Bus 505
Trip Start
Oct 20, 2008
1
82
93
Trip End
Jan 31, 2009
Delhi,
India
Monday, January 19, 2009
Crossed the street and started waiting for Bus 505. Despite all the pickpocketing warnings my guesthouse manager had given me, I was determined to experience the public bus. As I was waiting, a few shop owners approached me with the "Ah you are Muslim..." trick, trying to sell me souvenirs. The run-down bus arrived 15 minutes later. It wasn't nearly as packed as I imagined it to be. After a couple of stops, there even was a seat for me. There were people from all socio-economic classes. Ranging from well-dressed retirees to significantly dodgier characters carrying large cardboard boxes... Just like the Qur'an verses you would find on Turkish buses, there was a small Hindu god right below the mirror. I only paid 10 rupees for the ride, but it took 2 hours to get to Qutb Minar. With a tuc tuc, it would have taken 45 minutes tops.
After looking out of the window for that long, I noticed that the blue subway line divided the city into the ying and the yang. The north of the blue line is absolute chaos, while the south displays almost a Western European order.
Similar to the situation on Russian trains, sellers and beggars were constantly hopping on and off the bus.
Qutb Minar (12th Century) was a delight. The 73m high victory tower was built after the Afghans defeated the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. The complex also houses the first mosque in India, the Quwwat ul-Islam Masjid. 27 Hindu and Jain temples were demolished and the materials from the ruins were used for the Masjid. This feature was obvious from the figurative (gargoyle-like) capitals. Moreover, the gardens were extremely peaceful. Lied down on the short grass for half an hour, losing myself in thought...
Took a tuc tuc to India Gate for 75 rupees. This memorial that had been erected for the Indian martyrs looked quite similar to its counterpart on Champs Elysee. A long, straight road called Rajpath (King's Way) stretched from the Gate to the Presidential Palace, passing between the 2 secretariat buildings. This European scenery took me by great surprise. After having seen Old Delhi, never thought that such a place could exist here.
British architect Edwin Lutyen designed this part of the city in the late 1920s. Every year, Rajpath hosts the Republic Day Parade on January 26. Since the date is fast approaching, the Ministry of Defense was preparing for it energetically.
The metro station at the General Secretariat was more impressive than any other station that I had been through. Took a ride with a bunch of civil servants to Rajiv Chowk. Decided to eat at McDonald's, because I thought that I would not be able to find another one until Mumbai.
Who would have thought that McDonald's could offer a cultural experience? In fact, now, I believe that you can get a fair idea about a certain culture by eating at a local McDonald's. There was no beef on the menu! Since cows have a high place in Hindu theology, the menu only offered chicken and veggie products. I had a Maharajah Mac Meal. This was the BigMac substitute they had. Although there have always been cultural influences on the McDonald's menus that I have seen around the world, this was by far the most distinctive.
Another cultural experience was eating my burger on a stool in front of the window. There had to be a reason why nobody was sitting there at this busy hour and there was a good one. As sauce and cheese was dripping down my beard, handicapped, half-naked beggars were looking straight into my eyes.
Sat at Cafe Coffee Day just outside the Karol Bagh metro station and flipped through my Lonely Planet (LP). This was a Gloria Jeans equivalent, serving cheap coffee at a decent atmosphere.
A middle-aged American photographer showed up at the guesthouse around midnight and annoyed me with his premature political comments. He had heard bits of news from the popular media, but was unable to make the connection...
