A Weekend in New Delhi

So the first weekend I was here, I decided would be a great opportunity to explore New Delhi. I was itching to make the best use of time and wanted to get out fairly early. Many of the others who were on the trip were still sleeping by 10 or 11am. Krista, Tara, and Danny were awake and invited me along with them to see Humayan's Tomb. The rickshaw ride ended up taking us to a neighborhood near it without taking us to the front of the tomb. We eventually were able to find out way there. It was very hot outside. The neighborhood that we were dropped in was an interesting place. There were all sorts of things being sold. However, you could also tell that the people there did not have much money. I was asked for money several times even in the first few minutes I was there.

We walked around the corner and it was extremely hot. Krista, Danny, Nick, and Tara didn't really tell me before they were leaving that they were going to go...so I had to throw on clothing in like 5 minutes. As a result, I didn't have any food or drink before we went outside. When the weather is over 105 degrees, its probably not a good idea to leave the house without having any water. It's especially not a good idea not to be carrying water on you in case you become dehydrated. Oops?

We finally made it to Humayan's tomb which was awesome. First you go inside a small gate onto the grounds. The grounds are a manicured lawn with gates to the right, left, and straight ahead. One walks down the path, through the gate, to reach the tomb.

Actually, the tomb was built 100 years before the Taj Mahal AND the Taj Mahal was modeled off of it. It was neat to see this tomb before seeing the taj so I could compare. It was built in the 1500s for Humayan by his wife.

On the way in, we met this professor who was a professor of history and knew a lot about it. He shared his knowledge with us (well me mostly). He asked where we were from and all of that sort. In the end, he then asked me for money! I was shocked (but I guess I shouldn't have been). Apparently, information is not free here. He then remembered I was a student and then said not to worry about it...but even that he expected money was surprising. It was a good reminder for me to be careful about these things.

I walked around the grounds and enjoyed the tomb. To get to the tomb, you had to climb up very steep stairs. The tomb itself was elevated above the rest of the ground level, so it allowed you to see around Delhi. From the complex, you could see a factory and a seikh temple. The inside was a few large rooms with graves in them. Actually, it was very similar to the inside of the taj mahal. The architechture and grounds were beautiful. The others were ready to leave, but I definitely could have stayed longer. Unfortunately, one of the monuments was under construction when we were there so I didn't get to see it (Humayan's tomb has several monuments).

After walking around, I wasn't feeling well. Being out in the heat for 3 hours with no breakfast and no water was not good and I had to get to a place. Getting a rickshaw for a fair price was difficult (partially because we didn't know what a fair price was and none of them would use the meter). We eventually got one and probably overpaid (story of my life with rickshaw drivers) and were on our way to Khan Market.

We were going to Khan Market, which is a nice place to eat and shop, because Ayush suggested that we meet him there at around 3:00 before we end up going around New Delhi for a bit. He offered to take me and whomever else wanted to come to Chadni Chowk. He specifically wanted us to go later in the day because he said it was too hot to be outside and most people from Delhi don't actually go out at the time we were out. Oops.

We got to Khan Market a little early and I was desperate for something to drink. I felt like I was about to pass out. The others were dragging their feet about finding a place and I had to communicate to them how badly I needed water. Not soon after we found this place called the Boombox Cafe, which served all kinds of foods (including American foods even!). Some of the titles on the menu definitely made me laugh. It's like they had things on there but they weren't quite right. Chicago style hotdogs but with slightly different ingredients. That kind of thing. Anyways, I chugged a bottle of water pretty quickly and after sitting in the air conditioner felt much much better. We waited for Ayush to come and then we ordered. (Ayush happened to be wearing an awesome Sean Connery James Bond shirt).

Upon eating, Melanie, Ashley, and Jerry joined us as well. At this point everyone from our group was there except Louise, who was hanging out with another friend. After finishing lunch (it was getting kind of late by this time), Ayush took us on the subway to Chadni Chowk. This place is one of the most famous places to go in old Delhi.

We exited the subway and walked down the pathway to the more open area. I was immediately struck by how chaotic everything was. Cars were rushing in all such directions. There were tons of people. It was insanity.

