When we shared with family and friends our plan to visit India on our yearlong trip, we received a lot of questions on why. Although India was not on the initial travel itinerary (and although it’s a place that can get hotter than Death Valley), our curiosity about this immense country, and our goal to volunteer there, got the best of us. Of course, in addition to the rich history, food, incredibly unique architecture, and beautiful people.
The people, the people, the people. That’s the first thing we noticed when we stepped out of the airport in New Delhi. People everywhere. In particular men – which was our first experience being in a place where the gross majority of people on the street weren’t of both sexes. But once we hopped on the airport metro that took us directly to the city center, there was a change. It was the cleanest, nicest metro we had ever been on and it was not crowded whatsoever. Jackpot!
Once we arrived at our hotel (a small, no frills type of establishment), we immediately ventured off to look for a place to eat in the nearby Paharanj neighborhood. Paharanj is an area with tiny alleyways which resemble a brick and mortar garden maze. We ended up at a rooftop restaurant overlooking a busy outdoor bazaar / market. We sat as motorcycles, cars, rickshaws, and people all made their way down the street, which in our opinion looked like a chaotic mess, but in India was pure normality . Non-stop car horns, people’s loud voices, shouting, more car horns, dogs barking, the hustle and bustle of everyone down below…all of which were so new to us and were an instant shock to our system. We were in India!
Surviving the night and somewhat proud we hadn’t gotten run over on our way back to our hotel, we started off the next morning on a cultural tour of Delhi – first Old and then the New. Moira had gotten a case of Nepal/Delhi belly and was not feeling her best, however, we had hired a driver, Jaitinder, to guide us around the city for the next two days and we were instantly happy we had done so. Jaitinder was a kind, professional man in his early 50s, and it was nice to have someone we trusted by our side as we ventured through the city.
Old Delhi is a maze of 8 to 10 foot wide streets, alleys and corridors, which allow no vehicles to enter. We jumped on a rickshaw (selecting a rickshaw driver that Jaitinder had worked with previously), and began our journey – one that was unlike anything we had experienced. It almost felt like we were on a movie set. We had rickshaws pass by, inches away, men and women rushing past…on either side small markets sold spices, saris, handbags, and sandals, unfamiliar scents from the food stalls filled out nostrils. It was sensory overload, but so incredibly spectacular. When we reached the end of a particular alleyway, we got off the rickshaw and walked through the spice market, the largest in Asia, which caused a coughing attack to ensue and left us catching our breath. The rest of the day we visited mosques and forts and had a lovely lunch of vegetarian curry and chicken masala and plenty of naan (at a very nice restaurant with a final bill of ~$20 – drinks included). The next day we spent 5-6 hours discovering New Delhi – Red Fort (an iconic 1600s imperial residence and museum), Qutub Minar (a 5 story victory tower with balconies), Humayun’s Tomb (Palatial 16th century tomb of Humayun), India Gate (1920’s triumphal arch and war memorial), and the Bhai (Lotus) Temple. It was a full day to say the least, especially after having to walk away from so many children and beggars on the street.
After three days in Delhi, Jaitinder picked us up in his magnificent air conditioned minivan (which may I add had a sticker that said “I respect women” on the back) and we headed to Agra to continue our tour of the Golden Triangle (a term used that essentially is the tourist circuit which includes the national capital Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur).
We arrived in Agra, 3.5 hours away from Delhi, and hired a guide to walk thru Agra fort and the next day Taj Mahal – which was of course spectacular, and full of tourists, but spectacular just the same, especially the history behind it (women – the Taj was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favorite wife. Can I get an amen for that? Really makes me think our lovely husbands need to up the ante for Christmas this year). We stayed at the lovely hotel Parador for $20 / night (which also included breakfast of eggs, cereal, pastries, and a few Indian dishes – paratha, dosas, and vermicelli noodles)
Our last stop in the Golden Triangle route was Jaipur, where we visited Amber palace, Hawa Mahal, City Palace, walked the city streets, and almost died of the heat.
After 6 days in Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, we were exhausted. A few hours later we hopped on a plane and headed to our next stop – Kolkata – where we would be volunteering with an NGO called New Light.
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Aviones, Trenes y Coches 