Hello - Namastaay
Well, I think its about time to leave this crazy city. Ive said goodbye to the little cockroaches in my room, been jostled, starred at, had by bum felt ever so slightly! eaten great tasting treats from savory to sweet mmm mmm, sweated about half my body weight (still wondering if this counts as a diet?!) drank literally gallons of water, strolled around a serene garden, been hassled left right and centre, smelled wee (a lot!) smelled freshley cooked chapatis and curries - delicious. Bargained my head off! for everything I possibly could and I must say, I think im a dab hand at it. Seen dead rats and live monkeys and cow on the streets roaming free, ooh and caged ducks and various types of birds. Ive strolled around wonderful temples, been chaufer driven in cars, motor rickshaws and peddle rikshaws through these drirty, lively rubble filled streets. And now, it is time to head to Vrindavan, home of Krishna, for yoga, a bit of farm work , relaxation and you guessed it, wonderful haerty veggie food. xxxxxx
Friday 16 July 2010
Wednesday 14 July 2010
Wellcome to the Madness!! - Yes im in INDIA x
Im in Delhi! And it is BONKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Naamastay - Hello
Im going to try and explain, but unless you come and see for yourselves its hard to imagine. I love this place already but also find it very very trying!
The food is Amazingly tasty, ive already found a lovely Southern Indian place called Savarana Bhavan where ive been twice already, as I know its good, and I also know where it is and as its bloomin hard work navigating my way around this crazy place, I returned, but ate something different so I think thats ok. I first tried the Dosai, which is like a crispy pancake, really really thin and long, and the middle secction is filled with whatever you choose, I had Masala potatoes, then it is presented to you on a tray with 3 differnt sauces and chutneys, 1 white, 1 green and a red, and you also get a tiny metal bowl of spicy soup with veggies in it too, you can eat with 2 spoons, spooning the differnt dips ontpo the dosai or tehn just tearing it with your fingers, the latter is a lot easier sand after hesitating not wantiong to seem rude, i looked around top see what fellow diners were doing so I could follow suit and it seems anythig goes, plus the waiter saw me deliberating and said just use your fingers, so I did and it was really yumi!!. I accompanied this with a sweet lime & pinaple fresh juice all blitzed up, really resfreshing and a few glasses of water, always always water and lots of it, as I know this is rather disgusting but I thnk im shedding a quarter of my body weight in sweat each day, its so bloody HOT! about 38-40 degrees, woweee indeed! The monsoon hits delhi sporadically, and I got absoluty soaked through onm my 1st evening here, lovley. so refreshing, but makes it even harder to get around as the roads turn to rivers, literally 1ft deep! then the next day muddy mush. Tricky for the rikshaws to get through, and I didnt fancy wading through wee and warm water!!
I hired a driver yesterday for 3 pounds for the day, he was then at my disposal, so I could just say wherever I wanbted to go and he would take me then wait for me, then onto the next place. This was great as I didnt have to worry about firstly finding all of these sights, but also getting a milion differnt rikshaws to them. The driver was called Ajay, he was really nice and informative and we visited the Red Fort, huge red fort, with varous old temples inside. The Jama Masjid, a really large temple, where you have to take your shoes off and I had to wear a bright orange robe, I climbed a tower and saw out all over delhi, so colourful, and great to see it from above up so high. I had to be accopanied by a male up the tower as im a girl, but he was helpful and pointed out varipus sights. Next we headed past the India Gate, a bit similar to Marble Arch or the Art de trioph in Paris (terrible spelling as usual) sorry. Then to a bazaar where Ajay wanted to take me, obviou;sy he gets a commision or maybe they are just friends of his, anyway I wanted to have a dress made and choose the material and also see what they had to offer. Such beautifl things, and did find some material in pink of course for my dress, of which I took the black and white one that I did eventually buy in Sydney and also one I found in a magazine, but sadly they were askibg rweally quite a lot to make it, so I declined and just bought a pretty cushion cover with an elaphant on which I could always use as a wall hanging. Next to a Hare Krishna temple, these places are always so calm and well coming. I took my shoes off and enjoyed a little dance with fellow indian visitors and Krishnas then got a handful of flowersto pray with I think then made my way to the Krishna Bakery, another good thing Krihna people do well, is make sweet treats and I actually hadnt eaten since breakfast and it was now 5pm so bloomin hungry. I bought a Puda or me and 1 for Ajay, a doughy brown soft nutty treat, and also a small nutty orangy muffin, mmm mmm, purely to keep my energy levels up of course. Then finally I visited the Lotus Temple, for a little bit more prare, this time, silent in a huge white building not desimilar to the Sydney Opera House in shape and style. Set amongst carefully manicured english inspired gardens. A lovely way to end the day. On the way back Ajay bought me a string of white flowers from a lady sellin tthem in the trafic jam, toput in my hair, they smelled incredible, ahhh. Once I had paid for my tour, I navigated my way back along the wee smalling streets through the main bazaar, past 6 cows chweing nonchontatly in the middle of the street and stalls, over the rubble, buying fresh coconut cookies from a st stall and back to my swanky hotel.
I had treated myself to 2 nights in a swish hotel for my 1st 2 nights in Delhi, I have travelled a lot ove rthe last 3 days, 3 countirs in 3 days, Oz, Singapore & India. I took pics of my room, ill postthem along with others once I find a decent compute to do it from. It was all fluffy bedding, lots of scatter cusions, beautifl bathroom, large flat screen, wellcome air con and quite, so quiet away from the hustle and bustle right out side. Bliss... I could get used to that type of living, and really at 28 pounds its a snip compared to england, but for us travellers, a treat, and I think, well deserved.
It is like an absolute building sight here at the moment as the Common Wealth Games are being hsoted here in October, so most roads, are dug up, there are no pavements longer than 10ft anywhere, women, men doing the building, nothing cordened off whilst doing so, so people are walking all over the dirt, I nearly got soil and rubble tipped ion my head today as i didnt time it quite right to walk accross the foot path whilst a huge digger was scooping up tons of dirt!
I get constsntly approached, litterally every 5 seconds, by touts of all ages, asking if im married, whats my name, where am I from, come this way to one of the bazaars! I get starred at constantly, Im trying to wear conservative clothing to minimalize prying eyes, but still, constant stares. Ooh and photos, some men ask, some dont. Id take a photo of a lady becasue of her beautiful dress and there is so many of them, but the men just want to pose with me in pictures or just take one without asking, bit strange and can be uncomfortable. The madness is all engulfing and already I have had 2 days of loving this place and all its quirks even though but can be over whelming but also a day today trying to navigate the city on my own, without a driver, and its relenlesness was becoming too much. I even found a quiet park to just sit for a moment and gather my self and then was approached instantly by someone wanting to clean my ears!! for goodness sake! then 3 more men giving the same old speach etc etc.
India I think will be like a roller coaster ride, very up and down, but hopefully a lot more ups and I do well come the challenge. I get the feeling similar to when I was travelling on my own at the begginging on central America, little acheivements of gettingmyself to my chosen restauanant or haggling a good price for something or putting myself onthe correct train or bus. Its confidence building.
Well, I have 1 one more day left in Delhi tomorrow to explore more, lush gardens in the morning and probaly yet more temples and great food in the afternoon.
Bye for now lovelies xxxx
Naamastay - Hello
Im going to try and explain, but unless you come and see for yourselves its hard to imagine. I love this place already but also find it very very trying!
The food is Amazingly tasty, ive already found a lovely Southern Indian place called Savarana Bhavan where ive been twice already, as I know its good, and I also know where it is and as its bloomin hard work navigating my way around this crazy place, I returned, but ate something different so I think thats ok. I first tried the Dosai, which is like a crispy pancake, really really thin and long, and the middle secction is filled with whatever you choose, I had Masala potatoes, then it is presented to you on a tray with 3 differnt sauces and chutneys, 1 white, 1 green and a red, and you also get a tiny metal bowl of spicy soup with veggies in it too, you can eat with 2 spoons, spooning the differnt dips ontpo the dosai or tehn just tearing it with your fingers, the latter is a lot easier sand after hesitating not wantiong to seem rude, i looked around top see what fellow diners were doing so I could follow suit and it seems anythig goes, plus the waiter saw me deliberating and said just use your fingers, so I did and it was really yumi!!. I accompanied this with a sweet lime & pinaple fresh juice all blitzed up, really resfreshing and a few glasses of water, always always water and lots of it, as I know this is rather disgusting but I thnk im shedding a quarter of my body weight in sweat each day, its so bloody HOT! about 38-40 degrees, woweee indeed! The monsoon hits delhi sporadically, and I got absoluty soaked through onm my 1st evening here, lovley. so refreshing, but makes it even harder to get around as the roads turn to rivers, literally 1ft deep! then the next day muddy mush. Tricky for the rikshaws to get through, and I didnt fancy wading through wee and warm water!!
