Delhi Belly
Delhi Belly holds a double meaning for me. Not the runs to the toilets but a belly I did get from eating too much. Who can blame me when the choice of Indian food is so wide and so delicious? And not to mentioned the notoriously sweet indian pastries at Kaleva Sweet shop. It is many times bigger than Komala Villas in Little India, Singapore.
We stayed at the Taj Mahal Hotel, which is part of the Leading Hotels of the World. It is very posh and classy and what I liked about it was the courteous service from the service staff. We were billeted at the Taj Club Floor, which meant that we had access to the club lounge for breakfast, high-tea and cocktails. It was nice to have an oasis to relax after facing all the hassle and bustle of Delhi city.
Although for breakfast, a much wider selection could be had at the main dining room. And what a spread of freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, yoghurts, fruits, hot and cold dishes, breads, croissants,cupcakes, danish and best of all, Indian breakfast items ! I had Marsala Dosai and Marsala Chai every morning !
With only two days to spare before we needed to be in Dehli for meetings, i planned a rather daring sprint to cover Agra and Jaipur. After many hours of research, I had concluded that the best way to see all the highlights in the shortest time was to fly Delhi -Jaipur. We took the 0550 flight on Jet Airways and arrived in Jaipur at 0620. By 0830 we were riding elephants at Amber Fort. I had planned to ride the elephants by 0730 but the car that was supposed to be sent by Shahpura Guest House never came at the appointed time. So we wasted 20 minutes waiting at the airport and finally took a taxi from the pre-paid counter to the guest house. I made a fuss and they were nice enough to reimburse me and also let me check into the suite that I had booked. The room was very nicely appointed and large. Meantime, the taxi driver who took us to the hotel had made me an offer to be our driver for the day for 1000 Rupees. I asked the guest house how much they would offer for such a plan and they quoted me 1500 Rupees. Very quickly I learned that the extra 500 Rupees would go into someone's pocket. Layers of commission appeared to be a norm...
Amber Fort was truly breathtaking and majestic. Along the way, we stopped to take pictures of elephants and a boy with a cobra stopped in our tracks to play his flute. He then persuaded us touch the cobra, which I did. ( later I learned that the cobra had been de-fanged ). There was already a long queue for the elephant ride up the forts, it was obviously the touristy thing to do, but the view from the top of the elephant was worth it. Be prepared to be arm twisted and pestered by vendors of all sorts.
After the fort, we visited the City Palace Museum. An audio- guide was available and easy to follow. By then, we were hungry and the driver suggested Pindi - a "for-tourist-restaurant" but the food was very good and fresh. After a heavy meal of curry, grilled meats, spinach/cottage cheese dish, naan and roti, we were satisfied. It was now time to see the markets and shops.
We visited the Rajasthan Textile Corp. which is one big complex with textiles and more. I would recommend not to be tempted into thinking that government approved store equates best prices. Shopping is by far, better in Delhi. I was mistaken to think that because you are buying from source - Jaipur being the textile area , that prices would be better. The truth is that, once you're a tourist. you have to stay well alert. I bought a so-called "pashmina" shawl, kids clothes for my niece and a Kurta for my husband. And I paid way too much for them...something which I realised in the days to come.
In the morning, we left Jaipur and drove towards Agra, some 240km away. It was a pleasant ride with little harrowing incidents, chiefly because it was daytime driving. We made a stop at Fatehpur Sikri, which is a magnificent palace and worth a short visit. Just be prepared to bargain away the guide's asking price whether he is an official guide or not. Everyone wants to make a buck so be prepared if he / she takes you to a vendor to buy some cloths, strings, flowers to put on the tomb of a holy man. Lastly, he will inevitably tell you to stop by his village's shop to buy some souvenirs. My guide was very persuasive and so insistent that I ended up buying a tea-light holder just to get away from him. Sad but unfortunate, that's the truth when life's a struggle.
Agra as a city isn't attractive, so my choice to overnight in Jaipur was a better choice. The only redeeming site is the Taj Mahal, of course. It is truly breathtaking - the perfect symmetry of this well loved monument. Entrance fee cost 750 Rupees for tourists and some token amount for Indians, but what the heck? It is one of those architectural marvels to see... and we caught it at sunset.
Riding the trains is one way to experience India and I thought it was a "must-do". So we braved the crowd and caught the 2030 train from Agra Cantt to New Delhi Station. We travelled on Executive class, E1 and we were pleasantly surprised by the service. We were served hot meals at our seats - choice of veg or non-veg. Then came bananas and ice-cream ( in a sealed mini carton ). We arrived two hours later at New Delhi Station into mayhem. We finally managed to find a decent looking taxi cab driver and told him to turn the meter on. This was the Meru cab company which i later learned is one of the biggest and more reliable taxi company.
Once back into the comforts of our Taj Mahal Hotel room, i jumped into the shower and onto the soft duvet. We were knocked out...
The next days in Delhi consisted of sightseeing and shopping. We visited a Sikh temple, mosque, Hindu temple and a Catholic cathedral. The highlights are Humayun's tomb, Red Fort and Qutab Minar and India Gate.
If New Delhi is clean with wide avenues, that's because it is where embassies and government buildings are located. Old Delhi is the complete opposite. The lanes are so narrow that only a rickshaw can navigate and that was what we did. We rode in a rickshaw through the busy commercial district of Old Delhi markets. Assaulted by sights, sounds and smells - it was quite an experience.
