Another enjoyable day in exuberant Delhi.
I start by going to Sonu café in Pahraganj again this morning after first having my all over, dettol wipe, body wash.
I proceed to the railway station and find the mass of yellow and black taxis all jammed in waiting for fares, and I make one guy very happy by hiring him and his taxi, and touring for the day.
I have decided that I will venture to the Indian Parliament buildings, India Gate, and then to the New Zealand High Commission.
The parliament buildings are really impressive to look at and also very impressively guarded with sentries posted at all gates and on all corners, high and low. It is more like prison security than a parliament building. Some serious looking men with some serious looking machine guns.
India Gate is interesting, not the structure as such because that kind of looks like a mini Arc de Triomphe but dirtier, but the fact that a snake charmer is getting a lot of attention. So I go over there and see what all the fuss is about. He has three snakes, all in baskets, and he's playing his little recorder, tapping this snake on the head, and it appears to be moving to the music. At the time I feel like the snake is really just pissed off at the fact he keeps tapping it on the head so I pay him his 5 rupees and move on.
The New Zealand High Commission is heavily guarded also, so I have a yarn to the guys guarding it, take a few pics (as it's probably the nicest place in India I've seen so far), and be on my way. I stop at some emporiums on the way home and buy these blanket type things called Naga Shoals which are hand-woven and take 6 months to complete. I pay 925 rupees which is about $31.
For the third night in a row at Sam's Rooftop Restaurant, I eat eggs and chips because my food poisoning paranoia has not decreased and so I'm sticking with the safe option.
After yet another breakfast at Sonu Café, I hail an auto-rickshaw, which doesn't take much hailing, and head to the famous Red Fort which is a palace that used to house the Indian Emperor. I had a guide take me round and managed to learn some interesting stuff, when I could understand him.
My trip back in the auto-rickshaw is carnage because there is so much traffic and it is not helped by drivers all yelling at each other in what seems like very fast Hindi. Great times!
After dinner I reflect on my few days in Delhi. It has been an enjoyable place once I accepted and understood the Indian way of life and living. I have stopped being hassled as much in the street to buy things as it seems like everyone knows me, but really I think that I have just got used to it. My most interesting money making advance was a little girl doing back flips and other contortionist stuff. Overall I think will miss Pharaganj and Delhi but am looking forward to the rest of my trip.
Tomorrow morning I head to Agra and the Taj Mahal and then on to Varanasi and the mighty Ganges. I am travelling by train so I think that is going to be an experience from the observations I have made at the train station! Stay tuned.
To be continued…
