INDIA - a short film

been meaning to create this for a while and so now it's done.....
A trip through Delhi and Rajasthan
 
read the full story here http://traveltalesfromanywhere.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/delhi-and-rajasthan.html

Related articles

• Back to Delhi
• camel fair, camel riding and a creepy guesthouse
• Taj Mahal was okay I suppose

entrepreneurial little beggars

Flying home today.
Only one thing to mention about today and that was in the taxi to the airport.  Since we've been here I've not given money to beggars and children because it encourages them to rely on begging as a way of life and also you don't know for sure if the money is spent on food or drugs or whatever else, so better to give food if you feel you want to give something.  Anyway during the taxi ride whilst we're stopped in traffic at a junction two children grab our attention, a little boy playing bongos with a little girl dancing and doing cartwheels, I had a pocket full of change which I wasn't going to be able to spend now anyway so I wound the window down and tipped it all into their hands much to their delight.  That's entrepreneurial I thought, bit of creative effort, not like the beggars who follow you around in the city just holding a hand out.  Okay by giving them money maybe I'm encouraging them to continue dancing in the middle of busy traffic but I thought they were cool.

Back to Delhi

Finally boarded the Ujjaini Express from Agra to Delhi after it arrived 40 minutes late and then there was still no hurry.  The train staff get off onto the platforms at every stop, have a good chin wag, a smoke and a potter about and get the train moving when they're ready.  4 hour journey takes 6 hours.
Back in Delhi feels weird like we're back home but only one more day today then it's airport tomorrow morning and back to proper home.  As always just as we're about to leave I feel like I'm just getting into the way of life.  That's the thing with only travelling for two weeks, just get up to speed with money, getting about, do's and don'ts and favourite foods then all of a sudden its time to go.
We got the metro and set off for Humayan's Tomb, very impressive and without much debate we both agree its more impressive than the infinitely more famous Taj Mahal.  Anyway I won't start Taj bashing again, I mean its not that bad, I just have a problem with its wonder of the world status.  The tomb is built partly in white marble and partly in red sandstone giving it a distinctive appearance and is surrounded by neat gardens and water fountains whose pools are interlinked by water channels.

Later on we wander the main bazaar in Paharganj doing some gift shopping then go for a meal in a place called 'Club India' which is some of the best food we've had in weeks.  Met a Finnish girl in there and chatted over our meal.  Later we went for a last night drink in 'My Bar', there's definitely some kind of protection racket going on in there.  The place seems to be bossed by a gang of coked up bully boy meat heads and beneath the cool tunes and buzzy atmosphere there's a seedy undercurrent which feels uneasy but quite fascinating at the same time.  A couple of giant bottles of Kingfisher and we head back to pack our bags ready for the morning.

Lotus Temple, Hari Krishnas and a sleeper train

Delhi then sleeper train to Udaipur

Somehow managed a solid 8 hours sleep despite the streets sounding like war torn Beruit with all the Diwali fireworks.  Went out in the morning to the Bahai Lotus Temple, the temple welcomes people of all religions on the principle that "humanity is one race".  The enormous temple is built from white marble in the shape of a lotus flower and surrounded by water pools and vast pristine gardens. Inside the temple it's completely calm and silent even when it's full with hundreds of people, we make a fairly lacklustre attempt at meditating before we move on.

We could see a weird looking temple on a hill not too far away and decided we had time to go and investigate.  We had a nice little walk through some parks and discovered some kind of Hari Krishna themed world, as well as the temple there's shops, shows and films providing fun for all the family!  Inside the temple we are reminded that Hari Krishnas know how to party! they don't need to throw firecrackers about like the Hindus, they're more interested in throwing themselves into a deep cymbal bashing trance and dancing like they're wired up to the electrical mains.

Back at Paharganj in the afternoon to fill ourselves with curry and get ready to go and catch a sleeper train to Udaipur.  Got onto the Chetak Express in good time, its nothing flash but perfectly comfortable, reasonably clean and doesn't appear to be infested with bugs like a sleeper train we travelled on in Vietnam a couple of years ago.  Its a very long train with loads of carriages stretching into the distance some of which do look grim with no lighting and crammed full of people.  Definitely feel glad I didn't go for the cheaper tickets, we paid about £12 and have an air conditioned berth, a bed, clean sheets, pillow and blanket for a 12 hour journey.  relative luxury!

things I noticed today;
-at the busiest metro stations orderly queues await the next train, when one arrives and the doors open and things descend to a mad rugby scrum charging onto the already crowded train defeating the object of the polite queuing before.
- not sure that Delhi belly exists, I think people just say it because it rhymes.  I've tried lots of different food and lots of curry but everything seems fine!

Delhi time

About to embark on another adventure feeling largely unprepared but full of enthusiastic anticipation.  Lets see if this sounds alternative enough as a holiday..... Day one in Delhi I've arranged a backstreet tour led by an ex street child, we are staying in a guesthouse called 'Hotel Cottage Yes Please', and we'll be in Delhi for Diwali.  On from there if all goes to plan we'll travel sleeper trains, camp overnight in the desert, visit a famous camel fair, trek up to imposing rock face forts, fly down hilltop zip wires, boat over to a floating lake palace and probably not have time to see the Taj Mahal.  Yeah we don't feel obliged to visit the Taj Mahal, if we have time we'll squeeze it in at the end but we don't have it as an essential.


Delhi = GMT +5:30hrs

Need a Rajasthan plan

Flights to Delhi booked with no other plans in place whatsoever yet. Slightly scary but very exciting that we have a blank 2 week schedule to fill and could end up anywhere!
Insert obligatory Delhi belly reference here ________