DELHI
My friend, Jane requested to go
with me this season. As I knew she would be a great traveling companion off we
went. Our first flight was May 17th
on Qatar Airlines with a stop in Doha – lovely airport – then on to Delhi. The first leg of the trip was a grueling 15
hours, but the flight was made more than palatable by economy class’s generous
leg room, the good food (that’s a change on an airline) but most of all by the
excellent service by the flight staff, particularly by Ivona. Her help and kindness toward us was
invaluable on such a long flight. Qatar
Airlines has the top rating in airlines of five and it is employees like Ivona
that make it so. I have never thanked an
airline before but thank you, Qatar Air.
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| Main street in Pahar Ganj |
Delhi is a vastly interesting
dichotomy of different venues. There is Pahar Ganj where I stay which a back
packers heaven, with a mix of cheap and modestly priced restaurants and hotels,
and the quintessential bazaar. Located near a the main train station and the
Rama Krishna Metro station, the area is infested with street hawkers and
hustlers, you might even find a wandering cow or a bit of garbage, so one must
always watch where they walk.
It is the
movie image most westerns have of this lovely city, which is really mainly full
of large boulevards, grassy and gardened roundabouts, temples, gardens,
museums, lovely homes and expensive hotels.
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| In Lodi Gardens |
We landed in Delhi at 3 AM, got a
taxi to our hotel and arrived about four.
The staff was waiting and we went directly to bed, but because of the
topsy-turvy time change, I could not sleep.
The next day it was off to get Jane
a metro travelers card –don’t buy a tourist card but rather a travelers
card. Put 150 rupees on the card, fifty
of which is the cost and use up the hundred.
One can make many metro trips for 100 rupees, add to money to the card
when you need to, and there is no standing in lines to buy tickets. If your hotel does not supply a government
metro map, ask for an English language one at the any information kiosk or where
you got the card (information – watch the locals). After getting our card off we went to
Connaught circle a large pillared English built circular shopping area
considered the center of Delhi based on the Bath, England’s lovely circular
style.
At Connaught we went to THE SHOPPE, a
wonderful store, which has lovely Indian cotton nightgowns, clothes and
marvelous dining and bedroom items for a fraction of the cost in the USA.
Delhi’s temperatures were ranging from
100 to 106F during our whole visit. The
incredible heat and being victims of Jet leg, we headed back to our hotel to
our air-conditioned rooms for a much-needed rest. After a satisfying dinner across the street
from our hotel at the Malhodta Restaurant (rated on Trip advisor somewhere
around 200 something out of over 9000 restaurants in Delhi) back to bed we went.
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| THE BAHA'I TEMPLE |
The next day it was off to Kahn
Market for looking – at FABINDIA and ANOKIA – then lunch. We ate at one of other
favorite restaurants, MAMA TO GO; fabulous spicy fish and Spinach with a spicy sesame
cream sauce – a culinary experience I never miss when I am in Delhi.
Then off to the beautiful Lotus shaped BAHA’I
TEMPLE, known as the LOTUS TEMPLE.
It
sits on 26 manicured acres, and was built on donations alone.
We were fortunate enough to be there for a
brief BAHA’I service.
Visiting the BAHA’I
TEMPLE in Delhi is comparable to visiting the Opera House in Sidney, a must
do.
It was after three PM, and wiped
out by the extreme heat, it was back to the respite of our air-conditioned
rooms. We may sound like wimps but this
heat wave that covered most of India from the Lahore, Pakistan/Amritsar, Indian
border north of Delhi and down through the rest of the country for days,
caused over 2000 Indian deaths during this period of
penetrating heat.
Early on the third day, we exited Chandi Chowk
Metro station around ten o’clock. Many shops were not opened on Silver Street,
as their business is mainly later in the day and early evening.
But on my part, this was a labor of
love.
I was taking Jane to the most
beautiful JAIN TEMPLE, in Delhi, which most tourists don’t even know exists.
Just getting there is an experience.
First one must go down the silver street until you find the fifth perpendicular
street with a wooden curved arch over the entry.
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| Shop in Old Delhi |
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| Shop in Old Delhi |
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| Jain Temple Priest |
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| Outside Jain Temple |
It is down this little street lined with shops
full of wedding decorations, decorative artifacts and all sundry items to
delight the eye until you reach a dead end street to your left which is lined
with charming little pastel painted town houses that leads one down to the end,
and the white marble JAIN TEMPLE. No pictures are allowed. Most often a Jain
priest gives a guided tour, and requests a tip at the end.
Besides describing the history and all the
artifacts within the temple, this priest also explained that there are two
sects of Jainism; the pure vegetarians who maintain a strict diet and wear
white for services and prior to breakfast, and the nudist Jains who wander the
country with a begging bowl.
It was
obvious he was trying to shock us with his revelation but we had both read
William Dairymble’s NINE LIVES, which describes one such nudist Jain who was on
the path to death.
We were not impressed.
