Day 33 – October 20 – Delhi

Another day, another Delhi. Today, Tim and I booked our car for tomorrow to go to Agra and visit the Taj Mahal. The car is going to drive us bright and early to the site, wait, drop Tim off at his hotel in Agra, and then return me to the Delhi airport to catch my flight to Hong Kong. We are paying more than we would like, but, hey, that is how life is. We negotiated with the agent at our hotel, in whom we have almost no faith, and decided to stop carping about money and just pay. However, as we are leaving the agency, we bump into a third American, Rich from New York. We tell him our plans and he says he might jump into our car if it works out with his schedule. The possibility that we might be able to split the car a third way is a definite positive, and we leave the hotel to start our day, on an optimistic note.

We went to the Red Fort first thing today. It was packed with tourists, both foreign and domestic. The domestic price was about 60 rupees while we were charged more like 250. A steep price, but definitely worth it. The walls to the fort are massive. Walking in one has to pass several military fortifications with middle-aged men pointing machine guns at one’s head. One of the best parts is seeing some of these bunkers manned by guys who are fully and obviously asleep. Feet kicked up, hands behind his head. I mean, the guy was in deep REM cycle sleep. I thought to myself, I hope he doesn’t wake up with a start and think I’m a renegade Brit trying to take the colony back for the Queen. I’ll walk through this area quickly. Through the main gate is a long covered passage which served as the fort’s main thoroughfare when it was used to house soldier’s families. Now, the shops were all devoted to tourism souvenirs and kitch. We passed this part quickly. I stepped out from the dark avenue of stalls into the blinding light of a large, grassy courtyard. The sheer size of this complex is not fathomable from the outside. This is a city within a city. Stretching as far as I could see to my left and right were barracks, some nicer than others, about 5 stories tall. This fort could garrison an impressive army back in the day. There were some old, rusty bicycles lying near some trees, probably still being used to navigate the immense property. In the center, down a long walkway surrounded by green park, was a long, squat structure of red stone. There were intricate arches all around the building, giving it a dignified look from up close.

To the left of this structure was a large white building with intricate carvings in the white marble. It was gorgeous. The whole thing was roped off, probably because the authorities want it to remain free of dirt and grime which would inevitably come from hundreds of thousands to millions of feet trampling over the site on a daily basis. I really enjoyed studying the details of the carvings on the marble. The geometrical designs and decorative carvings were beautiful. Sites like this remind me why so many people love India. It has so many treasures, many from the mixing of several great cultures and artistic traditions. I still just can’t get over the pollution, crime, over-crowding and hustling which takes place and makes it hard for a tourist to want to come back. It is just gross and dirty. This fort, with its efficient functionality and incredible artistic treasures, is one of those examples of the mixture of form and function which makes India unique. I do appreciate what I am seeing, but I don’t think I would want to venture back here. Just saying. We continued to walk around the site, pausing at intervals to relax on the green grass and just take in the whole site. Parts of it, like the officers’ quarters, were like an East College, elegant and beautiful. Others reflected the military use, like the lookout towers and spaces for rifles or other weapons. It was really interesting.

After the Red Fort we walked up to the Spice Market. The Spice Market is really just a street which acts as the main spice and food exchange in Old Delhi. The smells that filled the area, nutmeg and coriander and coconut, was intoxicating. It was so strong and so good. The stores were usually staffed by men but the main customers were women. I obviously had no idea what they were saying, but it looked like the women had the upper hand in haggling with these men. They would get a couple of scoops of spices in bowl, weigh it, and the men would shout a price. She would shout back a lower price, prompting the men to scoop some spice out and agree to that price. Then the woman would add an even larger scoop back to the weighed amount, sticking to her original price. The men would give up, agree to her price. It was funny to watch. Daily life in Old Delhi.

After we took a tuk-tuk to the Akshardham temple. It cost us 50 rupees each way, and we didn’t go inside. No, we didn’t because they don’t allow cameras or bags. I was not about to leave my absurdly expensive camera in a coatcheck and explore a temple. Tim felt the same way. I cannot think of a more horrifying experience than losing my beloved camera at this point in the trip. I would be able to take pictures of the Taj Mahal, Great Wall or kangaroos. That would be an insurmountable loss for me at this juncture. Who wants an around the world trip without documented proof of a kangaroo petting session? I know I don’t! So we left, enjoying the insane traffic back to the hotel, even coming up close and personal to a horse-drawn carriage at one point… which was going faster than our vehicle.

At the hotel, we asked about a restaurant. They pointed us to Karim’s adjacent to the mosque. So, Tim and I went, and it was fantastic. It looked like the restaurant has done really well, because they had about 5 different rooms to eat in. I think they had one kitchen, but as more and more people came to eat at Karim’s, they had to open more dining rooms. I had the half chicken curry, which had the perfect amount of spice. It was light, but flavorful. I was in heaven. That, along with the best nan I have ever had. It was more thoroughly cooked than nan back home, but it was even more light and fluffy in the middle. It was the perfect consistency for picking up the remnants of the curry sauce in one’s plate. We also had a kebab each, which was nice. I didn’t need more than one, all this food was more than enough for me. Tim had a chicken briyani, which was also darn good. We sat there, at a table not unlike what one would find in a highschool cafeteria back in the US, but it was perfect. No drinking the water for us, a couple of colas really hit the spot. We also loved the green chili sauce which gave an added kick to the nan and curries. Yum, that was perfect.

Walking back to the hotel, we noticed a large sign promoting the fireworks which had kept us up and terrified of dying in an inferno the past two nights: Cock Brand Fireworks. Really? Awesome, I’ll just take a photo of that and laugh to myself whenever I see it. Yes, I’m immature. What else do you want from me? Tim and I had another beer on the roof and toasted to our day in Delhi. It was chaotic, sometimes rewarding and sometimes an utter failure, just what we had come to expect from the city. And we were full. Well-done.