Until the sun sets :D (Day 36 of the world trip)

10.10.2019

Last night around 8 o'clock we got hungry again and went out to eat for the second time that day (getting snacks wasn't an option because it was too far away :( ). So we went to the Monkey Bar, a bar just three houses away :) The design of the bar is a pyramid and at the entrance there is security and a guest list where you can sign up. Alcohol is legal at the age of 25 in India, but Jonas and I didn't have to show our ID or write down our information. But okay. Maybe there are different rules for tourists?

The bar itself was really chic and looked very American. There was loud Western music and two floors where you could sit comfortably at tables and both eat and drink. But since we only wanted to eat, or rather Jonas decided to have a Coke instead of a beer after looking at the beer menu, we didn't take advantage of the main reason for going to this bar :D Even though it was Wednesday, a few tables were already occupied by people our age who were enjoying alcoholic drinks with their friends. I found that interesting, especially because it was a weekday! ;-)

Jonas ordered a vegetable pizza and I ordered spaghetti with a type of pesto that was not shy with garlic :D It was supposed to have chili peppers too, but when I asked if it could be less spicy, I got the dish completely without chili. Lucky for my stomach^^ The food was super delicious and absolutely worth the almost €10 per dish :)

One cool thing was that Jonas and I went out together, which we never do at home. Of course, we had already eaten out here in Rishikesh, but going to a restaurant with a menu and in an ambiance "like at home" was something special. We talked for a while about development aid. Especially now, when we are in India and will travel to Southeast Asia afterwards, we cannot ignore that these countries are impoverished. Our conversation was mainly about how to "help" best. We both visit these countries as tourists, bringing our money into the country, but this money probably doesn't reach the population who needs it. I think it's a very difficult topic. You may feel the responsibility to take care of others, but that's easier said than done. Other travelers specifically choose projects in their countries that they support, which is great :) Our focus is not on that right now, but it's natural to think about it. If something comes up in that direction, we will definitely mention it ;-)

This morning we took it easy. We had three sightseeing spots to visit today (Lotus Temple, Hauz Khas, and Lodhi Garden) before meeting Gaurav around 7 pm.

So that we wouldn't have to constantly go back and forth, we wanted to leave later. That means we had a relaxed breakfast, watched some climbing videos on YouTube, and then the hostel owner asked us if we could pay in advance because he would be on a Himalaya trek for the next two days. Our cash wouldn't be enough, so the odyssey to find cash started again :D The first attempt didn't work, neither did the second one, and the third ATM (after a walk of about 20 minutes, which we also used to restock our food supplies) was closed, but then, we finally managed to get cash! Yay! ;-)

Paying for the accommodation was quite interesting :D I made a list of the number of nights on my phone and we also wrote down the costs for laundry and for the sandwiches, fries, etc. that we ate here. In the end, we came up with a final amount and when I showed it to the hostel owner, he just nodded and I paid the amount :D :D That was so strange! We could have left out the laundry or written down the wrong amount of food... He would have never been able to figure it out :O But we're honest people ;-) I do wonder how they can keep track like that, as I'm pretty sure there are also guests who don't keep such meticulous records like we do^^

At around 1 pm, we went to the mall because Jonas wanted to buy a resistance band. We had brought two with us on the trip, but one broke :( I was also excited for a Western lunch :p So we walked to the mall in jeans and a t-shirt (despite the over 30°C, but we didn't want to walk around in a sloppy look in the evening :D) and luckily, there was enough shade or the way seemed much shorter than before :D

Once we arrived at the mall, we looked for sports stores, but unfortunately, there were only sportswear and shoes... But at least it was worth the stop for lunch. Jonas went to Taco Bell and I went to Subway. There I saw that a sub costs about 200 rupees and I was convinced. I made my own sub and in the end, it cost 470 rupees :D We are such beginners... :p That's what happens when you're not so experienced with ordering fast food. Whether it was the chicken or the buttered vegetables (whatever that was doing on a sandwich...), I have no idea ;-) But it was mega delicious and it came with a chocolate chip cookie that made up for everything^^

