So I started my last tour around new places in India before going home to Sweden. Well, I'll still spend my last week in Bombay.
I haven't really planned too much ahead, and had not gotten the various tickets to the places that I wanted to visit. Only the return plane ticket to Delhi. That was because of lack of time and lack of energy. But I planned this last trip for a while, and I didn't want to give it up. The first part of the journey, Dehli, was a city that almost everyone not from there seemed to hate.
It started well though. I didn't decide what part of of town to look for hotels, until soon before it was time for the plane to land. I looked through the Lonely Planet real fast and decided on the Paharganj area. I got a cheap hotel for 250 Rupees a night at the Main Bazaar street. The bathroom was not in rally bad shape, but the room itself was perfectly okey ..for the price. The hotel had the ironic name Star Palace. I met Tim, a Canadian guy from Vancouver, at the hotel. He was heading home the next day, after touring India and Nepal for three months. The hanged out the first part of the day and checked out some of the Main Bazaar shops, and had lunch together. I liked the Main Bazaar street. It had its charm, and was above expectation.
I spent the remaining day on my own. I wanted to see some sights and took an autorickshaw to Humayun's Tomb. It was a pretty cool place. My rickshaw driver was supposed to wait for me outside and take me to the Red Fort. But he had called a friend and he picked me up instead. Not much to do so I went along. The Red Fort was closed so I watched it from the outside for a short time before heading back. On the way back the rickshaw driver took me to a shop, where I didn't buy anything. Refused other shop visits, but was okay with a stop at a travel agency, since he said that it was under the Government (which turned out later to be a lie). I talked to a agent there, and I agreed on a package deal, believing it to be okay because it suposedly was a government agency. It was way expensive, but I guess I liked to have it done for me, and less for me to worry about. The package included all the places that I wanted to visit. Srinagar and Jammu in Kashmir, Amritsar in Punjab, and Agra (Taj Mahal). My Rickshaw driver wanted 500 Rupees for his job when we got back. What a crook. Sure he spent a few hours driving me, but he didn't deserve that much money for it. I gave him 250, and that was still good I think.
I was about to end my day at a roof top restaurant, eating dinner. There I meat a man that started to talk to me.... and I'm gonna try to keep the story as short as possible. When finding out that I was going to go to Srinagar, Kashmir, and what agency I was using, he got "upset" and said that they were the biggest crooks in Delhi. He was calling a police friend and was going to help me out. He suggested me to cancel my credit card and he was going to send a policeman with me to the travel agency the following morning. He claimed that he himself was working for the Government. I thought that this man was a Good Samaritian who was concerned for me. He asked me to meet up with him at the Lakshmi Narayan temple the next morning. That was supposed to be a "safe place" (plus the fact that he lived close by it turns out).
I met up with him there, and we went back to the roof top restaurant where we met. While having my breakfast he continued to describe the plan that he started to tell me at the temple. While talking to him it turns out that he had a hidden agenda. He also acted like a travel agent, and suggested some yoga or meditation course in Himachal Pradesh ..and wanted me to go there. I was not interested. Then he had plans for the places that I wanted to visit.. and had this friend that could help me. I turned it all down. I wanted to do it myself. But then he wanted money for "helping" me and to pay for the policeman to come along. In other words, baksheesh - a bribe or "tip". I was disapointed to hear that corruption was part of this, but I was so involved in this that I didn't know what to do. He also wanted me to ask for 1000 Euros in compensation from the travel agency for the "pain" that they have caused me. I did not feel comfortable with that. It didn't feel right.
What happened then I have no idea really ...we waited for the police outside a police station ...the policeman came along in a rickshaw to the travel agency. But then for some reason he stepped out half way and asked the driver to continue to the destination. What the heck???
..and to keep it short. I did end up buying the package deal anyway. Long story why..ask me later if you want. Was it over priced? Most likely. But it felt okay, and I got someone else to do the work for me. Those weren't the only two reasons... as I said. Long story. I did get a Delhi city tour as part of the price though. A young guy called "Raj" was the driver. He took me to various sights and places in Delhi and New Delhi.. and it was pretty cool. Besides the visit to Jama Masjid Mosque. Well, the Mosque itself was cool, but the way there ..the traffic ... the crowds ..it was Hell .. a Hell worse than Bombay ...believe it or not. The tour car stopped a bit from the place and I had to take a bike rickshaw there. ..because it was so crowded. It was supposed to take me to the Red Fort too so I could see it so I just wanted to go back.
Afterwards I took a random short trip on the Delhi Metro. I wanted to experience the Indian Metro, something I in all honesty didn't think that India would have. I picked a station with a cool name, Vishwa Vidyalaya,and went there and back. It was a little like the New York metro actually.
Oooh... and how could I forget, during the tour I ran in to a snake charmer again, when I was about to eat at a restaurant. This time I got even better photos, and this time I was able to pet the cobra! :)
On Tuesday morning I was dropped of at the airport by "Raj". My next destination would be Srinagar upp in Kashmir by the Himalayas.
Who to trust in Delhi? I don't know... so many of them here seemed to have their own agendas in what they did. ..and I have to agree with those who didn't like Delhi. Even though I did see some cool things (including things not mentioned in this post), I really think that Delhi really doesn't have much to offer if you're visiting other places in India too.
Oh... and I never got back to the man from the roof top restaurant, the man I believed to be a Good Samaritian.
