Delhi, Not New, Still the Same

From what we had heard, travelers have both loved and hated Delhi. I find myself in the former category. While it was a busy, intense, noisy, dirty and crowded city - that is just India and no different from anywhere else. What probably appealed most to me about the city was the ability to walk around on actual sidewalks while enjoying oneself and not fearing imminent death by collision. Also, Main Bazaar - the place we stayed, had a nostalgic Khao San Road feel to it.

We arrived by train and, despite warnings to the contrary, the touts weren't as bad or aggressive as other places. Having picked out our neighborhood to peruse for hostels (backpackers' ghetto of course) we jetted off in a rickshaw and started marching with our 20lb packs in the blazing Indian heat. I was sweating like a whore in church so we entered the first decent looking place we found. The prices were a little high, but the owner took me aside and offered me a deal because, as he said, "your girlfriend looks very unhappy with you." He was right, but at least we got the deal.

In Delhi we did all the usual touristy stuff. We visited the Red Fort, Jama Masjid (a mosque that holds 25,000), Rajghat (Gandhi and Nehru's cremation park) and a number of outdoor bazaars. Like I said, much of the appeal of the city was the ability to walk around quaint (for India) neighborhoods like Connaught Place. A circular neighborhood that consisted of three rings, Connaught Place had lots of local and chain restaurants and shops and not an insubstantial amount of air conditioning (hard to find over here).

Main Bazaar was a quintessential backpacker's ghetto. Lots of shops, restaurants and hostels and all cheap. Additionally, there were fresh juice stands and good street food. Speaking of street food, I made a rookie error when after ordering a mutton (goat) kebab from a street vendor I grabbed one from what looked like the cooked pile, only to bite into it and realize that it was only half cooked and that he finished bbqing them only after they had been ordered. I was slightly embarrassed and definitely felt lucky to have escaped food poisoning. Better luck tomorrow.