I hired a driver yesterday for 3 pounds for the day, he was then at my disposal, so I could just say wherever I wanbted to go and he would take me then wait for me, then onto the next place. This was great as I didnt have to worry about firstly finding all of these sights, but also getting a milion differnt rikshaws to them. The driver was called Ajay, he was really nice and informative and we visited the Red Fort, huge red fort, with varous old temples inside. The Jama Masjid, a really large temple, where you have to take your shoes off and I had to wear a bright orange robe, I climbed a tower and saw out all over delhi, so colourful, and great to see it from above up so high. I had to be accopanied by a male up the tower as im a girl, but he was helpful and pointed out varipus sights. Next we headed past the India Gate, a bit similar to Marble Arch or the Art de trioph in Paris (terrible spelling as usual) sorry. Then to a bazaar where Ajay wanted to take me, obviou;sy he gets a commision or maybe they are just friends of his, anyway I wanted to have a dress made and choose the material and also see what they had to offer. Such beautifl things, and did find some material in pink of course for my dress, of which I took the black and white one that I did eventually buy in Sydney and also one I found in a magazine, but sadly they were askibg rweally quite a lot to make it, so I declined and just bought a pretty cushion cover with an elaphant on which I could always use as a wall hanging. Next to a Hare Krishna temple, these places are always so calm and well coming. I took my shoes off and enjoyed a little dance with fellow indian visitors and Krishnas then got a handful of flowersto pray with I think then made my way to the Krishna Bakery, another good thing Krihna people do well, is make sweet treats and I actually hadnt eaten since breakfast and it was now 5pm so bloomin hungry. I bought a Puda or me and 1 for Ajay, a doughy brown soft nutty treat, and also a small nutty orangy muffin, mmm mmm, purely to keep my energy levels up of course. Then finally I visited the Lotus Temple, for a little bit more prare, this time, silent in a huge white building not desimilar to the Sydney Opera House in shape and style. Set amongst carefully manicured english inspired gardens. A lovely way to end the day. On the way back Ajay bought me a string of white flowers from a lady sellin tthem in the trafic jam, toput in my hair, they smelled incredible, ahhh. Once I had paid for my tour, I navigated my way back along the wee smalling streets through the main bazaar, past 6 cows chweing nonchontatly in the middle of the street and stalls, over the rubble, buying fresh coconut cookies from a st stall and back to my swanky hotel.
I had treated myself to 2 nights in a swish hotel for my 1st 2 nights in Delhi, I have travelled a lot ove rthe last 3 days, 3 countirs in 3 days, Oz, Singapore & India. I took pics of my room, ill postthem along with others once I find a decent compute to do it from. It was all fluffy bedding, lots of scatter cusions, beautifl bathroom, large flat screen, wellcome air con and quite, so quiet away from the hustle and bustle right out side. Bliss... I could get used to that type of living, and really at 28 pounds its a snip compared to england, but for us travellers, a treat, and I think, well deserved.
It is like an absolute building sight here at the moment as the Common Wealth Games are being hsoted here in October, so most roads, are dug up, there are no pavements longer than 10ft anywhere, women, men doing the building, nothing cordened off whilst doing so, so people are walking all over the dirt, I nearly got soil and rubble tipped ion my head today as i didnt time it quite right to walk accross the foot path whilst a huge digger was scooping up tons of dirt!
I get constsntly approached, litterally every 5 seconds, by touts of all ages, asking if im married, whats my name, where am I from, come this way to one of the bazaars! I get starred at constantly, Im trying to wear conservative clothing to minimalize prying eyes, but still, constant stares. Ooh and photos, some men ask, some dont. Id take a photo of a lady becasue of her beautiful dress and there is so many of them, but the men just want to pose with me in pictures or just take one without asking, bit strange and can be uncomfortable. The madness is all engulfing and already I have had 2 days of loving this place and all its quirks even though but can be over whelming but also a day today trying to navigate the city on my own, without a driver, and its relenlesness was becoming too much. I even found a quiet park to just sit for a moment and gather my self and then was approached instantly by someone wanting to clean my ears!! for goodness sake! then 3 more men giving the same old speach etc etc.
India I think will be like a roller coaster ride, very up and down, but hopefully a lot more ups and I do well come the challenge. I get the feeling similar to when I was travelling on my own at the begginging on central America, little acheivements of gettingmyself to my chosen restauanant or haggling a good price for something or putting myself onthe correct train or bus. Its confidence building.
Well, I have 1 one more day left in Delhi tomorrow to explore more, lush gardens in the morning and probaly yet more temples and great food in the afternoon.
Bye for now lovelies xxxx
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