Ashook - driver extraordinaire
Sophia looking cool at the India Gate
Me looking less cool
Looks good but not worth the Delhi belly risk
Street dogs can sleep anywhere
Shades off
Lahore Gate of the Red Fort
The pedestal that once held the Emperor's jeweled throne
Example of Mughal architecture
Arches and arches
Pay no attention to that man in front of the screen...
Green space in the Red Fort
The Lahore Gate
Mysterious gold door monkey temple
Gold monkeys say hello
Snoozing between rides
Face in the crowd
Crouching to cook tasty street treats
Hustle of the lane
Activity to tickle the senses
Flower street
Sari lane
Colorful clutter
Fruit on the run
Not enough traffic in this lane...
The kid will let you check your weight for a few RupeesDelhi is the capital of India. It is like Washington DC as Mumbai is like New York City. A huge sprawling city, Delhi is a blend of old and new. There are areas with broad avenues, large green spaces, beautiful homes and hotels and a mall like that in DC surrounded by Colonial buildings and monuments. These areas contrast with the tightly packed old parts of town with narrow winding streets, barely wide enough for a bicycle trishaw to fit onto, colorful shops, street food, carts, livestock and commerce of every kind. We were lucky enough to see all of this and more during our recent three day stay there.
First of all, thanks need to go out to my friend and former Philip Morris colleague Dhamey Norgay for lending us his car and his excellent driver Ashook. Ashook's skillful navigation of the crazy Delhi streets was like a work of art. Weaving, honking, cutting off and being cut off every inch of the way. They say in India the average driver honks the horn 7 times per kilometer. I will take the over on that number. Also thanks to our friends Shailish and Ruchira and my Kraft colleague, Rajiv, for their lists of things to do and see in Delhi. We were able to plan and see many historical sites as well as do some great shopping and eating.
Arrival in India is always a shock and a thrill. The Delhi airport makes LAX look like a nice place. It's old, dusty and seemingly disorganized. We did manage to get through customs rather quickly and as we stepped out of the relative solitude of the airport we were lucky that Ashook held his "Tod and Sophia" sign prominently at the front of the pack of the waiting throngs of people. It looked cloudy as we approached the runway but it was only smog - Sophia says worse then she remembers in LA when things were really bad there. Ashook whisked us out of the airport and into traffic. Cars, Trishaws, bikes, tractors, trucks and hundreds of walking workers crowded the streets. Traffic was heavy as always and we made our way to the lovely ITC Maurya hotel.http://www.nivalink.com/maurya/index.html.
We hit the road early the next day taking a ride through the very well appointed Diplomatic area of town. We passed embassies and residences of many countries including the US, France, UK, Qatar, Thailand and France. The route took us to the mall area where the many colonial area buildings stand. Buildings that formerly served as offices for British Viceroy's, military officials and other Colonial Rulers of the British India Company era now serve as home to the President, Prime Minister and other top governmental agencies of India. The ornate buildings , most made from red sandstone serve as a memory of India's past. The wide avenues were being readied for India's
Republic Day which is on January 26th. We took a few pictures by the India Gate where tourists from all over the world and other parts of India stopped for a visit. Vendors sold toys, balloons, offered to take pictures and prepared very good looking (but most likely not good for foreign tummies) street food. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Gate
The weather was sunny, cool and comfortable as we headed away from India Gate on towards the Red Fort. the Red Fort was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (yes, the same dude who built the Taj Mahal) in 1639. It took 9 years to build and was the seat of Mughal power until 1857. It was at the Red Fort where the Indian flag was hoisted for the first time when India became an independent nation in 1947. The fort is huge and many of the structures inside still stand. there is a very interesting gallery of little shops as one enters the main part of the fort. We went through the small museum inside and learned a bit of Indian history form the old displays and very crude (and sometimes graphic) life size dioramas. We lucked out because when we entered the fort there were about ten people in line and when we left the line to get in was at least a block long.
While waiting for Ashook we fended off many pleasant, but annoying guys trying to get us to ride on their bikes or rikshaws. Hawkers and beggars are everywhere and very persistent but usually relatively pleasant. Sophia was good at ignoring and I had a small issue with engaging with everyone too much. I also think on a few days, my clearly western, a little too bright, clothing made me a street urchin magnet.
Ashook basically took us across the busy street to the oldest section of Delhi, Chandi Chowk. The extremely narrow, twisty and busy side street there are lined with shops, some about the size of a small minivan inside. the shops sell saris, bangles, jewelry, nick knacks, street food, books, spices and other wares. Like a movie set only real, this area is so colorful and full of activity that we both experienced a touch of sensory overload. We wandered around for a few hours taking it all in. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297603-d311613-Reviews-Chandni_Chowk-Delhi_Delhi.html
By this time the call of nature was upon us. India is not know for its public bathroom facilities. where they do exist they would not stand up to western standards., even what you might expect at a gas station would be a tremendous upgrade. the one benefit of being western in India and looking like a tourist is that one can walk into any hotel and use the nice, plush facilities without getting a second look from the doormen or security guards. So when we needed to go Ashook pulled in to the nearest 5 star. We got to go in luxury and got a chance to see the inside of all the nice hotels like the Oberoi, the Taj and the Intercontinental.
