Welcome to India

Day 1 - 06.10.2024

Eventful start.

As I step off the plane, I'm excited yet tired. Fortunately, the formalities at immigration go smoothly. On the way from the metro, which unfortunately didn't stop where I thought, to the B&B, I am approached 4 times, being told that things can't work this way and that I need to go here and there. I had been warned by the operator of the B&B and was accordingly skeptical. Somehow, lacking orientation, I ended up in a tourist info, which operates differently here than back home. The guys need to make money and offer you everything. The motto is 'Everything is possible, just let me know'. Well, I could convincingly convey that I am so tired after the long journey that I first need to settle in. They organized a tuk-tuk for me, which took me to the B&B. I had just paid the tuk-tuk driver when another young man greeted me and told me he had a much better accommodation, etc.

In the late afternoon, I set off again. A small Indian restaurant treated me to a delicious vegetable biryani with naan bread for dinner. Shortly thereafter, while I was back wandering the bazaar, I met 'Aba'. As it turns out later, he guides me to the fourth tourist info of the day and to a jewelry store. The good thing is, he takes me through the side streets and alleys of Main Bazar Road. It's narrow and dirty – and exciting. I soak it all in. Countless small kitchens are bustling to prepare dinner for their customers. Most dishes cost between 20 and 70 cents, which is probably still a lot of money for the people living here. The poverty seems as self-evident as it is visible.
After we find ourselves back on the 'familiar' street, I thank Aba and say goodbye. Overwhelmed by the impressions, I head straight to bed.