A heap of impressions in Delhi

More or less recovered, we started our first day in Delhi. We met Shipra, who would guide us through the day and New and "Old" Delhi, in the lobby of the hotel at 9 a.m. This was too early according to Indian standards, as she immediately explained. Delhi doesn't start before 10. And Old Delhi is misleading because there are buildings and districts in New Delhi that are much older. The naming is due to British influence.

Pradeep was behind the wheel again and Shipra told us about the buildings we passed by: the Red Fort, which we skipped, as the Agra Fort was sufficient, the Presidential Residence, where we were not allowed in, the India Gate, and finally we stopped at Agrasen Ki Baoli, a step well that dates back to the 11th century and was restored in the 14th century. It used to be filled with water, but now there is only a small sip left, which symbolizes the water scarcity in India. Today, people sit on the upper steps away from the street.

After taking some pictures, we continued to Raj Ghat, the place where Gandhi was cremated and is now a memorial. An eternal flame burns, everything is adorned with flowers, and the symbolic black plaque is located in the middle of a beautifully maintained park.

Shortly after, we were back in the car and headed to Chandni Chowk in the heart of Old Delhi, an area with many markets where you can buy almost everything: spices, coins, colors for the Holi festival, clothing, and whatever your heart desires!

But we didn't have to walk the whole way, instead we took a Rickshaw ride, one of the famous three-wheeled bicycles, with someone pedaling hard in the front. Definitely an experience in itself, through these narrow streets, between people, scooters, other rickshaws, and other stalls.

Everything passed by too quickly to process the impressions immediately or take proper pictures. So many stalls, people haggling everywhere, offering services, cooking food in niches, or trying to sell their goods. It smells of spices, dust, and a bit stuffy.

We got off the rickshaw to visit Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India. Here, too, we had to take off our shoes and explore the monument barefoot. Shipra told us how the former ruler Shah Jahan used to pray on his balcony above the people, how the marble slabs have a carpet shape so that people didn't have to bring their own carpets, and how there was an underground tunnel for Shah Jahan to travel unnoticed between the Red Fort and the mosque. We admired the structure and its sheer size before collecting our shoes, giving a tip to the guard, and continuing with the rickshaw.

We went to the spice market, everyone made way, especially for people carrying large bags of rice and spices on their shoulders! Shipra took us to a spice merchant who told us about typical Indian spices, let us smell, feel, and taste them, and of course wanted to sell us something. Lotti had a small list anyway, so we left the store a few minutes later with a small shopping bag.

Of course, we were curious about real Indian food, but we had always been cautious due to the famous "Delli Belly," that is, bloating and diarrhea due to the quality of food and water! But when Lotti asked, Shipra led us to a small street food stand, with a big pot in the middle and a pile of flatbread next to it, all to be eaten by hand, done, the 40-rupee dish was ready, equivalent to 50 cents. We were not completely sure if we should risk it, but we didn't want to be rude and tasted our portion, after all, we had Vomex and Vaprino in our luggage. What could possibly go wrong - apart from the obvious?! It tasted very delicious, and we are still glad to have tasted this authentic food and didn't have any side effects, not even from the salty yogurt drink we had at the next corner, which actually worried us even more.

The midday sun was getting intense and our "strampler" (rickshaw driver) was visibly tired, but he diligently guided us back to the car, where Pradeep welcomed us.

Fortunately, Shipra had another stop planned at a Buddhist temple. Unfortunately, electronic devices were not allowed here either, so we couldn't take pictures of the impressive building with all its decorations, as well as the swastikas, which here naturally have a completely different meaning. We are so grateful that with good English, Shipra shed light on our religious darkness and answered some of the big question marks from Mathura about Lord Krishna. There are actually about 16,000 wives, maybe only 14,000. Who knows for sure? But we were positively impressed by the openness of the religion. It's not about one god, not about the right ritual, but about finding the right path, it's more spiritual than strictly religious.

