Delhi

Our time in Delhi was only half tourism. The other half was trying to fix our visa issues – we realized late that our plan would overstay our Indian visa, and we had been unable to pick up a Myanmar visa in New York. Long, boring story short: bureaucratic offices are the same around the world, and after several days of waiting, obtaining the correct forms, and having a holiday shut down all offices (*shaking fist* Gandhi!!) we obtained everything we needed.

Gandhi’s birthday kept getting in our way – offices were closed, attractions were shut down, and emails were unanswered.

Delhi we found to be so big and so different, that it was almost like multiple cities. Old Delhi was crowded, with small streets filled with vendors. New Delhi had wider streets with tree-lined sidewalks. And nicest of all was diplomatic New Delhi, where embassies and government buildings were orderly laid out on huge avenues.

The streets of Old Delhi

Old Delhi, with peppers being dried on a roof.

We stayed in Paharganj, in the heart of the backpacker zone. The main Bazaar ran right by our hotel, and it was lively at all times with electronic stores, clothing stores, food vendors, and rickshaws galore.

The Main Bazaar street at sunset. While gritty and filled with touts, I grew to like its activity.

The alleyway for our hotel was easily identifiable by the two outdoor urinals.  We didn’t know what they were at first and always wondered why it smelled like piss.  A tour guide we had loved pointing out that the difference between India and the US was that in India you can piss but not kiss in public, while in the US it’s the opposite.  There is definitely some truth to that – we were routinely stunned by where we ran into people taking a leak.

The street urinals with the alleyway to our hotel. Remarkably exposed to the public, especially when the alley was crowded.

In between our visa tasks we tried to see the rest of the city. We saw the red fort and the crazy huge market of Chandi Calk in the old city;

The Red Fort

The really cool and huge astronomical structures of Qutab Minar, which enabled the tracking of the stars, planets, and moon hundreds of years ago;

A giant sundial, accurate to the minute when it was being used.  Now the instruments appeared to be used more as a hangout for kids.

Jami on some astronomical instrument.

The huge Jama Masjid (“Friday Mosque”), whose open courtyard was a great contrast to the crowded Old Delhi streets in which it was placed.  (Somewhat similar to St. Peter’s Square in Rome)

Jama Masjid

With our modesty wear on.

The locals didn’t quite know what to make of us.

The upper class shopping district of Connaught Place;

At an upscale bar in Delhi – at nice bars in India they want you touch your bottle of beer to make sure it is cold enough, just as they let you taste your bottle of wine first in the US.

The tomb of Humayun, which is claimed to be a precursor to the Taj Mahal, and looks amazingly similar (but without the stunning marble, so it loses much of the effect);

Humayun’s Tumb

The interior of the tomb – beautiful carvings.

Showing off.

And we went on a “bike ride” of the old city. The ride was one our favorite things in Delhi, allowing us to see parts of the city we wouldn’t have otherwise seen, and get a guided explanation without having to pay for a private driver. But the ride must be in quotes because between the crowds and vendors on the small streets there wasn’t much actual riding going on, although the delays due to horses, rickshaws, and cows were some of the highlights of the tour.  Delhi by Cycle – highly recommended if you’re in the city!

Our awesome tour guide stuck on a street.

Jami biking through Old Delhi

But my favorite mode of transportation in Delhi, without question, was the Metro. Brand new, clean, efficient, and cheap, it was usually the fastest way to get around. It was also the only mode of transportation we could use and know we weren’t getting ripped off!  Jami liked that it had special womens-only cars – designated by flowery signs.

Signs on the platforms indicating the womens cars.

We also continued our culinary tour of India by trying as many of the recommended “authentic” restaurants as possible.  We loved the food: the curries, the chapatis, and the thali meals that brought a little bit of everything without having to know exactly what you were ordering.

Curries and rice – our staple dish in India.

Thali served cafeteria-style

Finally, one of my favorite parts of Delhi was the blending of old traditions with the modern.  Throughout India we ran into many instances of modernization-in-progress – where new buildings, infrastructure, shops, and devices were being built and/or used right next to more traditional buildings, transportation, and people.  It was fascinating, and nowhere was this more evident than in Delhi.  We saw many groups of older Indians, presumably from the countryside, gawking at the modern Delhi buildings and technology, as busy Delhi residents tried to hurry their way through.

Sikh’s in traditional wear in front of the New Delhi train station.

Older women from elsewhere in India marveling at the escalators in the New Delhi train station.