That night we dined at one of the two really well known restaurants in our hotel, Dum Pukht. I had a little issue pronouncing the name - somehow it didnt come out sounding like it was supposed to, if you get my drift. In spite of the name issue the food was really good. Sophia wisely opted for bryani which was spectacular. It is cooked and served from a special enamel dish where the lid is sealed with dough before cooking. Mmmmm bryani.
http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/india/delhi/entity_40487.html
First of all, thanks need to go out to my friend and former Philip Morris colleague Dhamey Norgay for lending us his car and his excellent driver Ashook. Ashook's skillful navigation of the crazy Delhi streets was like a work of art. Weaving, honking, cutting off and being cut off every inch of the way. They say in India the average driver honks the horn 7 times per kilometer. I will take the over on that number. Also thanks to our friends Shailish and Ruchira and my Kraft colleague, Rajiv, for their lists of things to do and see in Delhi. We were able to plan and see many historical sites as well as do some great shopping and eating.
Arrival in India is always a shock and a thrill. The Delhi airport makes LAX look like a nice place. It's old, dusty and seemingly disorganized. We did manage to get through customs rather quickly and as we stepped out of the relative solitude of the airport we were lucky that Ashook held his "Tod and Sophia" sign prominently at the front of the pack of the waiting throngs of people. It looked cloudy as we approached the runway but it was only smog - Sophia says worse then she remembers in LA when things were really bad there. Ashook whisked us out of the airport and into traffic. Cars, Trishaws, bikes, tractors, trucks and hundreds of walking workers crowded the streets. Traffic was heavy as always and we made our way to the lovely ITC Maurya hotel.http://www.nivalink.com/maurya/index.html.
We hit the road early the next day taking a ride through the very well appointed Diplomatic area of town. We passed embassies and residences of many countries including the US, France, UK, Qatar, Thailand and France. The route took us to the mall area where the many colonial area buildings stand. Buildings that formerly served as offices for British Viceroy's, military officials and other Colonial Rulers of the British India Company era now serve as home to the President, Prime Minister and other top governmental agencies of India. The ornate buildings , most made from red sandstone serve as a memory of India's past. The wide avenues were being readied for India's
Republic Day which is on January 26th. We took a few pictures by the India Gate where tourists from all over the world and other parts of India stopped for a visit. Vendors sold toys, balloons, offered to take pictures and prepared very good looking (but most likely not good for foreign tummies) street food. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Gate
The weather was sunny, cool and comfortable as we headed away from India Gate on towards the Red Fort. the Red Fort was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (yes, the same dude who built the Taj Mahal) in 1639. It took 9 years to build and was the seat of Mughal power until 1857. It was at the Red Fort where the Indian flag was hoisted for the first time when India became an independent nation in 1947. The fort is huge and many of the structures inside still stand. there is a very interesting gallery of little shops as one enters the main part of the fort. We went through the small museum inside and learned a bit of Indian history form the old displays and very crude (and sometimes graphic) life size dioramas. We lucked out because when we entered the fort there were about ten people in line and when we left the line to get in was at least a block long.
While waiting for Ashook we fended off many pleasant, but annoying guys trying to get us to ride on their bikes or rikshaws. Hawkers and beggars are everywhere and very persistent but usually relatively pleasant. Sophia was good at ignoring and I had a small issue with engaging with everyone too much. I also think on a few days, my clearly western, a little too bright, clothing made me a street urchin magnet.
Ashook basically took us across the busy street to the oldest section of Delhi, Chandi Chowk. The extremely narrow, twisty and busy side street there are lined with shops, some about the size of a small minivan inside. the shops sell saris, bangles, jewelry, nick knacks, street food, books, spices and other wares. Like a movie set only real, this area is so colorful and full of activity that we both experienced a touch of sensory overload. We wandered around for a few hours taking it all in. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297603-d311613-Reviews-Chandni_Chowk-Delhi_Delhi.html
By this time the call of nature was upon us. India is not know for its public bathroom facilities. where they do exist they would not stand up to western standards., even what you might expect at a gas station would be a tremendous upgrade. the one benefit of being western in India and looking like a tourist is that one can walk into any hotel and use the nice, plush facilities without getting a second look from the doormen or security guards. So when we needed to go Ashook pulled in to the nearest 5 star. We got to go in luxury and got a chance to see the inside of all the nice hotels like the Oberoi, the Taj and the Intercontinental.
That night we dined at one of the two really well known restaurants in our hotel, Dum Pukht. I had a little issue pronouncing the name - somehow it didnt come out sounding like it was supposed to, if you get my drift. In spite of the name issue the food was really good. Sophia wisely opted for bryani which was spectacular. It is cooked and served from a special enamel dish where the lid is sealed with dough before cooking. Mmmmm bryani.
http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/india/delhi/entity_40487.html
After our busy day we slept pretty well that night.
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