Aware that the bus journey to Delhi would be the last one of the trip, we were in a celebratory mood as we departed Shimla. A five hour delay caused by two flat tires along the route put a stop to that. India had the last laugh, reminding us once again that she’s the one in charge. In retrospect, getting around in India is half the fun, but you wouldn’t catch us saying that during /shortly after a long bus journey.
 |
| All the chaps on the bus weighing in with tire changing advice. |
We arrived at the Old Delhi Central Bus Station just after 11pm, prime candidates for the attentions of the local tuktuk wallah cartel. We usually try to flag an independent wallah down, but threats from the gang made them think twice about pulling in. Lack of options meant an inflated price, but we didn’t really care, just wanting to get to the hotel. Due to the delays, we’d missed out on lunch and dinner; it was after midnight when we finally arrived at our hotel, so we hit the hay without food.
We both woke up in a bit of a grump due to the lack of a meal the previous day. Deciding that some seriously big breakfast food was required to make up for it, we headed straight for an American theme diner that Shejal spotted in the guidebook. There was a wait for tables when we arrived, but figuring that other people in the queue didn’t look as hungry as us, I nicked a table – my stomach took over.
After filling up on fried eggs and hash browns, we headed to Humayun’s tomb, one of Delhi’s principal sights, a 16th century Mughal pre-cursor to the Taj Mahal. The complex contains the tomb of the Emperor Humayun and other subsequent Mughals. An older chap I got talking to explained that this was also the site where power was officially handed from the Mughals to the East India Company; that titbit wasn’t in the guidebook.
Next we caught the metro to the Akshardham, a large Swaminarayan temple located on the outskirts of Delhi. We’ve been to Swaminarayan temples before (in Bhuj and Neasden), but this one really takes the biscuit. The lavish complex was finished in 2005, and comes across as a kind of religious theme park, with an animatronic boat ride through Indian history, a fantastic musical fountain, a food court, and a large shop (which reminded me of merchandise shops you see at football grounds). The modern approach gets the Swaminarayan message across very effectively. We spent the whole afternoon there, unfortunately no photos allowed inside, so here’s one from the internet.
In an effort to keep our packs light throughout the trip, we’ve been putting off buying souvenirs. Delhi being our last stop meant it was time to shop! We spent the next couple of days in retail mode, firstly visiting Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, a chaotic shopping street famous for textiles. Shejal picked up a couple of saris for her Mum and Sonia. We also explored some of the nearby bazaars, each one specialising in a particular thing - antiques, wedding apparel, etc. With all the traffic, heat, and crowds, stamina is a must when shopping in Old Delhi! We decided to get a tuktuk to Connaught Place after a young chap pinched Shejal’s arse and ran away.
We picked up more gifts/souvenirs at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium near Connaught Place; more expensive than usual, but quality guaranteed and everything under one roof. Next stop was the Hauz Khas Village, a collection of boutique/ brik-a-brak shops; managed to find some great old Bollywood posters, and various other antique ‘stuff’. We finished the day off at the Tibetan Market.
The second day of retail therapy was spent at Select City, an upscale mall in South Delhi. Malls are malls wherever you go in the world, but it was nice to shop out of the heat/crowds for a change, also it had an amazing (hygienic looking) food court; after three months away you start to miss these familiar things.
The third retail day was spent at Karol Bagh market, a short walk from our hotel. Like Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh market is also known for textiles. Shejal picked up a couple of Kurta Pyjama sets for Rishi. We managed to last until the late afternoon in the unusally humid conditions, before heading to the air conditioned shops of Connaught Place. On the way there, a massive electrical storm broke over Delhi, which lasted a couple of hours; very impressive. We decided to start giving our loose change away to the homeless, but unfortunately the first chap we tried this on refused our money and then followed us around shouting. He even jumped on top of Shejal when seated in the tuktuk we were trying to escape in. The driver had to physically prise him off the tuktuk; bit freaky – teach us to be nice!
We’d deliberately saved a couple of the main sights for our last day in Delhi (and India – boohoo). The Jama Masjid is India’s largest mosque, big enough to hold 25,000 worshipers! Only 4km away from where we were staying, it still took one whole frustrating hour to get there in a tuktuk; traffic congestion and resulting air pollution in Old Delhi is about as bad as it gets anywhere. Modest dress whilst in the mosque is very important (especially for the ladies), so kaftan style coverings are dished out before entering to those that fail the ‘flesh test’. Shejal wasn’t happy with kaftan she got, remarking that other Western tourists seemed to have been given nicer ones; fashion conscious in a mosque!
Although the building is impressive, the best part of the visit was watching the many worshipers go about their business.
After leaving the Jama Masjid, we hailed a cyclo-rickshaw for the short trip to Haldirams, a well-known restaurant on Chandni Chowk. They had a substantial snack station, so I was able to enjoy papdi chaat (a favourite) for my last Indian lunch.
We decided that a fitting end to our last day in India would be an evening trip to the India Gate, a 42 meter high stone war memorial arch in New Delhi. Parks and memorials that we’ve visited in India have a kind of family party vibe in the evening, which is always nice to be part of. Packed with street food vendors, hawkers, and picnicking Delhiites, India Gate was thankfully exactly what we expected. We spent an hour walking around the area and soaking up the amazing atmosphere. This place seemed to summarise all that we’ve loved about India, the vibrancy, the diversity, the food, the music, and above all, the people.
Feeling sad, we headed back to the hotel to pack up for the last time…….
