Day 1 in New Delhi, India

Day 1 in New Delhi, India

I woke up @ 6AM, I just could not sleep any longer, and the time change had hold of my body. Breakfast was huge and almost too much to choose from and I had that at 8 AM. Our first tour started at 12.30 PM, so what do I do?

Not much could be seen from our hotel compound, the walls, the greenery, and the gardens all blocked off the daily life. I felt like a nightingale in the golden cage. I tried to explore the beautiful looking garden that surrounded the hotel structure, I even saw a herb garden, all prim and properly labeled, but the smell when the gardeners used human manure drove me back to the lobby.

I met some people in our group there and Fiona, our permanent guide, along with her husband Gary, introduced themselves and then at 1.00 PM we started our first bus tour. The local guide, a female by

Prithy Our Local Guide

the name of Prithy (the name means “Love”) met us wearing a beautiful sari. Her English was excellent, her demeanor and looks were even better. She wore a large ‘bindi’ (red dot on forehead, indicating a married woman) even though, she told us, she is not married. Prithy feels the bindi protects her from unwanted advances from certain males. Her first tour showed us the old British layout of New Delhi, the important old British buildings, now used as Government offices made a very impressive view. Everything about New Delhi in the previous British area, is done on a very grand, almost pompous scale. Fountains, parks, treed avenues, lanes and streets all are splendid. Even the private living quarters of the common, British subjects were stunning. Naturally all those installations are dated today, the British Empire Style not being in vogue any longer; still it’s an impressive display of wealth.

Former British Area of New Delhi

To lay the ground work for our understanding of India, Prithy gave us a general overview of India’s history. Here is some general, basic Indian history that puts things in perspective:

India first became significant to the Western world when Alexander the Great in about 326 BC won the Battle of Hydaspes. Trade and communication were opened, ideas were swapped. Not much happened after that until about the 8^th Century when Northern India was overrun by Islam coming from Afghanistan. India was an assortment of tribes, clans, families or kingdoms: thousands of them. Some were large, most rather small. Nepal is one of those left over old Kingdoms. So is Bhutan, so was Tibet, etc. All practicing a religion we today call Hinduism. Hinduism has many facets. Just like Christianity has many “sects” (Catholic, Protestant, Baptists, Greek Orthodox, Latter Day Saints –Mormon (LDS), Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc., etc., so does Hinduism have various sects or spin offs. Some even believe that Buddhism is a form of Hinduism.

There was a constant tension among those early Kingdoms all vying for a top spot. There used to be a lot of infighting, too. Each Kingdom had a warrior class and they had to be kept busy. In fact it was very similar to early European history, when I look back to Germany or any other European country around the year 700.

All of this this ended when Islam started to spread. After Islam spread into what is today Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, the newly united Afghan tribes, united under Islam, overran the smallish Indian kingdoms. The Afghans, in the name of Allah, conquered and plundered. Plundered Northern India first, and then moved steadily southward. The smallish kingdoms of India had no chance against the marauding advances of Afghans. The invaders were ruthless, brutal and cruel. The Khanate of Timor the Terrible, also known as Tamerlane and his descendants were of importance during that time. The Afghan period of invasion of India (700 to 1500) brought forth total conquest. The whole social structure of India was affected and even though Hinduism survived, it was mostly supplanted by Islam. Indian life after those damaging, looting years was changed forever. Many ideas that flourished before were now over-ruled and guided by underlying Islamic principles. Arranged marriages are just one example. No education for women. The whole view of women in society was reshaped. While before there were female priests, now only men could rule. The Afghan, Islamic conquest of India was disastrous. The Afghans destroyed, they did not rebuild. They raped and pillaged. They only took without regard for the misery they left behind.

Islamic Cultural Centre

The rebuilding, the ripping down and then replacing with new or better structures was left to the Persians (Iran) who replaced, even drove out the Afghans after the year 1500. The invention of gun powder, cannons and rifles helped here tremendously.  When I say Persians I really mean the Mongols. Ah, yes, history tells you a lot of things. Remember Attila the Hun? Remember Genghis Khan, the Golden Hordes? The real rulers of Persia around 1500 were the Mongols (Mogul, Mughal) who conquered Persia during the times of the Golden Hordes (1220 AD). The ruling classes in Persia were the Khans. The word khanate means a Khan is in charge, a Khan is a Mongol chief, a Mongol King, an Emperor. In translation the word has changed from Mongol to Mogul. Yes, all the Indian Moguls were pure Mongols. They were proud to be Non-Indian, Asiatic looking with slanted eyes. Are you surprised? I was! I never thought the Mongols ruled India, but they sure did. And those Mongols were Islamic, too, in a more “refined” sort of Islamic way. Smarter it seems, more artistic. These Moguls built palaces, showed splendor and introduced changes but were more benefactors, rather than thieves.

