Day 3

Today I was supposed to go to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. I found out the phone I got wasn't charging and still didn't have wifi or money. It took quite some time in the morning to get a new charger, realize the bank had blocked my ATM card because of charges in Dubai, and I had to borrow my friends phone to figure all this stuff out.


I needed to have a way to communicate throughout my time here so I spent time fixing all of these things and it was 11 am by the time I got a new charger, borrowed a phone to send an email and figured out options to wire money.


I had cholay bhature for breakfast at the hotel at then met up with my friend to at least get to see some really cool parts of Delhi since we would have reached the Taj with only an hour left to visit. Ill try to see it from Lucknow or on last few days of my trip.


The morning smells as I had walked out of the hotel were a cacaphony of firewood burning, animal piss, food cooking, fresh fruit from the carts and sizzling dishes of what the street vendors were making. In a way I was getting used to this smell or almost looking forward to it since it always had something interesting and different. I thought maybe my sense of smell would be keen enough to know exactly where fresh rotis were being cooked.


The sun rising played nicely on the dust that always exists like a blanket on the city and I snapped some pictures while running errands. While getting the phone charger fixed a very lean aunty (an Indian woman approximately your mother's age, like addressing a woman as "Mrs.") approached me asking for food. She appeared genuine, but you never know. It's heartbreaking but I cant fix everyone's problems here and I again don't know if she's truly begging or working for someone. I had to ignore her as I didn't even have spare change myself at this point. My day would be sponsored by my friend.


The first place he took me was through the metro system to Indraprastha and we took an auto a few miles away to the memorial park where Gandhi's funeral pyre was.


Here there are carefully manicured lawns similar to near India gate and parliament buildings. There's a ramp that goes up in the center of the field and let's you look down at the memorial area, or you can take off your shoes and go to the center and pay your respects.


A local school had taken a field trip here so as I walked upwards on the ramp I was greeted by a hundred smiling and curious faces. Teachers with bamboo sticks were shoeing the boys out of the bushes and onto the proper places on the lawn. Green parrots were flying overhead in and out of the nearby trees. I could look down and feel the gravity of one of the most well known men in the world where there was a small pool where the pyre would have been and again a flame that burns and will never go out to honor Gandhi It seemed like a place locals trek to but I also spotted a Sardar (Sardar is also colloquially used to refer to adult male followers of the religion of Sikhism) with a tour group following him with a mix of foriegners.


Afterwards we went towards old Delhi where there was a large mosque called Jama Masjid and some semi famous hotel foreigners stay at. Here there seemed to be even busier markets and I saw a child going through some goods on a table and was picking up stickers of Salman Khan and a few other Bollywood actors. I wanted to stop and buy some but I hope I'll have better luck shopping in Lucknow. There was a large Muslim population where we were at so even in the heat I was wearing my jacket to avoid too many stares. It is respectful and easier if you stay covered up. Definitely keep a scarf handy for that!


We tried to enter the masjid but three guys tried to take money charging for having a camera. They seemed suspicious even to me as most monuments and places i had seen so far have clear places to buy tickets and enter. Foreigners are charged like 5x that of locals too. My guide talked to a young helpful looking desi and he recommended we go in through another gate where because I was wearing jeans they would charge me and give me a Salwar to wear. I know if I go I Agra now to wear something like this and to cover my head with a dupatta scarf too.


My friend didn't like the kind of exploitation happening here so we walked a while to catch an auto and I got to see the Sunday market happening at Chandni Chowk. People were buying new shoes socks and jeans on the street and in the traffic folks were trying to hawk suits and magazines and odd shaped balloons for kids. On the motorbike in front of us a young boy on the back of his dads bike was excited to get this large balloon as dad paid maybe 5 rs to the vendor.


The auto rickshaw took us to the area where the Red Fort, where the Mughals ruled around the 17th century. It's incredible looking at Old Delhi and this impressively large fort thinking very little has changed in the last several hundred years. Again, for tickets to the fort I had to pay like 150rs and my friend only 10 because he's Indian.


We strolled through the opening which was filled with tourists of all kinds, including a disgruntled German we saw earlier at the mosque. I don't think he liked paying the gora tax.


There are emporiums lining the entrance to the fort- places where not many people were shopping because the goods for sale like jewelry and trinkets were clearly overpriced.


Once we finished walking through this long hall it opened up into a large well maintained grounds about the size of a football stadium, maybe two. We could stand right in front of where the Mughal king would sit on his throne and make decrees and also some guesthouses and museums. It was amazing to see such a place since the US doesn't have anything that I've seen thats quite so large or old. I felt a sense of awe and wonder. Now that India has its independence it can try to benefit from the buildings it's conquerers have left behind. Even the government buildings I saw earlier had been built by the British.


I delighted in taking photos of the many interesting folks by the fort, but soon after walking so much worked up an appetite. Strangely, I've been told KFC has much better chicken here than in America. Well it's true! We took a long autorickshaw ride to a large mall called Select City Walk. As we pulled up I could see a very large, tall building, and outside there was a construction pile with a man standing at the very top, peeing. If you're a guy in India it seems you can just go wherever, and whenever you want, no one minds. I felt a little embarassed though because he was looking around and when he saw a white blonde going by in the auto his stream just cut off mid-pee. Poor dude, wasn't expecting to see me! I think place is the largest mall in Delhi and we actually did eat at KFC. They have a curry flavored fried chicken that's delicious and I hope it comes to the US very soon!


I tried to take photos in the mall but the guards were afraid I was taking videos. Security checkpoints are installed in many large public places and they mean business. I'm glad to see security a priority but its sad also that India is caught between many warring countries and factions and actually requires such security. I wonder if these measures have prevented or stopped any bad events that may have happened, or if its more reactionary.


In this mall you could find almost anything you could think of. Western stores mixed with eastern. The most beautiful designer saris and suits and lots of jewelry stores. The wedding stores were gorgeous too with mannequins with bride and groom. Since Valentine's day was right around the corner there were lots of displays all around. It seems to have taken off as a super cute popular commercial holiday here. I even saw some guys with trucks on the side of the road selling big pink fluffy bears and cheesy items. Nothing says you love your girl more than a big pink stuffed bear bought by a creepy guy on the side of the road!


I was feeling pretty jet lagged so after eating I returned to the hotel to chill out for a while since I was tired from walking around all day. After some rest we went out at night and walked around a little bit and tried to get my ATM card situation fixed. If I was feeling more energetic I would have tried to see a movie theater or go to a club, but I was pretty overwhelmed with the crowd. Delhi is just wall to wall people at any time of day or night. I also wasn't too sure what kind of attention I might attract in a club just being white. I talked to my friend and we decided to just chill out so I could get rest and be ready to get up and get to the airport to fly to Lucknow the next day.


I think the next time I travel to India I'll stay a little longer in some places and shorter in others now that I've experienced jet lag and know more of what to expect. I can budget my time better and if I am passing through Delhi I'll know where to go and where to avoid. It was really difficult I wish my friends could take more leave and spend more time with me, I'd truly have a difficult time without help negociating and knowing where anything is. Imagine being in a place where you can't read an address or street sign! Its really amazing!