Where: Delhi, India
When: May 25, 2013
With: Dave, Stefan, and Ankita
Day 1 in India started off like a great adventure. We already knew we were in for a completely different trip than we ever had experienced before, and India did not disappoint.
Our first driving experience in India was (as we learned) as quintessential as they come. Upon stepping out of the airport and into the 120 degree Delhi sun, a man basically grabbed our luggage and whisked us away to his cab, after which he completely overcharged us (even calling a fake number claiming it was our hotel to confirm his rates). This was all done with a giant smile while asking how we liked his country so far.
We then sped off into traffic, going faster than every other car on the highway, ignoring traffic lanes with the driver basically leaning on the horn the entire drive. Traffic lights were more of a recommendation rather than a rule as at least six cars across per entryway tried to navigate intersections. Families rode scooters with the dad steering, at least one child between him and the handlebars, another child behind him, and mom sitting sideways off the back, brightly colored scarves whipping behind her in the wind. And everywhere were people, tons and tons of people, their shacks coming nearly to the edge of the highway in some places, so you felt like you were driving through a village on a country road rather than a 5-lane highway through the capital.
Another soon-to-be-typical cab experience was the driver's complete lack of ability to find our hotel. Despite confirming the location at the start of our trip, we drove around for 40 minutes asking nearly 15 different people if they had heard of our hotel and each time, we were pointed in a complete opposite direction. With no cell phone service or map of Delhi, dust flying in the windows, and the heat of the sun cooking us in the giant, tin can of a car, we felt a thousand miles from anywhere we'd ever been.
Eventually, we made it and were able to breathe and relax for a second. The hotel greeted us with tea, a cool towel, and the Indian hospitality we had heard about (cab driver failed on that one). Our turn around time was quick though, as this was our only day in Delhi, so we had to lather ourselves in sunblock, grab a few bottles of water, and leave the air conditioning behind for the dry, dusty heat of Delhi.
The one nice thing about the cabs here is that they are relatively inexpensive (even when ripping you off). So we ordered a cab to take us into town and gave him extra to stick with us for the rest of the day and take us around to a few different sites (this removed the need to go on another hunt for our hotel with a new cab driver). Our first stop was Delhi's main attraction, the Red Fort. I will allow you to determine why this fort is referred to as such:
Trying my best to shake off all the watching, I continued through the entrance to the first building in front of me. The complex was started in 1638 when the reigning emperor, Shah Jahan, decided to move the capital of India from Agra to Delhi. The first building you come upon is the Diwan-i-Aam, or the Hall of the Public Audiences. This is where the emperor would sit and hear the complaints of the commoners while seated in his throne.
The fortress sits on the banks of the Yamuna River, and a continuous water channel used to connect to the countless "streams" criss-crossing across the complex. It must have been very impressive back in the day when water cooled down the hot, dry days.
The elements of design and decor throughout the very old buildings were impressive. Intricate carvings, marble stone work, and various precious metals all made the complex incredibly grand.
After a relatively short day out and about in Delhi, we already felt like we'd been gone for weeks. It was the perfect start to our great adventure.
When: May 25, 2013
With: Dave, Stefan, and Ankita
Day 1 in India started off like a great adventure. We already knew we were in for a completely different trip than we ever had experienced before, and India did not disappoint.
Our first driving experience in India was (as we learned) as quintessential as they come. Upon stepping out of the airport and into the 120 degree Delhi sun, a man basically grabbed our luggage and whisked us away to his cab, after which he completely overcharged us (even calling a fake number claiming it was our hotel to confirm his rates). This was all done with a giant smile while asking how we liked his country so far.
We then sped off into traffic, going faster than every other car on the highway, ignoring traffic lanes with the driver basically leaning on the horn the entire drive. Traffic lights were more of a recommendation rather than a rule as at least six cars across per entryway tried to navigate intersections. Families rode scooters with the dad steering, at least one child between him and the handlebars, another child behind him, and mom sitting sideways off the back, brightly colored scarves whipping behind her in the wind. And everywhere were people, tons and tons of people, their shacks coming nearly to the edge of the highway in some places, so you felt like you were driving through a village on a country road rather than a 5-lane highway through the capital.