Modern Former British Area

India had many Empires rule over her. Europeans tried to conquer, the Portuguese, the French, the Dutch and lastly the British. India was called the crown jewel in the crown of Queen Victoria. “Great” Britain made most of her money with the products she took from India. Sure they built roads, installed forts, brought law to the masses, dictated the way to do business, built a railroad, etc., etc. but only in their own self-interest. Roads made it easier to transport items out of India. Trains could do it in greater quantity. The British tried to re-educate the masses here, tried to install a Christian outlook into things but India is India. Just go ahead, try to tell an Indian person not to walk barefooted. Just try to tell them to not eat such spicy food. They will smile at you, say yes and go on doing their own thing. All the conquerors have learned that lesson.

Often Saw 3 People on a Motorcycle

India has her own traffic rules, too. Do I understand them? No, but somehow, it all works.

Our first day in New Delhi was an introduction to this country. Thank you Prithy for your comments, I learned a lot.

Again 3 People on a Motorcycle

Flight from Toronto to New Delhi, India

Flight from YYZ to New Delhi, India

A big name on my bucket list was always India. I listened to many people who have visited and heard mixed reviews of likes or dislikes. It seems there is no middle ground, you either love India or you don't. Since 2017 is a year that adds a 0 to my birthday, and I don't seem to get younger, I thought now is the time to visit and find out where I stand regarding a love for India.

Ready to Take Off

It is a long direct flight from Toronto, ON to New Delhi. Even though we had premium economy seats, after 14 hours my butt ached. We flew over Greenland, the northern parts of Norway, Russia, Uzbekistan and then Afghanistan to reach India. The time change is somewhat of a killer. We left at 9.30 PM and arrived at 9.30 PM, but we arrived the next day.

Route Over Russia & Afghanistan

Entry into India, especially the immigration service is VERY tedious and slow and was made especially difficult by dedicated, yet seemingly incompetent officers or bureaucrats. Even before entering India I had to apply for 2 visas as we were leaving and then returning to India. The process online is arcane and cumbersome. But even having done all the preliminaries, once in front of the immigration officer, having a valid visa in hand, the process to enter India is frustrating. My visa had a picture on it, yet I was photographed again. The fingerprint machine did not work; it took 6 trials to finally get my fingerprints recorded. The whole procedure for me took about 20 minutes, with hundreds of people behind me waiting in line to pass through the same immigration. What further puzzled me is that some officers were much more efficient, I must have drawn the especially inefficient, working by the letter of the book, older gentleman, who sure took his sweet time.

Once past immigration and having collected our luggage, things improved immensely. The New Delhi tour representative, Harry, met us once we stepped out of the confined Airport gate and took over. With the help of the guide, India became a wonderland of how things work. Porters move your luggage, the guide phones the pick-up car to meet you in the predetermined spot and off you go to the hotel. We opted, when we booked our tour, to prepay all tipping. Looking back it was a good policy and made my life a lot easier. We did not tip the porters, he was not allowed to take tips by airport policy and the pickup car driver was tipped by the travel agency. Still, not following the rules, as I am prone to do often, I slipped the porter a tip anyhow. He helped us a lot during the ordeal at immigration. But, I had to be sly about the tipping, video cameras record all transactions and the fellow would have lost his job if the recordings showed that I tipped him. Those rules are strict. Nobody though, watches what the guides do to each other, so our tour guide tipped him outside in my name and I gave the money to the tour guide later, in the bus.

Traffic!

On the way from the airport to the hotel, sitting in the bus, looking out the window I received my first impression of how traffic moves in India. Wow ! It is hard to describe. If there is logic behind it, but I did not get the logic. Driving law specifies driving on the left side on the road, like in Great Britain. But India for sure is nothing, not even close to as organized as that. Mopeds, motorcycles, pushcarts, walking people, animals, objects, road conditions, etc. etc. all add to, what seems to me chaos. Yet traffic flows. I will write more about traffic in some later reports, but my first impression was a question starting to form in my head, “ how does this work “, it seemed impossible that it could work, but please remember, traffic does flow, in fact flows quite rapidly, given the obstacles one has to avoid. After some time I just let the driver do his thing, I forced myself no not look at the traffic and watched the scenery flow by. The way from the airport to the hotel was mostly highway driving and once we got off the modern highways we passed through the embassy section were traffic was light and we made quick progress.

Hotel Lobby From Our Hallway Balcony

Arriving at the hotel we had to pass strict security. The car was thoroughly inspected, even the trunk had to be opened, and the engine compartment had to be popped open for a visual inspection. Upon leaving the car all luggage was x-rayed and I had to walk past a full body scanner. The whole hotel compound was walled and guarded.

Car Inspection Before Entry to Hotel

By the time I reached my nice room and was ready for some sleep it was midnight.

Well, I am in India now, ready for whatever comes my way.