We learn something about the statues of the deities and their meanings and once again admire the colorful and gold-ornamented altars before collecting our shoes and getting back into the car to head to our last destination on the route: Qutub Minar, the first mosque in India. The oldest and the largest in one day. Although this was probably a Buddhist temple at first, before Turkish conquerors redesigned the original walls with Islamic symbols. The original decoration was later uncovered again. The large 5-story tower is still standing, completed by 3 rulers! So each floor, each ring has a different ornamentation! As time was moving fast, we noticed how Shipra wanted to keep the visit short and after a brief explanation and a photo shoot, she started heading towards the exit. We managed to squeeze in some time to walk around and enjoy the sun and the monument.

On the way back to the hotel, Shipra helped us buy some drinks and fruits before saying goodbye and letting us end the evening at the hotel with planning for the next day. Hoping for a restful night and a refreshed morning.

At 1:00 am, Karsten woke up suddenly. There was a loud crash above us, as if something had shattered right above our heads. The knocking, scratching, and sliding continued loudly, and we couldn't figure out what it was. A call to the reception revealed: construction work! In the middle of the night?! But we were assured not to worry, it would stop in just 5 minutes. 20 minutes later, another call to the reception... now they really wanted to take care of it. Good 40 minutes later, it was finally quiet... what a night!

Saturday, a day on our "own"?! At least when it comes to sightseeing. Pradeep accompanied us for the last time - as always reliable, friendly, and with a head wobble that sometimes made us uncertain if he understood us.

After another Indian breakfast, consisting of flatbread, a curry dish, and a rice-like dish, we drove on relatively empty streets to a very modern temple, the Akshradham Swaminarayan Akshardham. We were not allowed to take anything inside, so there is only a photo from the outside as we drove by. The temple complex is overwhelming and, to be honest, appeared overloaded to us. Every corner was used to incorporate small, detailed decorations, which made the individual elements lose their effect. Nevertheless, it was an impressive and gigantic complex! There were also several entertainment options - from a water show to a photo exhibition to a cinema presentation - but we decided not to participate in any of them.

Next, we wanted to visit the tomb of Humayun, but first, we entered the Sunder Nursery because Pradeep dropped us off right at this entrance. It is kind of a botanical garden with some historical buildings. There were colorful flowers everywhere. We even saw some peacocks - one of them had gotten lost high up in a tree. Monkeys, chipmunks, stray dogs, parrots, and birds of prey were also present. The park was used by many locals - school classes, dog owners, couples, and families. Since the park was so relaxing and peaceful, we decided to skip the Humayun's tomb and instead stroll around without stress for the remaining half hour.

Afterwards, we went to another park, the Lodi Park, which was recommended to us by tourists from our hotel. Here, we explored buildings that inevitably reminded Lotti of "The Jungle Book". In the park, there were many men and especially women who "posed" to take pictures. We watched amusedly and patiently waited to take our pictures (preferably without people). It was nice to enjoy both parks at our own pace and to relax a bit today. Although we briefly considered being adventurous and asking Pradeep to drop us off at Connaught Circle so that we could experience the afternoon/evening on our own with public transport, our reason and conscience prevailed, as we still had to repack everything. So Pradeep drove us back to the hotel. There, we dealt with our flight times, especially from India to Nepal, and luggage storage at the airport. Then we repacked everything - clothes for the wedding ceremonies and the Holi festival in our carry-on luggage, everything else in the checked luggage, which can stay in the locker in Delhi for 5 days.

We were happy that everything fit and were looking forward to a restful night, which was really quiet this time. We had already gotten used to the loud buzzing of the water pump.

In the morning, we met a driver at 9:00 am, who dropped us off at the airport on time. After a short orientation phase, we found the baggage storage and locked away the travel suitcases. There we coincidentally met the first four familiar faces of guests who were also on their way to the wedding celebration of Arri and Jürgen in Rishikesh. We spent time together in the terminal and were delighted to see each other again!