Our 30th wedding anniversary celebratory adventure in India started with the usual incompetence from me and my sat nav in finding our airport parking spot. Ignoring the detailed instructions from the very reasonable Purple Parking people the sat nav took us around Heathrow`s Terminal 3 and it`s building works - several times. I wouldn`t mind but I did exactlt the same thing last year when we went to Egypt! I think I`ve got old timers! It was a relief to get onto our eagerly anticipated Virgin direct flight to Delhi. But what a disappointment! Despite being in a massive A340-600 the side seats were soooooooooo short in leg room - with a 10 hour flight to come! I mean I`m only an M&S "short" trouser length and I struggled. Once we picked up the supplied pillow, blanket and sleeping mask etc there was hardly any room for us. Issued with a menu we deliberated over our choices long and hard, before being told minutes after service starting that those choices were gone with only one choice left - at both dinner and breakfast! Screaming kids, disengaged staff, poor films available - I`d rather watch Sunderland play! All this was forgotten on arrival at Delhi and being greeted by the excellent
Holiday Place local reps supplied by
Sita Tours. Name cards held up to greet us - always like that special feeling- and onto our very own Toyota Innova cruiser with the excellent Ashok at the wheel and that was us made for the week. Personal tour with guide for the trips and driver and car whenever we wanted it - fantastic!
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| Ashok drives us towards India gate on a quiet day. |
The magnificent new Indira Gandhi airport with it`s planting and meticulous grounds were a great contrast with what was to follow in much of the rest of our tour of India`s prime cities and streets. That said we were amazed at how green Delhi was with it`s parks and tree lined streets. Driving in Delhi was an adventure from the start! In some ways my biggest regret was not being able to take myself where I wanted when I wanted - but part of me knows that in reality I would probably still be waiting now at the first junction for someone to give way if I had been driving. Armed only with his horn Ashok ploughed relentlessly into oncoming traffic in the sure knowledge that bikes, motor taxis (not Tuk Tuks we were told) trucks, camels and anything else passing would give way - and they did, even if we had to go round them on the pedestrian walkway bits at times!
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| Tuk Tuk ride to Connaught Pace - ish! |
Soon we were at Delhi`s 4 star Royal Plaza Hotel - think 3 star in UK. Lovely deluxe room, unpacked and ready to go on our first adventure. I`d read of a great restaurant in Connaught Place - a colonial centre piece of shopping and restaurants just 10 minutes walk away. Checking with the porter we aimed to walk there but were immediately harangued by tuk tuk drivers (well that`s what I stuck with) telling us the main route up Janpath street packed with shops was blocked due to Delhi metro construction and demonstrations with no pedestrian access. Helped by a passing helpful local (yeah right) he arranged a 20 rupee ( 30p) tuk tuk ride to a craft shop where we agreed we might want to look, alongside Connaught Place. A 15 minute ride later we spent 5 in the shop and tried to walk again - successfully this time despite the efforts of all tuk tuk drivers within a 2 mile radius of us. Colonial Connaught Place was ..... well, a building site thanks to this major metro / city construction work underway. The columns still looked grand but every shop in the area was blitzed and we feared the restaurant search would be in vain. Suddenly there it was - different name ( Now
G restaurant opposite the Rivoli Cinema) but we discovered a veritable gem of a place. Offered the lunchtime menu, despite being late afternoon, we went for the vegetarian 4 course meal for the princely sum of 268 rupees or £3.50 each. Each course was superb and the naans the best I had ever eaten - up to that point! Leaving the restaurant and finding that the tuk tuk ride had been a loss leader for anticipated shop commission, with new prices of 250 rupees quoted - negotiated down to 35- we decided we would check if we could actually walk. Surprise , surprise - the way, whilst not technically clear in a UK health and safety context, was passable without problem. Just 15 minutes later back at our hotel having saved 50p on the ride!
The next day saw our escorted tour begin - seeing the colonial parts of Delhi - very swish palace and government offices etc, 17th century Jama Masjid mosque , the narrow winding lanes of the Chandni Chowk by rickshaw and the Raj Ghat where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated.
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| President`s Palace with topiary elephants |
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| Palace gates - the Elephant features large as a cherished symbol of good luck |
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| Jama Masjid Mosque entrance |
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| JM mosque |
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| At prayer |
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| Outside Raj Ghat |
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| Raj Ghat |
Then it was on to the Qutab Minar, the 12th century tower of victory builot by a slave king and prototype of all minars (towers) in India as well as Humayun`s Tomb which was a precursor to the Taj Mahal. All in drizzle I am afraid but all fantastic.
Of course being us no visit is complete anywhere without a stop for tea and cake and having seen the Imperial Hotel on our walk from Connaught Place our driver dropped us there. Fantastic place - best and grandest hotel in Delhi. 40 rupees (60p) for a cake in absolute splendour though the cappuccinos didn`t come as cheap.Tea and cakes - done!
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| Tea and cakes at the Imperial |
What we learned on our first day?
1. It is really hard to work out who is being genuinely helpful and who has a rickshaw / tuk tuk or other such business to push at you. people were very friendly and I was abrupt with more than one person I discovered later was genuine and too accommodating with others shown to be touts and agents. Indians we found were largely genuine and welcoming in attempts to help.
2. Being white with grey hair made me a much wished for fashion icon / accessory with regular requests to stand next to their friends whilst some stranger took a photo of us - autographs however were not requested. I aim to stop everyone with a camera in the UK from now on and ask if they wish me to place myself in their group shots asking only a small bakshish!
3. So many Indians speak great English and language is not an issue for the English speaking tourist. You don`t even have to shout loud!
4. Rickshaw / other drivers have most pleasure in pointing out Macdonalds, KFC and mains electricity cables hanging from the street posts and trees which they expect you to want photos of.
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| Not to disappoint! |
5. Indian school kids are immaculately dressed in full British style uniforms whatever the weather / location, are polite, organised and full of smiling faces for the tourist with calls of "hello" and "welcome" rather than the sour, callow faced UK youth welcome of "Piss off" that can sometimes be found / heard on our own streets.
6. Good cakes can be found in India if you go to the right place - but we only found one such place!
7. Moaning Americans can be found complaining that the rooms are too small even in places where you are saying "Wow - what a great room!".
8. In a posh Delhi hotel you might pay 700 rupees £10 for a beer and a gin but you get free mixers and an endless huge supply of crips, nuts and baked corn with an initial plate big enough to satisfy a group of 6.
9. There is no limit to what Indians can pile high onto a rickshaw, donkey, camel cart or bicycle. Nor is there any limit to how many people can get into a tuk tuk or onto a larger taxi or motor bike. They have found scientific means of defying all logic relating to space and time!
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| As the man on the left the advert showed how he was stopped and insulted / denied access at airport immigration. After using the advertised cream it showed how he was welcomed warmly and saluted at the same immigration checkpoint! Another advert for underarm deodorant claimed to leave your underarm whiter! |
10. Sometimes you can be made to dress up and tip for the privilege for no particular reason!
After an overnight and great breakfast taking in the anomalies of Indian advertising for face whitening product along came Ashok to whisk us off to Agra