I haven't really planned too much ahead, and had not gotten the various tickets to the places that I wanted to visit. Only the return plane ticket to Delhi. That was because of lack of time and lack of energy. But I planned this last trip for a while, and I didn't want to give it up. The first part of the journey, Dehli, was a city that almost everyone not from there seemed to hate.
It started well though. I didn't decide what part of of town to look for hotels, until soon before it was time for the plane to land. I looked through the Lonely Planet real fast and decided on the Paharganj area. I got a cheap hotel for 250 Rupees a night at the Main Bazaar street. The bathroom was not in rally bad shape, but the room itself was perfectly okey ..for the price. The hotel had the ironic name Star Palace. I met Tim, a Canadian guy from Vancouver, at the hotel. He was heading home the next day, after touring India and Nepal for three months. The hanged out the first part of the day and checked out some of the Main Bazaar shops, and had lunch together. I liked the Main Bazaar street. It had its charm, and was above expectation.
I spent the remaining day on my own. I wanted to see some sights and took an autorickshaw to Humayun's Tomb. It was a pretty cool place. My rickshaw driver was supposed to wait for me outside and take me to the Red Fort. But he had called a friend and he picked me up instead. Not much to do so I went along. The Red Fort was closed so I watched it from the outside for a short time before heading back. On the way back the rickshaw driver took me to a shop, where I didn't buy anything. Refused other shop visits, but was okay with a stop at a travel agency, since he said that it was under the Government (which turned out later to be a lie). I talked to a agent there, and I agreed on a package deal, believing it to be okay because it suposedly was a government agency. It was way expensive, but I guess I liked to have it done for me, and less for me to worry about. The package included all the places that I wanted to visit. Srinagar and Jammu in Kashmir, Amritsar in Punjab, and Agra (Taj Mahal). My Rickshaw driver wanted 500 Rupees for his job when we got back. What a crook. Sure he spent a few hours driving me, but he didn't deserve that much money for it. I gave him 250, and that was still good I think.
I was about to end my day at a roof top restaurant, eating dinner. There I meat a man that started to talk to me.... and I'm gonna try to keep the story as short as possible. When finding out that I was going to go to Srinagar, Kashmir, and what agency I was using, he got "upset" and said that they were the biggest crooks in Delhi. He was calling a police friend and was going to help me out. He suggested me to cancel my credit card and he was going to send a policeman with me to the travel agency the following morning. He claimed that he himself was working for the Government. I thought that this man was a Good Samaritian who was concerned for me. He asked me to meet up with him at the Lakshmi Narayan temple the next morning. That was supposed to be a "safe place" (plus the fact that he lived close by it turns out).
I met up with him there, and we went back to the roof top restaurant where we met. While having my breakfast he continued to describe the plan that he started to tell me at the temple. While talking to him it turns out that he had a hidden agenda. He also acted like a travel agent, and suggested some yoga or meditation course in Himachal Pradesh ..and wanted me to go there. I was not interested. Then he had plans for the places that I wanted to visit.. and had this friend that could help me. I turned it all down. I wanted to do it myself. But then he wanted money for "helping" me and to pay for the policeman to come along. In other words, baksheesh - a bribe or "tip". I was disapointed to hear that corruption was part of this, but I was so involved in this that I didn't know what to do. He also wanted me to ask for 1000 Euros in compensation from the travel agency for the "pain" that they have caused me. I did not feel comfortable with that. It didn't feel right.
What happened then I have no idea really ...we waited for the police outside a police station ...the policeman came along in a rickshaw to the travel agency. But then for some reason he stepped out half way and asked the driver to continue to the destination. What the heck???
..and to keep it short. I did end up buying the package deal anyway. Long story why..ask me later if you want. Was it over priced? Most likely. But it felt okay, and I got someone else to do the work for me. Those weren't the only two reasons... as I said. Long story. I did get a Delhi city tour as part of the price though. A young guy called "Raj" was the driver. He took me to various sights and places in Delhi and New Delhi.. and it was pretty cool. Besides the visit to Jama Masjid Mosque. Well, the Mosque itself was cool, but the way there ..the traffic ... the crowds ..it was Hell .. a Hell worse than Bombay ...believe it or not. The tour car stopped a bit from the place and I had to take a bike rickshaw there. ..because it was so crowded. It was supposed to take me to the Red Fort too so I could see it so I just wanted to go back.
Afterwards I took a random short trip on the Delhi Metro. I wanted to experience the Indian Metro, something I in all honesty didn't think that India would have. I picked a station with a cool name, Vishwa Vidyalaya,and went there and back. It was a little like the New York metro actually.
Oooh... and how could I forget, during the tour I ran in to a snake charmer again, when I was about to eat at a restaurant. This time I got even better photos, and this time I was able to pet the cobra! :)
On Tuesday morning I was dropped of at the airport by "Raj". My next destination would be Srinagar upp in Kashmir by the Himalayas.
Who to trust in Delhi? I don't know... so many of them here seemed to have their own agendas in what they did. ..and I have to agree with those who didn't like Delhi. Even though I did see some cool things (including things not mentioned in this post), I really think that Delhi really doesn't have much to offer if you're visiting other places in India too.
Oh... and I never got back to the man from the roof top restaurant, the man I believed to be a Good Samaritian.
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Tack för att du delar med dig av dina upplevelser! Jag ser fram emot fler inlägg :)
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