Some might say that this is a rather immature title for a blog post. They would be correct. However, let us return to my earlier mention that I am a girl who is sensitive of nose. And Delhi is genuinely smelly.
Sometimes the smells were really amazing. The morning after we arrived, the group, Faye and I went for a breakfast at a little street stall where we watched them prepare Kulcha - these are a type of bread cooked in the tandoor. It is a bit like a stuffed naan but has potato and onion and spices inside. You then dip it into dahl and other fragrant dips. Anyway, the smell was incredible. The man who prepared them must have had asbestos hands, he rolled the dough, wapped in the filling and wapped it into the tandoor just with a tiny oven glove. We ate from metal plates in the street and it was absolutely delicious. So good that we went back there when we went back to Delhi before home.
Sometimes the smells were really awful. Delhi has a population of around 14 million. There is rubbish all over the streets and a distinct smell of sewage. The poverty is incredible. But so is the beauty and richness. The rich and poor divide is enormous. The terrorism of recent years means that even to get the metro, you have to have your bag scanned and be frisked by a police officer. Police officers all carry huge guns. We couldn't walk for a few minutes without seeing somebody begging, somebody asking us where we were from or if we had a map or if we needed are ride or where we were going or did we want to buy something. By the final day in India, we were pestered so much that we got a bit of rage and started telling people to go away (I must say, my language has certainly become more shall-we-say 'colourful' since I left). By the end of day, the next person who talked to me was literally going to get my map shoved up their...nose.
On the second day in Delhi we did a whistle-stop tour around the city.
We saw Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, Humayun's tomb (the tomb of an old Mughal emperor which looked like a mini taj mahal), India Gate and the epic Red Fort or Lal Qila (I will now look at the amazing Lal Qila Rezza on the Curry Mile in Manchester in a new light).
In the evening, our guide, Visal (an absolute dude), took us to some temples. The first one was a Sikh temple - a man sat on an elevated platform cross-legged whilst three men sang into microphones.The temple was beautiful marble and inside was really colourful.You always have to walk around a Sikh temple clockwise, have bare feet and cover your head. I was then given a lump of blessed Karah Prasad made from Semolina, sugar and ghee. My philosophy is to try all food offered to you at least once. Sometimes you find something new you like. Sometimes you don't. I think this might fall into the 'don't' category.
We then went to a Hindu temple. No cameras, bags, anything allowed. Once again we whipped off our shoes. It was so beautiful and we learnt all about Ganesh, Vishnu and Shiva - three Hindu Gods.
Early to bed - a 6 o'clock train to Agra in the morning.
Delhi train station was an experience in itself. As we walked into the station there was a sea of people sleeping on the floor. The train station absolutely reeked. As we pulled away we found the source. Men and children were sitting all along the railway track, with their pants down - there are no two ways to say it - taking a crap. Just squatting in a line. Obviously, slums are often without running water but I was still agog. This must have gone on for about a mile as we pulled away.
Being a member of the Cotton/Whittall clan and amused by all things scatological, this was an ideal time for a picture but I couldn't whip out the camera fast enough. Words can't really describe it. All I will say is this: I have never seen so many flapping naked pooing bare-bottomed men in my long legged life.
Next time I take the Virgin Pendolino from London to Manchester I will most definitely keep my eyes peeled.
Open mouthed, we journeyed on. Next stop, Agra. Home to one of the seven wonders of the world.
Sometimes the smells were really amazing. The morning after we arrived, the group, Faye and I went for a breakfast at a little street stall where we watched them prepare Kulcha - these are a type of bread cooked in the tandoor. It is a bit like a stuffed naan but has potato and onion and spices inside. You then dip it into dahl and other fragrant dips. Anyway, the smell was incredible. The man who prepared them must have had asbestos hands, he rolled the dough, wapped in the filling and wapped it into the tandoor just with a tiny oven glove. We ate from metal plates in the street and it was absolutely delicious. So good that we went back there when we went back to Delhi before home.
Sometimes the smells were really awful. Delhi has a population of around 14 million. There is rubbish all over the streets and a distinct smell of sewage. The poverty is incredible. But so is the beauty and richness. The rich and poor divide is enormous. The terrorism of recent years means that even to get the metro, you have to have your bag scanned and be frisked by a police officer. Police officers all carry huge guns. We couldn't walk for a few minutes without seeing somebody begging, somebody asking us where we were from or if we had a map or if we needed are ride or where we were going or did we want to buy something. By the final day in India, we were pestered so much that we got a bit of rage and started telling people to go away (I must say, my language has certainly become more shall-we-say 'colourful' since I left). By the end of day, the next person who talked to me was literally going to get my map shoved up their...nose.
On the second day in Delhi we did a whistle-stop tour around the city.
We saw Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, Humayun's tomb (the tomb of an old Mughal emperor which looked like a mini taj mahal), India Gate and the epic Red Fort or Lal Qila (I will now look at the amazing Lal Qila Rezza on the Curry Mile in Manchester in a new light).
In the evening, our guide, Visal (an absolute dude), took us to some temples. The first one was a Sikh temple - a man sat on an elevated platform cross-legged whilst three men sang into microphones.The temple was beautiful marble and inside was really colourful.You always have to walk around a Sikh temple clockwise, have bare feet and cover your head. I was then given a lump of blessed Karah Prasad made from Semolina, sugar and ghee. My philosophy is to try all food offered to you at least once. Sometimes you find something new you like. Sometimes you don't. I think this might fall into the 'don't' category.
We then went to a Hindu temple. No cameras, bags, anything allowed. Once again we whipped off our shoes. It was so beautiful and we learnt all about Ganesh, Vishnu and Shiva - three Hindu Gods.
Early to bed - a 6 o'clock train to Agra in the morning.
Delhi train station was an experience in itself. As we walked into the station there was a sea of people sleeping on the floor. The train station absolutely reeked. As we pulled away we found the source. Men and children were sitting all along the railway track, with their pants down - there are no two ways to say it - taking a crap. Just squatting in a line. Obviously, slums are often without running water but I was still agog. This must have gone on for about a mile as we pulled away.
Being a member of the Cotton/Whittall clan and amused by all things scatological, this was an ideal time for a picture but I couldn't whip out the camera fast enough. Words can't really describe it. All I will say is this: I have never seen so many flapping naked pooing bare-bottomed men in my long legged life.
Next time I take the Virgin Pendolino from London to Manchester I will most definitely keep my eyes peeled.
Open mouthed, we journeyed on. Next stop, Agra. Home to one of the seven wonders of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment