Namaskar Delhi:)

A Bumpy Start in India: Visa Nervers and first delicious Indian cuisine

Our journey to India began with some last-minute visa stress, receiving my e-Visa just a day before takeoff. Dealing with the cautious Indian authorities added to the tension, especially when they questioned my research assistant role and wanted to know what kind of research I will do in India, nevertheless I wrote that the visa I apply for is a tourist visa.

But less then 24 hours before our flight was boarding I got the visa.

Arriving in Frankfurt for a stop and a delay for the flight to India we were relieved to find a fantastic flat-rate food and drink deal in the airport lobby, courtesy of coupon-aman. After a 8 hours flight we landed in Delhi in the morning. It was nice warm morning. We quickly found an Uber driver.

Shortly after leaving the airport it was the first time I was seeing monkeys and peacocks outside of a zoo

Unfortunately (specially for the driver) the engine of the car broke down and we slided the last 400 meters of the ride to our hotel with the speed of a snail, amidst the rickshaw and car drivers who honked at us like crazy.

After check-in in a really nice hotel we didn't hesitate to explore Delhi:

We took the rickshaw to a super nice restaurant called Juggernaut with South Indian cuisine in the midday heat without really having slept. But we were more than rewarded for it: The food was amazing: The High-quality desserts are one of the store's specialties, the others are many different types of filled bread such as Dosa and Uppadam with the most delicious chutneys and not at all spicy, perfect for a gentle introduction to Indian cuisine.

What fallows after arriving back to the hotel room was the deepest and longest sleep we had for a long time.

FyI: Dosa is a popular South Indian savory crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter. It's typically served with coconut chutney and sambar, a lentil-based vegetable stew.

Uppadam, also known as Uppittu or Upma, is a traditional South Indian dish made from semolina (sooji), typically seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, and vegetables like peas or carrots. It's a popular breakfast or snack option.