We followed Ayush towards the end of the street where the Red Fort was located. Keeping up was difficult because the sidewalks and streets were congested and people would get between us. I tried to walk in the back to make sure all of the girls were safe. Old Delhi has a reputation of being particulary unfriendly to women...especially after dark (but it wasn't after dark here just yet).

We finally made it to the end of the path where the Red Fort was located. Our initial goal was to go inside and see it. When we got there, we realized that you couldn't go in after a certain time without paying. Usually it is free, but every night they have a light show which costs money to see. They close entry of the fort after a certain time because much if it is off limits even during/after the light show. We snapped a couple of pictures in front of the massive complex, but then we left.

We decided that the Jama Masjid (the largest mosque in Delhi) was close by and that maybe we could go see the inside of that instead. Ayush suggested that instead of walking we should take the cycle rickshaw. I rode in the back of the cycle rickshaw while 2 others rode in the front. There was also another rickshaw for the others. I felt a little bad for the rickshaw driver actually. Peddling 4 Americans is no small feat. It seemed like hard work and it was definitely hot outside.

We went a ways and got out. I am glad we had the experience of the cycle rickshaw but I think I could have walked just as easily. We then walked through the rest of the market to the stairs of the mosque. People were shouting at us to get our attention. I think they were hoping we were shopping. The one thing that looked and smelled fantastic was the meat on the skewers. I wished so badly that we could have it, but it is not hygenic and we'd probably get very sick from it. It smelled so good though! There were other sorts of interesting foods that I would have liked to try.

We got up to the mosque and we were accosted by more beggars. Unfortunately, this mosque closes before sunset. No tourists are allowed after about 5:30pm AND no women are allowed in the mosque after dark. So another Delhi landmark without success. At least I knew where it was.

We took another cycle rickshaw back near the metro station. The traffic was heavy (and cycle rickshaws are subject to it just as much as cars). We got out early and decided to go inside a seikh temple in Chandni Chowk.

In order to go inside, men have to cover their heads with a bandana looking thing. Although its a religious custom, I couldn't help but laugh and think that it was like pirates of the Caribbean or something. Arrr matey!

Anyways. We take off our shoes and go inside. There was some kind of service going on and so we couldn't really stop and stare or take pictures. We just had to walk through the path laid out. It was kind of weird because there were no chairs (like the inside of a mosque) and the path laid out went in front of some of the people watching the service. I wonder if it was a problem that we were obstructing their view. If I were praying, I would have found it incredibly distracting.

The inside of the temple was very interesting. There was a golden alter in the center and a seikh religious cleric of some sorts sitting on it and talking. I later learned from Louise that taking pictures would have been ok (which I did at the other Seikh place we went)because they are one of the most open religions to outsiders in the world. Its neat that they are so willing to have people learn about them and don't mind pictures and things. (Or maybe I think that because it satisfies my tourist urges).

We walked back to the metro and made our way to Connaught Place, which is the center of New Delhi. It also happens to be where all of the expensive shops and places are. So we were going to eat but then Krista and Tara didn't want to. They wanted to go to the India gate. Ayush wasn't hungry either so he offered to drive them there.

Instead, the rest of us (by this time Nick and Danny had left) decided to go to McDonalds. It was a great choice for 2 reasons. 1) They always have change; 2) A fountain coke and fries sounded super delicious.

So the change thing is a number one reason which might surprise people. Back home, getting change is easy. You go to a store and buy something and they break your bills. Whatsmore, whether you go into a taxi cab or something else, everyone has change for everything. In India, its different. Rickshaw drivers will often say they just "dont have change" which means they are trying to stiff you for some extra profit. Additionally, when I try to pay for things like laundry services or other things, they won't have change and will complain or it will be very difficult for them to break your money. If you can find any place to get small bills here, its definitely worth remembering. The ATMs at the banks wont dispense in anything less than 500 rupee bills, so its very difficult to find change (some even dispense in 1000 rupee increments). The McDonalds there is different though. For whatever reason, they have enough change and the employees are friendly. I think Indians sometimes go there to get change as well. (Its even a problem for them...just they know how to ask more easily).

Long story short, I got my fountain drink and some change too! While we didn't get to see as much in Delhi as I wanted, getting the lay of the land was helpful to orienting me here.