His gleeful smile turned downward and
disappointment was written about his face.
We ugly American missies were not to be so easily shocked.
In the same alley is a wonderful
jeweler who sold us some charming little trinkets, and off we went to happily
hire a bicycle rickshaw for a ride to the spice market and then back to the
Metro.
Finally we got smart and on our
second to last day in Delhi, we hired an air-conditioned car and driver.
My plan was to show Jane Humayun’s Tomb but it is situated on an large open area with no trees and the heat was just too
intense, so it was off to Lakshmi’s Temple, where we met some delightful Indian
ladies and their children,
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| Jane with the Indian ladies and their children at Lakshmi's Temple |
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| Me at Lakshmi's Temple |
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| It's Jane again at the Gandhi Museum |
the Gandhi museum, which was fascinating,
Lodi Garden to see an ancient
tomb, India Gate, drive around Connaught Circle and the National Museum. I have been to the National Museum at least
three other times over the last eight years and each time most of the rooms
were closed. In fact, I had decided that
the national gem and jewelry collection must be stolen. Needless to say, I was entirely wrong and not
only did I see the gems collection,
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| Mughal tomb in Lodi garden |
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| Birds sitting on the Mughal Tomb |
but also beautiful Mughal miniatures, an
interesting painting collection a well as many other paintings.
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| ancient wedding necklace |
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| Wedding nose ring |
All during my time in Delhi, I
lamented the fact that I had not seen my favorite auto rickshaw driver A-gee.
Upon coming out of the Mahrodta after
breakfast, there he was.
After a big hug,
we planned our day.
First it was to mail
a package to my grandson at the post office – A-gee is always helpful with that
task.
Then it was off to a shop where
Jane and I would behave like serious shoppers for fifteen minutes, so A-gee
could get a free gas chit for bringing us to their shop.
The chit would pay for his gas for the whole
day. As he is not the owner of the auto-rickshaw he drove and had to pay the
owner 400 rupees (between $6 and 7 dollars) for the use of the vehicle for the
day, it always seemed reasonable to help him out.
Both Jane and I each actually bought
something, therefore A-gee would get a small commission for that too.
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| A-gee |
If you are an India traveler, (this is the
case in many other countries as well), be aware that if a driver wants you to
shop, there is often a cut in it for him if you purchase something.
This is not necessarily a bad thing because
in developing countries the populations are so poor; success in touting a shop
is an important part of their lively hood.
Now it was a visit to the Crafts Museum, my favorite of all Delhi.
But what?
Like the National Museum previously, most of the rooms were closed.
Renovations!
Does this mean that like it’s sister museum it would be closed not for
months but for the next few years?
A
question to ponder.
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| A beautiful ancient handmade wooden cart at the crafts museum |
After the disappointment of the
mostly closed museum, it was lunch at the Imperial Hotel, then browsing in the
Tibet markets a block away then off on the Metro to our hotel.
A–gee had left us at the Imperial and after
being overpaid, he probably rounded out his day with more customers, then home
to share his good fortunate at spending his morning squiring Jane and me
around.
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| Jane at the BHALLA CAFE which serves the world's best CHAI! |
Re: hotels in Delhi: There are masses to choose from. Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet are usually good guides. The Hotel Cottage Yes Please is clean, has an
elevator, -be sure to ask for a top sheet or you won’t get one. Has a good staff - Located around the corner from
the metro. It also has an ok, at least honest travel desk – I can’t say that for most
travel desks or companies in Delhi (current cost about $18 a night single – but
get a room with windows – best rooms 202 & 302) Directly across the street
from the hotel is the Malhotra Restaurant - cheap, authentic and very good -,
and join the taxi rickshaw drivers (A-gee included) at Bhalla Cafe tea stall
and drink the best Chai I have ever tasted anywhere.
Metropolis Hotel: Around the counter from the above CYP and
almost across from the Metro is the Metropolis Home Stay (proper name). This truly lovely renovated hotel is a highly
rated hotel by Trip Advisor. The rooms
are really nice, and the restaurant is also wonderful – Rooms were around $45 to
50 dollars a night the last time I checked.
It is far superior to CYP, but the draw back for me is no elevator.
Lovely owners too.
The beautiful Imperial Hotel is the
other hotel I like in Delhi. It is a
super upscale hotel, with great food (although I fine the food expensive – but
if you can afford the hotel, I guess you can afford the food). Other than enjoying this hotel for its
amenities, the real plus is its location.
Not stuck out on one of the large boulevards, it is situated about three
short blocks from Connaught Circle. On Janpath road it is next to the Tibetan
market, always interesting if you are a careful shopper and passed the cheap
but entertaining shops of Janpath road.
Then at Connaught you are near E block which has the United Coffee
house, a restaurant in Delhi no visitor should miss, and around the corner from
the big Cinema, the store THE SHOPPE which I mentioned earlier. (The latest on
line special rate I saw is $168 US for the Imperial Hotel). Keep in mind that
these are 2015 prices I am quoting.
