Delhi Tuk Tuks

Tags

Delhi, India, spirituality, Travel, Tuk Tuks

Yesterday evening we went by Tuk Tuk to Connaught Place.  Going by Tuk Tuk from Main Bazaar to Connaught Place is a good metaphor for the need to just let go while being in India.  The Tuk Tuk ride felt at times like a seriously grown up version of the dodgems and felt risky at times.

But whatever it looks like to Western eyes the traffic seems to work here.  Lanes merge all the time, horns are used all the time but to say, I’m coming, rather than in anger.  We’ve seen near misses and slight bumps but not seen anyone getting angry, and every moment there are the types of driving interactions that would lead to serious road rage in the UK.

Later we went back to ‘our’ restaurant for a drink.  We chatted a lot with the staff and I practised my few phrases I have learned from YouTube ‘Hindi in 3 minutes’.  The man we were talking with understood me when I said my name is and pleased to meet you, but when I said, Svaagat hai (you’re welcome) he thought I said, Are you crazy, so a bit more practice needed there.

The blurred sign in the photo says Hare Krishna.  It is right outside our hotel.  Standing looking at it from our balcony last night reminded me of way back when when I used to do different spiritual practices.

I thought, all that was to get me to here.  I’m not saying I’ll never do any spiritual practices again, but right now it is about the practical application of all that theoretical and spiritual exploration.

Also last night I saw a dog eating biscuits that someone had put out for them, although they stopped when I went to take their photo.

Thank you for reading

Namaste Delhi!

Tags

Delhi, India, Jet Airways, Travel

After all the anxiety and stress of the last few weeks, on travel day things went well.  We woke to the warmest day so far and went for a walk in the park, had breakfast in a cafe, and then got driven to Heathrow where check in and security was smooth and easy.

We flew with Jet Airways; it’s been years since I’ve done a long haul flight and I’d forgotten just how huge and luxurious those big planes feel, with the pillows and blankets, and now screens on the back of the seat in front of you with a massive choice of films.  There was a category of strong women films and I chose from that and watched Joy, which I really enjoyed (no pun intended).  We were fed delicious Indian food for dinner, then later woken after a very short sleep (too excited to sleep) with a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit, muffins and orange juice.  Arrivals was easy, changing money was easy, and the taxi we’d booked online to take us to the hotel was there.

Arriving at about 5am UK time and about 9.30 India time, to Delhi heat and a visual overload, we were all pretty quiet in the taxi, just absorbing it all.  My first impressions were all good.  Morocco had gotten me used to the style of driving and traffic.  The pollution didn’t seem as bad as I had feared.  Billboards outside the police station described measures being taken to improve safety for women.  A lot of the taxis had stickers on the back saying ‘This taxi respects women.’  We saw monkeys outside of the window, just free, not in a caged park or anything, just there free, like squirrels here!  The animals I have seen, dogs, working oxen, and of course cows, all look reasonably healthy and not too thin (I had to look away from a lot of the animals I saw in Morrocco).

At the hotel, I had a mini meltdown due to lack of sleep, the heat and general overwhelm catching up with me.  After a nap, we went out when it was cooler, got cold water, and ate delicious food for dinner.  Afterwards I went out alone to buy fruit and try to practice my few words of Hindi.  I felt completely safe and comfortable (aside from my ever-present mild anxiety re getting lost).

Already we have created a little comfort zone for ourselves:  a bit of familiarity with our surroundings, a nice place to eat…  Even though we will soon undo it and have to do it over again:  be out of our comfort zones, up against our edges, then the creation of a new comfort zone, and so on and so on.  But that’s what it’s all about right?

Thank you very much for reading.

Photos:  flying into Delhi, Delhi airport arrivals, the view from our window and the street (Main Bazaar)