Welcome to India - New New Delhi

Well, we're in India – we've done it. The VISA worked, we got through security, and even made it in one piece to the hotel… but that apparently was the easy part!




Question: Could you get lost in New Delhi?? Ah, Yeah!


India – A Country with 1.2 billion people
Delhi – A City with 15 million people

First of all, you can't compare India to North America, Europe, or even Japan.. I don't even think it compares to the slums I walked through in Hong Kong… it is, without a doubt, an whole different place with only the Pepsi signs to remind you that you're still on planet Earth.

Unwilling to try to figure out how to navigate India, we booked a tour through “g adventures” and I am SOOO glad that we did! This tour company still lets you experience India as if you may have been doing by yourself – but they are there to make sure you don't get lost and so that you don't get ripped off or come down with the dreaded Delhi belly!

The first thing which was different was the traffic – road signs and even the lines mean nothing and the horn is the most used accessory on any form of transportation: car, truck, tuk tuk, or rickshaw. They use it like a homing beacon for the people around them.. so that everyone knows that they are coming up to pass on the right or left… the only real flaw with this system is that if dozens of cars are doing this it just sounds like a painful amount of noise coming from every direction.

Another larger cultural shock was the difference in the standard of living, and the amount of garbage, animal droppings, and spoiled food lying in the street – this is especially bad in the old center of Delhi. I was so glad that I had enclosed flats as some of the other ladies had flip flops and one even managed to step in a lovely pile of unknown material in the street! There are also very few paved roads, most are a combination of dirt and old broken up pavement/rocks… I know that the government of India is working on the infrastructure – but it will take a few more years or perhaps decades before the side roads are even looked at.

Delhi Highlights, or Experiences:

Jama Masjid – which is considered to be the 'great mosque' and one of the oldest in Delhi. It was soo hot (35 degrees) and you are required to walk bare foot and for the ladies, you are required to wear a robe to cover your western clothing (even if you're more covered than even the locals).. it makes for a very hot trip thought the courtyard…

It was first here that we learnt that we too, as white tourists, were also an attraction for the rural people who were also visiting.. they stared a lot and took photos of us (some more sneakily than others)

Some of the stares....

We also visited a Sikh place of worship called Gurdwara SisGanj which is the oldest in Delhi.. it was interesting to visit and again no shoes, if you saw how dirty Delhi streets are you'd understand our moment of hestiation, but we left our shoes, covered our heads, and entered into the main hall with the musical chanting from their holy book which is the teachings of holy wise men who teach on how to live a meaningful life.

Sikh is viewed more as a way of life, rather than a religion. We were allowed to take photos, however no photos with ourselves posed because they said it changes the focus of the photo – you become focused on yourself rather than what is happening behind you it distorts your priorities and thoughts. Wise words, I thought…

They have a huge sense of community here and there is a large community kitchen where they serve food anytime to anyone of any religion. All of the helpers are volunteers AND they work in the largest kitchen I've ever seen! Some of these pots should have been in Dubai!

We also visited one of the oldest and most crowded markets called Chandni Chowk as well as the famous spice markets… frankly, I am surprised that Matthew was even able to take photos of these places since I was solely focused on not getting run over, stepping in unidentifiable piles in the middle of the street, and not getting lost!

Notice that I am looking down... watching where I step!

Sorting Black Peppercorns

We also visited the “tourist” sights such as India Gate (Twin of the gate in Belgium) as well as the Presidential House which is like their parliament buildings in Delhi. Both of these places were much much much cleaner and it was a HUGE clash compared to what we'd already seen in the “real Delhi”

Yup... dorks we are..

Big Difference Right?!