The dreaded Delhi..

Okay,  this post is called the dreaded Delhi as most people we have met haven't had many positives to say about Delhi, So we weren't really looking forward to our time there.

Our taxi From Neemrana fort took 4 hours to get to Delhi when it should have only taken 2 hours due to getting stuck in rush hour, which was insane.  10 people in an autorickshaw,  4 on a motorbike and cars and smog all around.  So we arrived at 8pm and after checking in, we walked around the block hungry, before settling for a cheap Indian side of the street restaurant. Following this we went back to the hostel, chatted with other backpackers and got an early night.

Accomodation

We stayed at Moustache hostel in south Delhi,  it was a nice area and the staff were really helpful.  We were able to walk around the shops and restaurants in the surrounding area hassle free and it was quite a clean area.  This was not what we had heard about Delhi at all.

On our first full day we woke up and had a day of chatting with people, doing the blog, relaxing in the hostel and just generally enjoying other people's company. (This was the first hostel we stayed at, and the first place we were in Dorms,  so it was a pleasant change to have other people to chat with) after a few hours of chatting Jenga and card games we decided to brave the city outside which was perfectly pleasant.  We went to the M block Market over the road and had a walk around with an American guy from the hostel. After finding a "German Bar" we thought this was our best shot at getting real ale. We checked the menu at the front and it had 8 types of beer. When we went in the bar they had only 2 (and one of those was budweiser, which isn't close to an Ale St all) So we had an overpriced hoegarden (German beer) and left.

Later that evening the hostel manager came in and rustled up a few of us tourists and took us to a bar for a party (our first party in india after failing to find one in the Goan off season). He the proceeded to take us to the same German Bar with only two beers. At least this time ladies drank for free, and the hostel manager managed to get a few free drinks for the men as well. We stayed till around11pm before heading back to the hostel to see our friend who had just arrived from Sydney.

Day 2

On the Sunday we took a trip to Old Delhi which was what had been described by other tourists, busier, dustier, more litter, constant auto drivers trying to get you in their auto. We took a walk from Chandi Chowk station (maybe the busiest Street in old Delhi) to the red fort which was..... Red. The queue was very long so we passed on this and went to the largest Mosque in India.  The Friday Mosque. It was a beautiful building, but it was the first religious place with a fee.  They don't call it a fee,  but tourists weren't allowed to enter without paying for a camera ticket at 300 inr.  They then wrapped all the females in a fetching long sleeved garment and we looked around for about an hour. 

After this it was late afternoon and we were a big group of hungry tourists who many hadn't eaten meat for weeks.  So the best non veg restaurant in Delhi was over the road and down a side street. Karims restaurant. We had a bit of a platter between us. Chicken and Sheesh Kebabs and huge fluffy Roti's from the tandoori oven.

After the feast it was back to the hostel to get together sports bar over the road to watch the Rugby World Cup. We found a bar in M block Market which was willing to tuck us in a corner and put the game on the telly for us.

Day 3

The following day we were on a charity visit to see the homeless kids of the city and how the Salaam Balak trust help street kids in Delhi. During the tour we saw their office at the new Delhi railway station where there were 3 kids who had run away from home and had been found arriving off the trains that morning. They sat talking with a charity worker and looked petrified realising the reality of being in a big city alone. We were then taken to one of the charities shelter homes for young boys. It was full, around 30 boys aged from 6-16 the younger ones running around like crazy,  trying to teach us Indian games and we played thumb wars with them. After 15 minutes with the kids we were taken to the head office of the charity to see some of their success stories,  including professional actors,choreographers and photographers.

After finishing the tour near Connaught place we went for a coffee and a subway (yes we know it's western food, but it's a nice change from spicy curry) we strolled down to India gate,  a huge archway not too dissimilar to the Marble Arch,  or the Arc de Triomphe, it was a large memorial to the servicemen who lost their lives in WW1.

Day 4

The Tuesday was a busy day trying to cram in as many sights as possible,  we were up early and got our bags packed before getting an autorickshaw to the Qutab Minar, and back to the hostel to meet a friend before all heading out to the Lotus Temple a huge beautiful structure, which houses a multifaith place of worship for everybody to worship their own God of choice - Part of the Baha'i movement. Silence was enforced in the building meaning it was a brief moment of peace in the chaos of Delhi.

Time was pushing on and we jumped on the super efficient, super clean, super air conditioned  metro and got off close to Humayan's Tomb. A huge tomb built in the Mughal period by a man's wife after his death. It now contains over 100 Mughal including his favourite barber.  The tomb has a part to play in the history of Delhi as it was where the last Mughal Emperor was found fleeing by the British before they removed his power from him.

For our final visit of the day we stopped a a famous mosque for the singing sulfi's. A group of Muslim men singing religous songs, the singing was very interesting to see before our last trip on the super clean metro back to our hostel, before grabbing a bite to eat at the street cafe over the road.  Then it was a trip to the bus stop for our night bus to Jaipur!

**Photos to follow**