The taxi ride to the hotel in Delhi was nuts.
Delhi is very smoggy, people drive like maniacs in all sorts of old cars, nobody sticks to their own lanes and horns are pressed continuously for seemingly random purposes. A few times cars drove off the road to get around us. Passed our first cows on the way to the hotel and a small puppy which thankfully didn't get hit.
The streets in Delhi look run down and old, there are people sitting outside at twelve with crazy traffic - traffic is supposed to get even worse during the day.
Hotel room is OK, clean with running water but have to share a bed with Terry - who seems nice but snores like a truck!
Slept badly, but think I should go out and brave this new world..
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Woke up this morning, very tired but couldn't get back to sleep. Ended up reading about Delhi in the Lonely Planet guide and thinking id like to walk down to the old markets...
Terry met some Shiekh guy (Bill) who was offering a decent (I guess) price on a cab ride around the city 1,000 rupees for the whole day (between 4 of us). 250 rupee is equivalent to $8 AUS... $8 for a 7 hour cab ride? I can handle that...
Bill took us all around Delhi, went to the Monkey God temple and the giant Monkey and saw some real monkeys and some mosques and some market sand other assorting things starting with M.
There is plenty of traffic everywhere, roads are like some sort of weird ordered chaos - with bikes, rickshaws, cabs, old cars, new cars and pedestrians all doing their own thing. All the time in the cab I never really felt unsafe even though people nearly hit us every 5 seconds. The people drive slower than in Australia.. so even if you were to hit someone the damage would be less.
Getting into the markets is an experience.. you can't go anywhere without someone trying to sell you something. Today we had kids coming up to us as India gate with their hands out saying "MONEY!" There was nothing even wrong with them! They just came out of a pool!!
Other women came up to me and pinned an Indian flag on my sleeve and said "No, you take it.." when I tried to say no.. I assumed that meant she wanted me to have the thing, but of couse she wanted money - "for the little ones school.." Bah
Bought some glases for something like $6 and Bill said it was expensive.. the dude probably bought his family food for the next month.. oh well.. Had other guys trying to sell post cards, stamps and sorts of shit no one would ever want.
Got back to the hotel at 5 or so, went to find a net cafe, walked in and sat down.. Internet broken.. tried the next PC.. that didnt work either so I told the guy and he just looked in the opposite direction! I got up and left and went next door, down some steps and a dark corridor and found a net cafe with two computers.. Used one, paid 20 rupees for it for 30 minutes (60c)
Also went into a tourist shop that said free maps.. went in and asked for the free map and had the follow exchange -
"Sir, please sit down.." (says man on phone)
"Uhhh, I just need a map.."
"What map?" (still on phone)
"One of Delhi.. or India.. whatever you have.."
"Please sit down.." (still on phone)
Next guy starts talking to me..
"Sir, please sit, come here.. sit.."
"I'm just looking for a map.."
"I don't have any maps..."
"Umm, ok.. thanks.. bye"
After all that, went to the hotel and used the internet.. still trying to organise the flight.. no response.. Helena came down (one of the Swedish girls in our group) and we went for a walk into the markets. It was awesome and crazy.
Stuff was happening everywhere! People selling all sorts of shit, belts, cusions, material, clothes, shoes, badmiton racquets, some guy in a pig mask (I think it was a pig anyway..) rushed over to met to shake my hand. Helena got some shoes and haggled the guy down to 620 rupees for 2 pairs which is like $10 a pair. It was a cool experience. Almost got lost and hit by cars, bikes and rickshaws. Saw McDonalds and came back to the hotel.. had a cheese sandwich and a beer and dessert for 180 rupees ($6) and had a shower and went to bed. Tired.
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