Sean and I left the cool surroundings of Mcleod Ganj, for Delhi, and other pleasures. On the way we got sidetracked by some Delhi belly and ended up in the Hotel California. It was a stop on the nauseating and stuffy 12 hr bus ride to Delhi, and point where we couldn’t hold it in anymore. The staff were nice, the food ok, the cable tv was my first in weeks, and when we wandered down to the river, there was weed growing like weed.
After a days recovery, we took the morning bus to Delhi, a local bus, it was packed, hot, uncomfortable and stopped constantly but 10 hrs later we where in Delhi. We stayed in the notorious, but not so bad as all that, Paharganj district.
Very close by was the New Delhi train station, we wanted to book some train travel. 3pm in the afternoon, 38 degrees and 100% smogidity, we approached.
Trying to go up to platform one, a man asked us for our ticket, Indians were walking past us at a super rate, so we asked where was his ID. We asked security where the Tourist booking agency was, he said, ‘right and upstairs’.
We head right and look for stairs, we look lost. The same man as before comes up to us, ‘Now do you believe me?’ he says, ‘You need to go to that building across the road.’ Finally we are dragged across the road, well away from the station, into an office where a man is intense on his pc playing solitaire. Feeling dejavu I reach for the LP, then pass it to Sean, it says…
“At the New Delhi train station touts may try to stop you from booking tickets from the upstairs International Tourist Bureau and divert you to one of the (overpriced and often unreliable) travel agencies over the road. Make the assumption that the office is never closed, isn’t being renovated and hasn’t shifted.”
Still we went back and caught again, told by a considerate man that most people were crooks, and we should take this taxi, go to this place and buy a ticket. Accepting his idea that we should go to the official tourist commission, but not in the taxi he recommended, he was (pretended to be) highly offended, accusing us of not trusting anyone. I know, it seems so obvious now, but when it’s 38, dusty and noisy, it’s hard to think straight!
This ‘helpful’ man got very bossy and upset (read – aggressive) when we did not take his advice. Eventually we decided that the official tourist beareau was the way to go, but not in his taxi! After a 20 minute moto ride, the tourist office told us they couldn’t book train tickets, but exactly how to get upstairs back at the New Delhi train station. Once we got back there, we couldn’t believe how helpful and nice (and not expecting tips) everyone was.
And I haven’t even mentioned getting something posted from the post office. What a frustrating, but accomplished day that was.
So then we took a 19 hour train trip to Jaisalmer.
After a days recovery, we took the morning bus to Delhi, a local bus, it was packed, hot, uncomfortable and stopped constantly but 10 hrs later we where in Delhi. We stayed in the notorious, but not so bad as all that, Paharganj district.
Very close by was the New Delhi train station, we wanted to book some train travel. 3pm in the afternoon, 38 degrees and 100% smogidity, we approached.
Trying to go up to platform one, a man asked us for our ticket, Indians were walking past us at a super rate, so we asked where was his ID. We asked security where the Tourist booking agency was, he said, ‘right and upstairs’.
We head right and look for stairs, we look lost. The same man as before comes up to us, ‘Now do you believe me?’ he says, ‘You need to go to that building across the road.’ Finally we are dragged across the road, well away from the station, into an office where a man is intense on his pc playing solitaire. Feeling dejavu I reach for the LP, then pass it to Sean, it says…
“At the New Delhi train station touts may try to stop you from booking tickets from the upstairs International Tourist Bureau and divert you to one of the (overpriced and often unreliable) travel agencies over the road. Make the assumption that the office is never closed, isn’t being renovated and hasn’t shifted.”
Still we went back and caught again, told by a considerate man that most people were crooks, and we should take this taxi, go to this place and buy a ticket. Accepting his idea that we should go to the official tourist commission, but not in the taxi he recommended, he was (pretended to be) highly offended, accusing us of not trusting anyone. I know, it seems so obvious now, but when it’s 38, dusty and noisy, it’s hard to think straight!
This ‘helpful’ man got very bossy and upset (read – aggressive) when we did not take his advice. Eventually we decided that the official tourist beareau was the way to go, but not in his taxi! After a 20 minute moto ride, the tourist office told us they couldn’t book train tickets, but exactly how to get upstairs back at the New Delhi train station. Once we got back there, we couldn’t believe how helpful and nice (and not expecting tips) everyone was.
And I haven’t even mentioned getting something posted from the post office. What a frustrating, but accomplished day that was.
So then we took a 19 hour train trip to Jaisalmer.
posted by x kel at 8:54 PM
2 Comments:
I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one dissapointed by the Taj, people keep asking me what did you think of India, I still don't know what to say, it was sad to leave but only when I was leaving!
I felt really bad giving the Taj such a bad wrap, but it had no life (well, it is a mausoleum I suppose). Agra exists soley to fleece westernerd, kind of like Siem Reap, near Angkor. Still, I had to go, but I wouldn't go again.
Post a Comment
<< Home