Delhi

As mentioned in a previous post, we arrived on Republic Day, which had the knock-on inconvenience of alcohol ceasing to be served in restaurants and available in shops. Trust three Irishmen, on our first day in a country where drinking alcohol is not wholly acceptable, and on the one day of the year where it's not available, to ask the poor hostel clerk for a beer minutes after checking in. We got it in the end, but for an extortionate (we learned later) price. Rooftop terrace, 22 degrees, beer. Not bad so far.

Adjacent to our room was a travel agent/slimeball, We ended up hiring a driver to tour Delhi the next day through him, but mainly because we were too tired to look elsewhere, and it was very cheap. Our first night finished with a leisurely stroll, aided by the odd motorized rickshaw (three-wheeled micro-taxies). The highlight of this stroll (and of our time in Delhi), was India Gate (a Champs D'Elysee rivalling monument to Indian soldiers lost defending her), and the walk from the gate to the Royal Palace, beautifully illuminated with thousands of lights to celebrate Republic Day.

Our driver the next day didn't say to much, but unlike the agent we booked him through he was a genuine and amicable fellow, driving us to the big attractions of the city with little fuss. The huge Red Fort, and as imposing as it is impressive, was an instant highlight. The Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, was equally impressive, with a superb panoramic view of the city from one of it's towers. Last but not least was the Baha'i Temple, this one rivalling Sydney Opera House for aesthetic quality. I won't go into the history of these monuments, I'll leave that further investigation up to you.


Lotus Temple

We also had the first special moment of the trip in the park by the Raj Ghat (Ghandi's final resting place). John was working on an excellent sketch he did of the Jama Masjid, and it was luchtime for some nearby schoolkids. The picture tells the rest.



After a busy day's sightseeing we deserved a drink (we felt so anyway), so off we went in search of a watering hole. There are no bars here, just restaurants that serve alcohol. The Rough Guide to India was useful here, eventually we found a cheap backpacker joint near our hostel. On arrival we were led to our table as usual, when suddenly three waiters from upstairs (all the same restaurant) launched themselves from above and started shouting and arguing that upstairs was better. We stood there bemused, amused and thirsty. Upstairs promised us cheaper beer, so they won. The place was full of Westerners, with plenty of Western options on the menu. From what I can tell the Indian subcontinent seems to think that to the West they eat lots of banana pancakes. We stuck with the Indian options (they're too nice to ignore).

Back at our hostel after a few and not only did we have our first encounter with a fellow backpacker we also might have bagged a place to stay in Shanghai. Not a bad days work.



So Delhi: huge, filthy, overcrowded, chaotic, but very entertaining all the same. Onwards we go.

Ready, Steady, Delhi!

Where do I begin? Well, for those of you who were wondering whether we made it to India at all, I can assure you we're very much here. We're here, and we've already made good progress into northern India, with two cities down already. The first, our arrival port, and by far the biggest city we'll visit in India, was Delhi.

Circumstances meant I had a large amount of euro on me (€220) that I was unable to lodge before I flighted from Ireland, so I thought it'd be a good idea to get that changed into Indian rupees at the airport. I asked the cashier for “a few” small notes. I ended up getting a stack of notes thicker than the bible. Feeling like a millionaire (and a pickpocket's dream), I re-joined my fellow backpackers (John and Gearóid – you'll be hearing those names quite a bit) and we made for the city centre.

We arrived in India on Republic Day – one of two secular national holidays here – which was a big mistake. Not because everything was closed (enough was open to get by), but because we missed out on the huge parade through Delhi in the morning that has everything from elephants to nuclear missiles on show. It also meant our airport pick-up driver from the hostel was not in a good mood (no festivities for him either). He got us there in one piece though, and gave us our first thrilling impression of Indian driving. More on that in a later post..