Delhi is the commercial centre with hundreds of bazaars, markets, shops, department stores. Tip: go shopping with a list of shops recommended by your friends and stick firmly with it. Forget about suggestions by your driver to side-track to shops that he wants to take you. He hasn't a clue of your preferences and tastes and he probably never ever shop in there. He takes you to where he gets a little commission and often that's a waste of your time.
Be prepared to ask around, check prices and compare goods as prices and quality varies like day and night. Rule of thumb: Don't be tempted or persuaded to buy at first sight because there's plenty more to come and you can always return to the store. And don't forget to negotiate. Indians love a good negotiation.
We stayed at the Taj Mahal Hotel, which is part of the Leading Hotels of the World. It is very posh and classy and what I liked about it was the courteous service from the service staff. We were billeted at the Taj Club Floor, which meant that we had access to the club lounge for breakfast, high-tea and cocktails. It was nice to have an oasis to relax after facing all the hassle and bustle of Delhi city.Although for breakfast, a much wider selection could be had at the main dining room. And what a spread of freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, yoghurts, fruits, hot and cold dishes, breads, croissants,cupcakes, danish and best of all, Indian breakfast items ! I had Marsala Dosai and Marsala Chai every morning !
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| Shah Suite, Shahpura Guest House, Jaipur |
Amber Fort was truly breathtaking and majestic. Along the way, we stopped to take pictures of elephants and a boy with a cobra stopped in our tracks to play his flute. He then persuaded us touch the cobra, which I did. ( later I learned that the cobra had been de-fanged ). There was already a long queue for the elephant ride up the forts, it was obviously the touristy thing to do, but the view from the top of the elephant was worth it. Be prepared to be arm twisted and pestered by vendors of all sorts.  |
| Amber Fort via Elephant |
After the fort, we visited the City Palace Museum. An audio- guide was available and easy to follow. By then, we were hungry and the driver suggested Pindi - a "for-tourist-restaurant" but the food was very good and fresh. After a heavy meal of curry, grilled meats, spinach/cottage cheese dish, naan and roti, we were satisfied. It was now time to see the markets and shops.
We visited the Rajasthan Textile Corp. which is one big complex with textiles and more. I would recommend not to be tempted into thinking that government approved store equates best prices. Shopping is by far, better in Delhi. I was mistaken to think that because you are buying from source - Jaipur being the textile area , that prices would be better. The truth is that, once you're a tourist. you have to stay well alert. I bought a so-called "pashmina" shawl, kids clothes for my niece and a Kurta for my husband. And I paid way too much for them...something which I realised in the days to come.
In the morning, we left Jaipur and drove towards Agra, some 240km away. It was a pleasant ride with little harrowing incidents, chiefly because it was daytime driving. We made a stop at Fatehpur Sikri, which is a magnificent palace and worth a short visit. Just be prepared to bargain away the guide's asking price whether he is an official guide or not. Everyone wants to make a buck so be prepared if he / she takes you to a vendor to buy some cloths, strings, flowers to put on the tomb of a holy man. Lastly, he will inevitably tell you to stop by his village's shop to buy some souvenirs. My guide was very persuasive and so insistent that I ended up buying a tea-light holder just to get away from him. Sad but unfortunate, that's the truth when life's a struggle.
Agra as a city isn't attractive, so my choice to overnight in Jaipur was a better choice. The only redeeming site is the Taj Mahal, of course. It is truly breathtaking - the perfect symmetry of this well loved monument. Entrance fee cost 750 Rupees for tourists and some token amount for Indians, but what the heck? It is one of those architectural marvels to see... and we caught it at sunset.
Riding the trains is one way to experience India and I thought it was a "must-do". So we braved the crowd and caught the 2030 train from Agra Cantt to New Delhi Station. We travelled on Executive class, E1 and we were pleasantly surprised by the service. We were served hot meals at our seats - choice of veg or non-veg. Then came bananas and ice-cream ( in a sealed mini carton ). We arrived two hours later at New Delhi Station into mayhem. We finally managed to find a decent looking taxi cab driver and told him to turn the meter on. This was the Meru cab company which i later learned is one of the biggest and more reliable taxi company.
Once back into the comforts of our Taj Mahal Hotel room, i jumped into the shower and onto the soft duvet. We were knocked out...The next days in Delhi consisted of sightseeing and shopping. We visited a Sikh temple, mosque, Hindu temple and a Catholic cathedral. The highlights are Humayun's tomb, Red Fort and Qutab Minar and India Gate.
If New Delhi is clean with wide avenues, that's because it is where embassies and government buildings are located. Old Delhi is the complete opposite. The lanes are so narrow that only a rickshaw can navigate and that was what we did. We rode in a rickshaw through the busy commercial district of Old Delhi markets. Assaulted by sights, sounds and smells - it was quite an experience. Delhi is the commercial centre with hundreds of bazaars, markets, shops, department stores. Tip: go shopping with a list of shops recommended by your friends and stick firmly with it. Forget about suggestions by your driver to side-track to shops that he wants to take you. He hasn't a clue of your preferences and tastes and he probably never ever shop in there. He takes you to where he gets a little commission and often that's a waste of your time.
Be prepared to ask around, check prices and compare goods as prices and quality varies like day and night. Rule of thumb: Don't be tempted or persuaded to buy at first sight because there's plenty more to come and you can always return to the store. And don't forget to negotiate. Indians love a good negotiation.
Hello Beer!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading yer Blogg.
I shall bear in mind your advice and hope we have as colourful an experience as you!
Love to R.