bunks, so no-one could prowl the corridor and see that I was on my own, and hence a target.

I had two packets of crisps and water for breakfast, ever mindful of what goes in has to be clean and well cooked, otherwise, I know I am going to suffer.

Arrival, not bad, amid the usual hustlers, but find the pre-paid rickshaw booth to get me to me hotel in some back of beyond place. The driver(s) of course were glad to take me round the sights. I had a day, so no alternative and they of course forewarned me of talking to people in the road to the entrance to the Taj Mahal.

I entered by the Southern gate, through a courtyard on a cloudy humid day, and yet as everyone will tell you, the Taj takes on its own luminance, and this is true even on a dull day. Though I had my own thoughts about the Taj Mahal beforehand, Lady Diana, its size, pictures in books etc, it is truly a building of great balance. It is as tall as it is wide, each aspect of the building with its miniarettes is stunning. Crowded with tourists from India to Korea, it still thralls the crowds, everyone must have their picture taken with it. It is like your first kiss a special moment in time you need to capture and recall in the future. The detail of the building is excellent and inlaid with many semi precious stones. I guess at some stage you will not be allowed to go inside, although presently this must be done barefooted.

Was I awe struck? Perhaps not, because we have seen so much of the buildings presence on tv, magazines etc, however, undoubtedly an iconic building surviving from the 17^th century and it really does have an aura about it. Pity about the entrance fee of 750 rupees ( locals it is 20 rupees)

Afterwards my driver whisked me off for my first food of the day at about 3pm, an indian restaurant, where I am sure he receives commission. From here it was to the other notable cultural visit in Aggra, the red fort. It is exactly what it says on the tin, red. Made from sandstone, it was the Mughal stronghold for many generations. It is a vast castle, larger than say Windsor or Bamborough castle, larger than Chenonceaux on the Loire. Many sections built over different periods, and of course you can see the Taj Mahal in the distance. It is still full of hawkers in the lead up to the entrance.

I was ready for bed, but no had to visit carpet (again) and jewellery crafts. Again commission related. The carpet was a magnificent specimen, of 100% wool, and behaved like a silk magic carpet ( if you know what is meant by this, where the trick of light makes the carpet look lighter or darker depending on the knapp of the wool). This was only ｣335 delivered. Even better than Delhi. How can you say no, when you know this is a true bargain? I did, only just. I did take a pic and have his address detail to get one delivered in the future.

Back to hotel, to get up at 3.45 am for a train at 5.10am.

Agra to Jaipur

Journey by train in a comfortable seat and carriage occupied by many Europeans, although not a word was spoken between us all.

This journey was a bit of a revelation, once daylight had arrived. What I can only describe is now typical of the place.

People think nothing of walking across railway lines to get to a train, I saw smartly dressed school children walking right next to the track to get to school (a major Health and Safety issue in itself). I saw children and men defecating next to the railway line, people washing in brown dirty water, and cleaning their teeth in nothing more than a dirty puddle. Cattle ambled everywhere as usual. Women just standing in fields on their own about 20m away from the next woman in colours so rich that your eyes are blinded by their intensity against the green canvas of India, I was left wondering if this was their toilet. Camels pulling trailers as you would with a horse. Monkeys running on a railway station canopy.

I arrived 20mins late at 9.50am – long distances are covered here. The usual greetings of offers of help, but managed to find a soldier to ask about pre-paid rickshaws, and had an altercation with an indian who kept interrupting, lost me cool there, but why don’t these people back off. There were 6 of these people hanging around me.

Had to get a new mobile, I have nobodies number now that I have lost my blackberry.

Hate this place, can’t wait to get out in August. Heat, humidity, clothes are filthy, food is spicy all the time, nothing plain for contrast, what do you eat? Have kept to potato dishes mainly for carbohydrate. Have got vitamin pills on the go, and use viral hand wipes and lotions all the time. I am not enamoured by the people on the make. I am too soft to say ‘no’ and need to haggle more, where is Greg when you need him?

29th July -

A bit better today, got my rickshaw driver from yesterday to take me to the Royal Palace in the Pink city (the ramparts/walls are pink)

again foreign visitors pay a high price to get in, but at least this was worth seeing, and even had the luxury of an audio tour around the palace.  A bit like any royal palace, costumes, paintings of family members, an old arsenal, carriages, but it is a splendid building.  It is a much more interactive and interseting place to look round than the iconic Taj Mahal, perhaps because there are many ornate and decorative aspects to the palace.  There are 2 large silver (guiness world record) water containers, standing about 4′ tall. They were used to carry water from India to the UK for King George 5ths coronation.  They are made from melted down coins.

The palace is still used todat by the royal family.  It has been beautifully kept and the coulours inside (not able to photograph) are all original with gold leaf etc.

From here it was over the road to the Observatory, ther were 5 such ones in India, they have sundials as large as houses here, accurate to within 2 seconds.  They can accurately line up the planets, the astrological signs are all present.  It is strange to think these were developed here 100 of years ago.

However, all the time you are reminded of the filth of India and conditions people work.

There is a ladypicking up garden refuse in the most beautiful clothes ever seen on a gardener, there is an old man breaking coal by hand and this is without even describing, pigs, cattle sleeping and eating in the streets. A dead pig lies abandoned, piglets in the street, goats and their young and men so thin to look at you are unsure of how they manage to stand on their feeble stilts (legs)

But within all this you come across hidden gems like the water palace, you can’t visit, but makes you think of the opulence of India in days gone by…

Taj Mahal

Bazaar st in Delhi

Me and my Taj souvenir

Amber Fort, looking down on Jaipur

Silver water container, Royal Palace, Jaipur  

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