India. Love it or hate it – it doesn't lend itself to something as boring as mere apathy. Nope, from walking the streets to negotiating with hotels, you bounce from emotional highs to lows with bewildering frequency. Even their signs tend to not be very PC:
And I was no different, after coming from super-mellow Nepal. Saying goodbye to Kathmandu was a bit sad, and I had a nice breakfast on a rooftop restaurant to take it all in one more time.
The flight over was fine – but did give me a foretaste of what India was about. A guy two rows back was playing his music... loudly. On portable speakers – not headphones. I admit I was a bit dumbfounded, even after seeing similar behavior on London's buses – but after awhile, I went over and asked if he could turn it down a bit. Sure. No sweat. Except, the volume crept right back up again – and didn't seem the least bit embarrassed about it.
The funny thing is that this wouldn't be a one-off... my impression is that being such a crowded country, Indians tend to not be as concerned with how their actions affect their neighbors. Whether it's parking your rickshaw and blocking traffic in the middle of the street to grab a coffee, or repeatedly trying to cut in front of you at whatever queue, I quickly picked up there is a distinct lack of empathy for how YOUR actions affect other folks.
This ain't to say that the Indians aren't nice, hospitable, or the like. They are. It's just this one facet of their behavior that would continually drive me crazy.
Right – enough whining. On with the show!
My flight got in, and I was greeted with a warm, nay, a HOT blast of air as I left the terminal. The hotel sent me a taxi and as we drove over to backpackers' ghetto of Paharganj, I'd learn that the temperature was around 45 degrees (110 in Fahrenheit). Kee-razy.
Whoops – forgot to mention... leaving the airport, Nepalese security confiscated my roll of adhesive athletic tape. Why? It was a 'security risk' as someone conceivably could try to, um, strangle somebody with it? Weird.
The hotel was solid, and cheap for about $10, with the all important AC unit turning out to be a wee thing that couldn't put out more than a wisp of air. Come time for bed, and I'd be curled up as close to that precious bit of cold as I could!
Dinner was really good on another tall restaurant – with a very friendly waiter suggesting Kashmir rice instead of the boring old steamed rice I'd picked. Wow. What a good call – with fruit, raisins, nuts, and the odd bit of cheese, it was nearly a meal in itself and it was a long slow walk back to the hotel for bed.
The next day, I tried to hit the high points of Delhi. I walked over to the train station and got a ticket for the train to Agra the next day, then braved the walk to Old Delhi – whose crooked streets, heady scents, and all around chaos are a step up from British-designed NEW Delhi.
Heck. It's easier if I just start jotting down sights and impressions... India's too crazy for more organization:
*The streets of Old Delhi are very much part of the communal life, as people having dinner, shaving, and whatever are all taking place on the road.
*Trying to keep from getting lost is difficult – it's more fun to just go for it and see what happens.
*Eventually I found the Jamid Mosque – a massive red building that can seat up to 25,000 in its courtyard. You take your shoes off for respect, and the guy who watches them only grunts to locals, asking for tip – you think he's learn how to smile and say please, just out of self-interest and bigger tips?
*Passed through a local market, complete with a surprisingly large homegrown fireworks section.
*At this point, I needed a break so I dropped into McDonald's. The prospect of AC and an iced soda were too much to resist. One odd note – McD's does what it takes to adapt to local cultures... in this case, as Hindus hold cows sacred, there was no beef on the menu – only chicken. Plus, they strictly keep vegetarian and meat items separate.
*Back outside – I headed to the Red Fort, that symbol of Indian nationalism and pride. It's really really big, with 30 meter high walls. Unfortunately, there was a huge queue of Indians on their weekend – patiently waiting in the blazing sun, so I passed.
It was pretty funny though – as I was outside looking at my guide book, 4 separate Indian guys wanted their picture taken with me... sure, no problem, although for what reason, I couldn't guess.
*More impressions... cows rule the streets, wandering wherever they want, being touched for luck:
*Very few smiles in public and little courtesy, as you're bumped with no apology. In McD's, a nicely dressed matron pushed past me to place her order – but I called her on it, pointing out the very obvious line of people patiently waiting.
*Cricket is HUGE - and nothing as trivial as ridiculous heat will delay a local match:
*The Delhi metro is amazing – spotless and modern, a trip costs about $.20. Although lots of security checks did remind me a bit of Israel, and the need to always be alert.
*Finally, I escaped to Connaught Place – center of New Delhi, with a wheel and spokes street layout that is confusing enough in its own way that I ended up walking around in circles trying to find the right section.
*Tried to watch Wolverine, more for the movie theater's AC than anything else, but they wouldn't let me in with my backpack.
*So I decided to fallback on the lovely 5 star hotels that dot this district. Heading over, I came across the massive Government Craft Center – five stories of little shops who charge western style prices, but the quality and artwork was stunning. But, as India wasn't stacking up to be one of my favorite places, I decided to pass.
*And finally, I found my way to the Imperial – a famous British-inspired hotel that is the very definition of class. All brilliant white stone on the outside, with guards who have the bushiest mustaches I've ever seen – it was cool marble on the inside, with hushed voices and AC, AC, and yet more AC.
*Spent the afternoon in their bar – 1911- one of the nicest bars I've literally ever seen, who's gin & tonics went down entirely too easily. At $17 each, they weren't cheap, but I was past caring at this point:
*I walked back to my hotel, and after a tasty curry, it was a quick retreat to bed.
*Even though the temperature was 106, Weather.com said it 'felt like' a mere 103. Whew – THAT's a relief... I hate to think it was hot or anything! ;)
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