So to finish off Delhi updates (photos to follow!...) When Ana was fully recovered we moved hotel again to the ever so modern Bloomrooms (check it out!) this is a new concept for Indian hotels- more an IKEA flat pack hotel. Baz and April would love it!
Then off to the main bazaar as I didn't want Ana to underestimate the chaos I'd seen the day before- a great reintroduction to Indian daily life. Smoky, noisy, hassle and chaos but vibrant and fun once you're used to it :)
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I've become surprisingly relaxed and at ease with it all.
Clearly Ana was much better as we decided to walk to the Jantar Mantar, a set of structures built as astronomical tools to calculate the calendar and times. This was a good hours walk and I suspected that Ana was getting into her stride, I did suggest we take it easy as it's still recovery time but for those who know Ana well- she ignored me. Jantar itself was underwhelming, the historic significance and what the astronomers were able to achieve, the structures had not been well maintained.
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Following this we headed to India Gate- a pretty impressive war memorial. After both of these trips we realised that the map was neither to scale or had any resemblance to the roads we were walking around! Decided to take a rickshaw back -at rush hour and noone wanted to take us! A long and arduous walk home and we were bushed!
The following day we visited the red fort and Chandni chowk- wow what a place! The fort is huge and has museums inside it, very different scale to Spitbank fort for you Pompey lot! Chandni chowk is awash with bazaars and all forms of life! We took the tube across from the hotel, crowded but clean and simple to use- it was cleaner and newer than the London tube! Also our first experience of a cycle rickshaw, not sure if I'd do that again as the guy was struggling uphill and looked a little tired when we got off.
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We headed across to the Jama Masjid mosque and sat on the steps taking in chadni chowk, quite a peaceful spot to watch the world go by. We ended up not heading in after a dispute over the number of cameras we were carrying and the primary school art apron they wanted Ana to wear as she had her wrists on show! Still a nice way to round up in Delhi, back to hotel for food and a late train to Jodhpur.
Now experts at the Indian railway system, so no issues finding our places and it turned out that we'd been upgraded to First Class for free- yippee! Ana and I shared a 4 bed cabin with only 1 other person all the way. He was a government agricultural research scientist, we stayed up chatting about the recent election results and a 40 year irrigation canal project- and then retired to our first class beds for the night, very highbrow!
Arrived in Jodhpur and checked into the Govind Hotel. We initially switched rooms after discovering mouse poo in the bed. But after that this place has been great, good food, social people, friendly and helpful. First day we headed up to the fort to check on the route and ended up wandering through tiny lanes and back streets in the blue city, trying to find a route up the very steep hill. Every now and then a cow, a dog, a goat and even a few chickens (and their respective poo!) got in the way, but the local people acted as living signposts pointing out the route through the maze.
The fort here is also pretty cool, something tells me you'll all be bored of the talk of forts before we leave India, and it will be temples next!
Visited the Mandore gardens today and Andy was in his element, monkeys galore!
Sadly the monkeys are seen as vermin and fed like pigeons and also chased like them too. Onto sad stuff we were approached by a child who looked as though his insides were on his outside. Pretty shocking as he was sent out begging and is so far removed from anything we'd experience at home. On a cheerier note, we're up to date with the blog and bid you farewell. Will check in again from Jaisalmer :)
Then off to the main bazaar as I didn't want Ana to underestimate the chaos I'd seen the day before- a great reintroduction to Indian daily life. Smoky, noisy, hassle and chaos but vibrant and fun once you're used to it :)
PHOTO
I've become surprisingly relaxed and at ease with it all.
Clearly Ana was much better as we decided to walk to the Jantar Mantar, a set of structures built as astronomical tools to calculate the calendar and times. This was a good hours walk and I suspected that Ana was getting into her stride, I did suggest we take it easy as it's still recovery time but for those who know Ana well- she ignored me. Jantar itself was underwhelming, the historic significance and what the astronomers were able to achieve, the structures had not been well maintained.
PHOTO
Following this we headed to India Gate- a pretty impressive war memorial. After both of these trips we realised that the map was neither to scale or had any resemblance to the roads we were walking around! Decided to take a rickshaw back -at rush hour and noone wanted to take us! A long and arduous walk home and we were bushed!
The following day we visited the red fort and Chandni chowk- wow what a place! The fort is huge and has museums inside it, very different scale to Spitbank fort for you Pompey lot! Chandni chowk is awash with bazaars and all forms of life! We took the tube across from the hotel, crowded but clean and simple to use- it was cleaner and newer than the London tube! Also our first experience of a cycle rickshaw, not sure if I'd do that again as the guy was struggling uphill and looked a little tired when we got off.
PHOTO
We headed across to the Jama Masjid mosque and sat on the steps taking in chadni chowk, quite a peaceful spot to watch the world go by. We ended up not heading in after a dispute over the number of cameras we were carrying and the primary school art apron they wanted Ana to wear as she had her wrists on show! Still a nice way to round up in Delhi, back to hotel for food and a late train to Jodhpur.
Now experts at the Indian railway system, so no issues finding our places and it turned out that we'd been upgraded to First Class for free- yippee! Ana and I shared a 4 bed cabin with only 1 other person all the way. He was a government agricultural research scientist, we stayed up chatting about the recent election results and a 40 year irrigation canal project- and then retired to our first class beds for the night, very highbrow!
Arrived in Jodhpur and checked into the Govind Hotel. We initially switched rooms after discovering mouse poo in the bed. But after that this place has been great, good food, social people, friendly and helpful. First day we headed up to the fort to check on the route and ended up wandering through tiny lanes and back streets in the blue city, trying to find a route up the very steep hill. Every now and then a cow, a dog, a goat and even a few chickens (and their respective poo!) got in the way, but the local people acted as living signposts pointing out the route through the maze.
The fort here is also pretty cool, something tells me you'll all be bored of the talk of forts before we leave India, and it will be temples next!
Visited the Mandore gardens today and Andy was in his element, monkeys galore!
Sadly the monkeys are seen as vermin and fed like pigeons and also chased like them too. Onto sad stuff we were approached by a child who looked as though his insides were on his outside. Pretty shocking as he was sent out begging and is so far removed from anything we'd experience at home. On a cheerier note, we're up to date with the blog and bid you farewell. Will check in again from Jaisalmer :)
Glad you are feeling better, pleased that IKEA has already appeared in the blog and over joyed that you have been travelling first class xx
ReplyDeleteSomething tells me this is the actual Secret Undergound Monk's drinking water distillery!
ReplyDelete