Another soon-to-be-typical cab experience was the driver's complete lack of ability to find our hotel. Despite confirming the location at the start of our trip, we drove around for 40 minutes asking nearly 15 different people if they had heard of our hotel and each time, we were pointed in a complete opposite direction. With no cell phone service or map of Delhi, dust flying in the windows, and the heat of the sun cooking us in the giant, tin can of a car, we felt a thousand miles from anywhere we'd ever been.
Eventually, we made it and were able to breathe and relax for a second. The hotel greeted us with tea, a cool towel, and the Indian hospitality we had heard about (cab driver failed on that one). Our turn around time was quick though, as this was our only day in Delhi, so we had to lather ourselves in sunblock, grab a few bottles of water, and leave the air conditioning behind for the dry, dusty heat of Delhi.
The one nice thing about the cabs here is that they are relatively inexpensive (even when ripping you off). So we ordered a cab to take us into town and gave him extra to stick with us for the rest of the day and take us around to a few different sites (this removed the need to go on another hunt for our hotel with a new cab driver). Our first stop was Delhi's main attraction, the Red Fort. I will allow you to determine why this fort is referred to as such:
Sitting in the midst of Old Delhi, this gigantic fortress gets its name from the red sandstone bricks that make up its outer walls.
We met up with two more of our travel buddies for the trip at the front gate, Dave's classmates Stefan and Ankita. Stefan looked just as out of place in India as Dave and I, but Ankita was born and raised in Bangalore and her language skills proved to be incredibly helpful for the rest of the trip.
Ankita's presence also demonstrated an interesting fact. When going to purchase tickets, Dave, Stefan and I were immediately herded to the "tourists" line where our tickets cost us 250 rupees (about US$4). However, Ankita was allowed to purchase tickets from the "Indian" line, which allowed her entry for 10 rupees (about 16 cents). It answered the question we hadn't even thought to ask yet - why there were so many Indian tourists in India. It was so cheap to visit the sites! Well, it was cheap for us too, but $4 vs. 16 cents. Wow.
Upon entering the large and impressive gateway to the Red Fort, I got my next taste of odd experiences while being a tourist in India: the stare. At first I thought that people were hitting each other to point at me because my dress was above my knees or because my shoulders were exposed or something. But I learned later that the shock factor drawing all the attention was just me and my white skin. Some people walked right up to ask where I was from, what my name was, and shake hands with me. Many people wanted photos. But the creepiest were the people that just blankly stared as I walked along, and then changed direction to follow me through the entire site. By the end of the hour, there was a small gathering of people that were just creeping along behind us. I thought this picture appropriately captured what I saw when stepping through the front gate:
Trying my best to shake off all the watching, I continued through the entrance to the first building in front of me. The complex was started in 1638 when the reigning emperor, Shah Jahan, decided to move the capital of India from Agra to Delhi. The first building you come upon is the Diwan-i-Aam, or the Hall of the Public Audiences. This is where the emperor would sit and hear the complaints of the commoners while seated in his throne.
Looking back from the Diwan-i-Aam, we got a good view of the gate we entered through, the Naqqar Khana. This was the drum house from which music was played throughout the day. The gate also marked where riders had to disembark their elephants.
From the Diwan-i-Aam, we continued through the grounds and were surprised to see just how large and expansive they were. More buildings dotted the sprawling, green lawn, and the complex's role as the royal residence to the emperor's family became more apparent. Apparently, when at its height of prestige, this fort was considered equivalent to the heaven on earth as described in the Quran.
The fortress sits on the banks of the Yamuna River, and a continuous water channel used to connect to the countless "streams" criss-crossing across the complex. It must have been very impressive back in the day when water cooled down the hot, dry days.
The elements of design and decor throughout the very old buildings were impressive. Intricate carvings, marble stone work, and various precious metals all made the complex incredibly grand.
