The first week in India

Jen blog

Pitampura - our home in Dehli
We did not realize that booking trains in India required at least a few days notice so we ended up staying in Dehli until Feb. 22. We quickly came to love our neighborhood, Pitampura. Other than our hostel there were no tourists in the area so this meant there was also no one asking if we needed guides or trying to sell us tourist knick knacks. There was a busy local market that was full of dress and fabric stores. Here we met Raju who owned a small store full of beautiful fabrics. After looking through many fabrics we both choose two outfits. Raju then called for some Indian coffee and his tailor. Never have I ever had an outfit fit so perfectly! Having a tailor makes clothes shopping much less frustrating. However, the tailor didn't take into account that our feet are massive compared to Indian women so we had to go back the next day for some adjustments to the bottom of the pants. 

Daily Dehli routine
Our mornings always started with breakfast and tea with the hostel owner Dr. Malik. He shared many tips and stories about India. After a slow morning in Pitampura we walked to the metro. We learned how to walk in the streets and avoid getting hit by the cars, motorcycles and rickshaws. We are not quite as smooth as the locals who never seem to speed up or slow down to dodge vehicles but we always made it! The first day we had to ask some young boys playing cricket for directions and every day after that they smiled and waved at us. 
Taking the metro was always a great part of the day. When we were lining up at a busy station a kind man told us we might prefer the women's car. It was a little piece of heaven! It was not nearly as crowded and full of beautiful colors. We stared at the Indian women and they stared at us in mutual curiosity about each other. You definitely knew it was the women's car when the train jolted and there was a collective gasp followed by a collective giggle. Dr. Malik said he read in the paper that many women were complaining about men riding in the women's car and making them feel uncomfortable. The response of the metro was one day they stopped the train and lined up the men who were in the women's car and had all the women slap them across the face!

During our Dehli afternoons we explored different neighborhoods and world heritage sights. My favorite was Huyaman's tomb. We did not really know what to expect but we were stunned as soon as we walked through the gates. The red sandstone and white marble tomb was beautiful and all the details of the main tomb were restored. However restoration of the side tombs was still in progress and it was neat to see all the different stages of restoration. 

Another world heritage site was the Red Fort. However just before we entered we heard music in the streets. It was a parade and we rushed to see it. It was the first of many wedding parades we would see. We barely had time to take a picture before the women dancing grabbed our hands and pulled us into the parade. It was a lot of fun and a magical experience. After they couldn't stop thanking us and we couldn't stop thanking them. We then made our way into the red fort and wandered through the buildings that were once the home to the powerful Mughal emperor. 

Another stunningly beautiful heritage site was Qutar Mintar. On our way we met another tourist, Ajay, an Indian who just moved to Dehli. He was keen to practice his English and we could pretend he was our guide when people approached us wanting our money. We were jealous that he only had to pay 10 ruppees but we had to pay the foriegner price of 250 ruppees. The main feature of the site was the large Minaret (tower), again beautiful designs in sandstone and marble. It was surrounded in ruins of the first mosque built in India with stones stolen from Hindu temples. The magical thing about ruins in India is the freedom tourists have to wander within them. Unlike Europe there are no do not touch signs and ropes separating the ruins from the tourists. The light was beautiful because the sun was starting to set. 

Whenever the sun started to set that was our cue to head back to the metro. One night we stayed out too long and found the crowded streets of old Dehli became stressful and unpleasant at night. 

The end of the day was always an adventure. We got off the metro and were greeted by many eager rickshaw drivers. We learned to make sure they knew where the address was and to choose a bike that looked somewhat decent. Our adventures of the day ended in a yummy Indian dinner and enjoying the company of two Germans, Mark and Francesca. We hung out on the roof or balcony of the hostel watching the street below and the nightly wedding firework shows.

First impressions

Wow. India is an incredible country. When we first stepped out the door of our hostel we just stood on the steps of our hostel. We watched the chaotic street below us. There were cars, motorcycles, rickshaws and people all weaving in between each other as they navigated the streets. Colourful signs and beautiful women in saris contrasted the dusty streets and old buildings. The sounds of honking, cars and music was overpowering at first. The smells of curries, garbage, dust, animals and people all mixed together. We just stood there for a couple minutes and then looked at each other smiling and said let's go!