Sunday 6 October 2013

Incredibly India - Delhi



The first things you notice when you land in Delhi is the heat & noise followed by the vibrant colours that coat everything & everyone. 



The other thing you can not help but notice is the smell, smells would be more accurate. We read in an Indian tourist brochure that the smell of India is rose petals & jasmine. Back home we would describe it as something else. 

Raj the rickshaw driver


Its difficult to know who to trust here. One person says he is honest but don't trust them. The other says he is truthful but watch out for them. As well as showing us the sights of his city he also was a big help with our onward travel arrangements. Raj is an honest hard working man & ferried us around Delhi for 6 hours pointing out places of interest & waiting for us outside the attractions for a very reasonable price. The pollution here is really bad & clearly takes its toll on its drivers. Raj is only 8 :)




Humayun's Tomb




Even though the pic is a little blurry it captures my feelings at the time perfectly.

This is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. If you think it looks like the Taj Mahal you are correct. The sixteenth century tomb, one of the most beautiful and significant sites in Delhi was the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. The tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Lotus Temple








The temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship. Which means it is open to all regardless of religion. The temple was completed in 1986. The reviews on line all had a similar tone that was something like "Temple shaped like a flower but not much to look at on the inside" We completely disagree. It was extremely peaceful & beautifully minimalistic. Maybe it was the 3/4 hour hard sales pitch at the tourist office followed by a 30 minute roller coaster rickshaw ride that made the place feel so tranquil. Whatever it was, it is was welcomed.


Gandhi Smriti










This was Mahatma Gandhi's home while in Delhi and the site of his assassination. Its one of my all time favourite small museums though it was a little information heavy. Gandhi was so cool. He is definitely on my fantasy dinner party guest list. Along with Morrissey of course :)
I have admired Gandhi since I was a child, so to visit the place he was assassinated wasn't something I really wanted to do but there is so much more here than just his last foot steps. The bed where he slept and his few worldly goods including his round spectacles & a rock. I can only guess that this was a paperweight?
Though I admire Gandhi I cursed him on his birthday as all of the bars were either closed on having a 'dry day' (bar on a dry day??) we did find one rooftop bar with beers so all wasn't lost.


Kingfisher Beer. Could be up to 8%?? they dont know how strong their beer is?? 


School run.
Our first meal in India. Room service Vegetable Thali. It was good but I have had better Thali's at home.  

Speechless.



Recent horror stories had left us both feeling pretty apprehensive about Delhi. I can honestly say that it was not as bad as I thought it would be. The sights that we saw were really good. We both had our wits about us at all times. Having tattoos & looking like backpackers helped I think. The tourism boards slogan here is 'Incredible India'. It really is incredible. Incredibly beautiful, Incredibly dirty, Incredible wildlife,  Incredibly frustrating, Incredibly colourful. Incredibly India!

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