Further along through the garden, we came to the Diwan-i-Khas, or the Hall of Private Audiences. This is where the emperor would entertain the more sophisticated folk, including courtiers or state guests. The water running across the grounds ran through this building and provided the 17th century version of central air.
At this point, we were sunbeaten and hungry, so we set off in search of food. We had a place in mind that wasn't too far off, but in the heat of the sun, we decided to take a cab. This became our first experience with India's infamous auto rickshaws. These little 3-wheel, green and yellow scooters dominate the roads of India, zipping into tight alleyways and capable of fitting up to 8 (Indian) people in them.
Ankita took care of the negotiations, and before we knew it, we were piled in and off. It was absolutely one of the most exhilarating, terrifying and exciting experiences I've ever had in my life. Squeezing within inches of vehicles that were much larger than ours, with no seatbelts or doors, it was such an exciting way to travel. Side by side with Stefan and Ankita, it was a race to the finish line.
The scooters dropped us off at the end of an insanely crowded market-filled street. Walking along, we were literally stepping over people asleep on the ground, passing by carts and farm animals, and smelling an array of scents, both good and bad. This was our initiation into Chandni Chowk.
Chandni Chowk refers to the street that runs from the Red Fort through the middle of the city. It used to have a canal running through the middle of it that would reflect in the moonlight, hence its name that translates to "moonlit street". Now it refers to this neighborhood and its world-famous markets.
We headed for lunch at one of the most famous restaurants in the area, Karim's. Attempting to find this restaurant gave us insight into another quirk of India - everything is "just a few hundred meters away". Each person that we stopped to ask for directions waved us along the road and told us it was just another couple hundred meters. Given the chaos and confusion on the street, we kept being convinced we had missed it, but sure enough, the next person would tell us to go another couple hundred meters. Eventually we found it, hidden away down a dark, smokey alleyway filled with waiters bustling around and an open kitchen cooking the food right out in the open.
After all the warnings to be careful where we ate, trying our first meal in a restaurant was a slightly tense moment. However, it was completely worth it (especially cause we didn't get sick). The food was incredible, and a welcome introduction to the local food. Ankita and Stefan were pros at ordering, so we all just sampled each other's food and enjoyed.
After lunch, we headed to one of the main sites around Chandni Chowk, the Jama Masjid mosque. Built by the same guy who built the Red Fort, Shah Jahan, this was completed in 1656 and is the principal mosque in Delhi.
In the heat of the day, we were all wrapped in tunics and shawls at the entrance to ensure we were covered enough (even Dave in his shorts needed some additional coverage). Our shoes were taken and we were allowed to explore in our bare feet. Now, on a day that was bumping up against 120 degrees, the sandstone floor was about as hot as its color looks. Even after years of trekking across the hot sand of a beach in the height of summer, my feet could not take it. Fabric walkways criss-crossed through the complex and water was thrown on them to attempt to keep the walkway cool. It still was pretty hot, but better by comparison to the plain stones.
Inside the complex, it was peaceful. People were praying or sleeping or washing up in the central basin of water. There were still plenty of stares and photo requests while I walked through this site, but overall, it was a nice experience.
At this point, Dave and I had to head back to meet our cab driver or who knows if we would ever make it back to our hotel. So we parted ways with Stef and Ankita for the day. On the way back, we made one last stop at Humayun's Tomb. This complex is basically the predecessor to the Taj Mahal. It was built for the Mughal Emperor Humayun by his wife following his death in 1570. She was so distraught after his death that building him the greatest mausoleum ever became her life's sole purpose.
The mausoleum holding the tomb was one of the largest works made from red sandstone at the time. The use of symmetry in the architecture also provided inspiration for the now more-famous tomb of India, the Taj Mahal.
Some big steps lead up to the tomb itself, which has lots of beautiful intricate stonework surrounding it.
Today, the mausoleum houses the Emperor, his wife, and many of his successors.
It was also the first garden tomb on the Indian sub-continent. This provided for a very serene setting for our last site of our day, away from the mania of Delhi outside its walls. We ended up liking this complex more than the Red Fort.
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