EXPLORING OLD AND NEW DELHI      JAN. 17

After leaving Bhutan, we flew DrukAir (Dragon Air) from Paro to Kolkata where we had to collect our stuff, go through customs, lots of hassle and barely get to our plane (3 hour layover) for our flight on Jet Air to Delhi. My luggage was 3 kg. overweight so I had to pay an extra 1050 rupees! I'm going to have to shuffle stuff around. I've been collecting shampoos, etc. from our hotels as I like to have them for guests and renters. But I think they will be too heavy and I'll have to leave them!! I ripped one of the books I'm reading and threw away 1/2 of it that I'd finished, and finished the book last night and threw the rest away!! I have 3 more but may have to dump them as well! We are limited to 33 lbs. or 18 kilos. Ugh!!

We were met by a driver at the luggage area in Delhi and he drove us in a beautiful bus (we will have this bus for 10 days!) through crowded streets midday (it was a Saturday) to our hotel. It's lovely and Daisy our guide for these 16 days says it's the best one we will have!! There is a fitness center so I worked out this morning as I knew we would be on the bus most of the day today. Dinner was on our own last night and Barbara and I went to the bar for Kingfisher beers and pizza!! Delicious! We topped it off with a scrumptious piece of chocolate cake from Ye Olde Bakery in the lobby!! I LOVE having my own room - don't have to talk or be social, after a whole day of togetherness, and can just reflect on the day! It's great!!

Decorated party room for an engagement party. 

Gorgeous flowers in the lobby. Yesterday they were orange lilies. 

We had an introductory meeting with the whole group of 16 at 10:30 for about an hour and a half this morning. Susan and Tom from PA, Kay and Paul from St. Paul, and Larry, a psychiatrist, from Silver Springs, MD, and Mark, a dentist from Cincinnati, joined the group. A couple of them had gotten in REALLY late or rather early this morning so I'm sure they must be dragging by now.

Our guide Daisy (Padmaja) has been with OAT for 20 years leading groups and loves her job - it shows in her enthusiasm. In her introduction she gave us a lot of information. There is a lot of fog, sometimes, at this time of year here in Dec. and Jan. and it's really necessary for the agriculture. In 1985 there were 6 million people in Delhi and now there are 16.5 million. There is a 7.6% per annum growth here. There are 1 million billionaires in India, and a huge middle class. Yes, there is a lot of poverty you see on the streets. These are often construction workers from the countryside who camp out near their building sites so they don't have to pay rent. We saw a guy hanging laundry in the middle of a roundabout, because it was in the sunlight!! There is also a lot of urban migration trying to find jobs in the city. We passed a Sunday-only market where these migrants buy really cheap stuff, clothing, cookware, etc. and it was crazy!! I'm glad we weren't on foot!! Daisy pointed out that you don't see the middle and upper classes outside because they are all in their offices working, making money, etc. What you see on the streets are the poor! So it seems like a lot but when you're talking 1.3 billion people in the country, it's not a huge percentage.

The other negative is the garbage. The government is making a huge Clean Delhi campaign but it takes time and people have different priorities that cleaning up!! China is the same way!

We headed first for a drive-around of the colonial/government building section of New Delhi. The British laid out the broad, evergreen-lined avenues and roundabouts of New Delhi (in contrast to the narrow alleyways of the old city). They had a summer capital up in the mountains, but planted these evergreens to keep it looking green when it gets into the hundreds during the summer here. They are supposed to grow up in the mountainous area but they have survived 100 years here!

When we drove around the newer part of the city, chairs, bleachers and barricades were set up in anticipation of Republic Day, 26 January. This is the day in 1950 when India was declared a Sovereign Socialist Republic. Their Independence day is in August, celebrating 1947 when Lord Mountbatten brought down the flag and Britain went home and gave up on trying to rule here. On Republic day it's a great honor to have one world leader invited. Last year President Obama sat through this day long procession/parade of mostly military down this long avenue. This year it will be the French president so honored.

Old British colonial area of New Delhi

Chairs set up for parade on Republic Day

Parade will go down this avenue

90% of the cars we see on the crowded streets are made here in India - by Toyota, Chevrolet, etc. - all the car companies produce here because labor is so much cheaper. The middle class is going through a crazy buying spree and it's causing pollution and crowding. In January for 15 days they tried having only odd numbered license plates drive one day, and the next the even numbered ending plates. She thinks this might be implemented. But it's a democracy so people have to agree to do it.

The tuk-tuks (3 wheeled motorized vehicles) were all converted from diesel to CNG (natural gas) as well as buses. So that's helping. They are all painted green and yellow to show environmental concerns.

Sunday cheap market

See the yellow and green tuk-tuk?

Delhi is the center of the largest democracy in the world by size and number of people. Mumbai is the financial center of India with its many tall buildings (it's by the water, on a peninsula so it grows up rather that out like Delhi). Mumbai has 19.5 million people and is the largest city.

But Delhi is older, has existed for 1600+ years. For many years it was over 700 kingdoms. Then in 1100 AD, Moslem invaders came through the Kyber Pass (near Pakistan/Afghanistan) and invaded. In 1190 the first Islamic dynasty named their capital here on the Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges, that comes down from the Himalayas. Mamaluk, from Egypt through Turkmenestan started 7 dynasties here.

Then in the 1600s the Mongol, or Mughal invaders - related to Ghenghis Khan came in and ruled. 15% of Indians are Muslim. Their capital was Agra. Their 5th king built the Taj Mahal. Then came the British East India company who set up their capital in Calcutta. Finally in 1857 Britain came in an colonized and ruled here until they finally gave up, provoked by Gandhi and his independence movement in 1947 and went home.

We spent time at Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, and outdoor mosque. Then we went in pairs for 1/2 hour rickshaw (bicycle powered) ride through the Muslim sector, crazy crowded!!! Off of those, Daisy led us on a walk really narrow alleys of the Hindu section of the Old City with intertwining electric cables hanging overhead, and stopping to see some ancient doorways.

All non-Indian women have to don these robes, because of some smart ass hippies who came in shorts, etc. and refused to dress respectfully. Now it's mandatory! 

our shoe pile while we donned "temple socks"

These guys loved posing. Then the one in the middle took MY picture! Cute!

This little girl all dressed up was very shy!

She wanted to stay right by her dad!

Inside part of mosque, faces west to Mecca

More elegantly dressed Indian women

I'm assuming this is the Koran or some prayer book

Washing hands, feet, rinsing mouth (Yuck!

Our last stop of the tour was at Raj Ghat, a beautifully serene monument where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. The ashes are not saved (because he goes on to the next life, it is believed) but scattered, poured in the river, whatever. But a lovely simple monument was built the next year and flowers are arranged on the slab every day. It was Sunday and crowded with people enjoying the day off.

Our pedicab driver

Chaotic driving!

Crazy electrical wires everywhere!

Muslim section of Old City

Automotive parts store!!

Mosque from the distance

Selling fireworks

Dental supply store!!

Ancient doorway

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Very tight alleyways

Looks like wood but it's cement

Barbershop

These used to be wealthy homes

Market stall

Mango leaves hanging above door. Brings prosperity, shows wealth

Something they chew, with beetlenut, tobacco.

We had an authentic Indian dinner at a restaurant and sampled really good Indian food. I enjoyed it and I'm not that keen on Indian food. We were all tired when returning to our lovely hotel for the night. /;