Travelling companions and the sanity of New Delhi

Trip Start Dec 05, 2004
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Trip End Jan 17, 2005


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Monday, December 6, 2004

..... 9.30am and still pretending to sleep... the manager calls my room to tell me that Michelle has arrived and should he send her up (to my room with a double bed!?)? You can imagine my response after only procuring the room at 4am! A few hours later, I switch rooms to share with Michelle, a 37 year old Bristolian nurse, who is one of 4 people (the other 2 are a couple - John and Sarah, early 30's from London) on an organised trip I'll be doing around Rajasthan with Intrepid Travel. Intrepid, an Australian responsible travel firm, organise trips which only use public transport - in fact every type of transport as you will see - and "characterful" hotels, and encourage you to meet the locals. I decided that it would be a useful way of getting familiar with India and minimise the culture shock!

Michelle turns out to be lovely and promising to be only a light snorer, we instantly get on well. After lunch on the roof terrace, we hire a taxi for the afternoon and explore New Delhi. Not a cow in sight, although lots of traffic and big British empire buildings make New Delhi a sanitised introduction to India. We went to the main Hindu Birla Temple and watched the beautifully attired and rather shy women and children playing and picnicing in the grounds of the Dharamshala (rest house) next door. Then on to the peaceful and empty Lodi Gardens hiding some tombs of some mughal ruler. At Hamayun's tomb (second Mughal emperor) we visited a mini Taj Mahal in orange and cream stone and watched the sun setting changing the orange colour to deep terracota. Got caught in rush hour going back to hotel via India Gate at Rajpath (looks like Marble Arch).

The day finished with meeting Dale, our Aussie tour leader - about 47 and 20 years travelling the world. A very talkative and knowledgeable man who explained Indian etiquette - including how "ladies" should be treated in India, modesty, Shanti (slow process of India), and how to eat with the right hand only (the left is used for bottom wiping - which makes my life as a left hander quite difficult!). Then a posh meal in the Hotel down the road (Hotel Arpit!) - where I ate exclusively and laboriously with my right hand - and then back to our Hotel Good Times in Karol Bagh.
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