Jose's India Travel Newsletter
D E L H I
Introduction Delhi Leh/Ladakh Kashmir
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I spent my first week in Delhi reading my guide book, Lonely Planet, and wondering where to go--India is huge. There is a 12 and ½ hour time difference between here and Tucson, Arizona, where I live. I was tired after the flight and could not sleep very well. There were a number of times that I lay in bed thinking what the hell have I gotten myself into? Anyhow, it was time to venture out.
Pahargang, the Namasker hotel where I stayed is just off this street.At the cafes you meet up with people from everywhere and everyone I met was willing to talk to me about their travels. By the way, after these past seven weeks, I don’t use my guide book very much anymore, other than to make sure I spell some of the city names right. Kind of disappointed with the Lonely Planet anyway, I think that the Rough Guide is better…however, the best source of information is the people you meet…so don’t be shy.
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Delhi is a mixed bag of things, but I liked it and look forward to returning. They have plenty of noise, lots of cars and creatures running around the streets and sidewalks in all directions, I think the air here has weight and some very interesting aromas, but among all this chaos, you can have a great Italian Lavazza cappuccino at the Barista Café in Connaught Place. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? Just coming from Montreal where we used the metro almost every day, I want to try out the metro in Delhi. They have a brand new system with interesting advertising throughout the stations. It is very inexpensive at 6 rupees, and the ride is smooth as silk. They have attendants guiding the people on and off the cars because for some reason the Indians seem to leave their patience at home and everyone wants to get on and off at the same time; it can get a bit rough. I stayed at the Namaskar hotel in Pahargang… good clean rooms but Pahargang is not everyone’s cup of tea. Every day, I would go back to the hotel and speak with Rajinder (Raj for short, the owner), about my new and exciting travel plans; I think I drove him nuts but he would just laugh. Raj and everyone at the Namaskar were very friendly and extremely helpful. Each evening, Raj would recommend a new restaurant for dinner…great restaurants and great food. Also many thanks to Bobby for all your help with everything else…whatever I needed, Booby got for me and he made sure I got the best price. Again thanks Raj and Bobby for looking out for me and showing me a great way to enjoy Delhi.. |
There are festivals in India everywhere and it seems that every day one of the multitude of religions found here has some kind of a ceremony. Durga Puja is a ten day Hindu celebration which in the end commemorates when Lord Ram went down to Sri Lanka with his army of monkeys to kill the King, Lord Ravan, who has kidnapped his wife, Sita. On the tenth day of this celebration, effigies of the King Lord Ravan and his accomplices are burned in various cities throughout the country. I was at Kali Bara Temple on the last day and the people go nuts, it’s just short of an all-out riot. I think I was the only foreigner in the bunch, maybe 40,000 devotees and crazies? Then, about 21 days after Durga Puja comes Diwali. This festival celebrates Lord Ram’s return to his home in India. Diwali is big business in India; one sales promotion after another, I got a free sim card for my cell phone, “Diwali promotion”, go Lord Ram!
One day, I met Sophie at the Diamond cafe, she is from Holland but living in Majorca or maybe she is a gypsy living wherever she ends up, she said she is homeless. Anyhow she was telling me about Leh, Ladakh…I didn’t even know that it was in India. Anyhow, it sounded so good that I booked a flight to Leh the next day on Kingfisher, great airlines by the way, you get the royal treatment. Many thanks, Sophie, I also made it to Kashmir!
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Sophie at the Diamond Café. Great place to meet people have breakfast and afternoon tea
Owner of the Diamond Cafe
Morning chai with Mahesh in Pahargang...
and morning newspaper headlines,
interesting read.
Time for a haircut, shave and massage right on the street - 20 rupees, with the exchange rate at 47 rupees to one dollar…
that’s a deal! Manny, (my brother) I think I got you beat on getting the cheapest hair cut.