After lunch, we went to Big Bazaar. During our first visit to the mall, we were looking for a regular supermarket, but only found this expensive imported store. But I had seen that the Bazaar is also supposed to be a supermarket, but at the entrance, we only found clothes. This time we still went inside anyway and... voila! There was another floor below where there was a "real" supermarket!!! We were so happy :p We bought a larger pack of cookies (which are just as cheap here as on the street), chocolate spread (which is still good until May 2020 :O), and two drink packets with milkshake. Okay. It wasn't great for our ecological footprint, but it made us very satisfied ;-)

Satisfied and happy, we went to the bus stop at the mall and took the bus back to Chattarpur at our metro station. It was already 3 pm and when we arrived at the Lotus Temple station around 4 pm after changing lines, we could already see that the sun was slowly setting. We wanted to leave late, but we didn't expect to be so slow :D

From the station, it's about 500 meters to the entrance of the temple complex and on the way there, we saw a lot of poverty again and even something like a soup kitchen. Flies were everywhere and the puddles contained a brew that you might know from movies with magic potions. Jonas said he was sure that a teaspoon of it would kill us and maybe he's right... People were sleeping unprotected on the grass in the park and yeah, it was a really sad sight :(

At the Lotus Temple, on the other hand, it looked completely different. It's crazy how closely the rich and poor live together here :O The Lotus Temple is located in a huge, beautiful park and it was quite crowded there, mostly Indians and not so many Western faces. The temple belongs to the Bahá'í religion, which accepts all religions. The idea of the temple was to create a place where anyone, regardless of their religion, can pray and contemplate. That's why there is no decoration inside that would favor a particular religion. I think the concept is really cool! :) Admission is free, so it's really a non-profit thing, which is commendable considering the number of visitors. They could easily make a profit...

When we left the temple, it was officially sunset as the gates at the entrance were closed, although there were still visitors waiting to enter. So we did everything right :)

Our second stop was supposed to be Lodhi Garden, but when we arrived there, it was already 6 pm and it was getting really dark. We reached the entrance when a gatekeeper was closing the gate. Too bad :( But we still managed to take a snapshot in the dark :D

Since Hauz Khas wouldn't be worth it anymore, we went directly to Rajiv Chowk station where we were supposed to meet Gaurav and oh man! The station is huge!!!!! :O Three different metro lines intersect there and that's exactly what it looks like. Full, loud, and confusing^^ Gaurav had told us at which exit we should meet, which was smart because otherwise, we would have never found him ;-)

When we met him at the Connaught Place, we went for a walk. The square is circular. In the middle, there is a park/green area and underneath that, there is a bazaar/market (which was already closed). Then there is a ring as a road/roundabout and then there is a ring full of outlets/shops. Here, like in the mall, you mainly find big brands like Puma for example, and yeah, it's very spacious. We walked for at least twenty minutes without stopping until we had circled about half of the circle. Not bad ;-) Gaurav recommended a milkshake shop where he treated Jonas to a drink, which was also really delicious!! (I restrained myself. Too much milk is not good for me^^).

Afterwards, we went to a restaurant, which was a really interesting experience! At the entrance, we got a golden line painted on our forehead and were then led to our table. There was already a huge tray with lots of small bowls on the table, which were then filled one by one. I think it's called Thali and it was really cool. It took 5-10 minutes until everything was full and then Gaurav explained the order in which to eat everything. We only got a small portion of everything, but it was more than enough :O The concept is all-you-can-eat. You try everything and you finish what you like and then you get seconds. Wow!

Actually, I'm quite anti-Indian food by now, but of course, I tried everything once and I even managed to finish one dish, which was rather sweet, but unfortunately, I couldn't manage to get more :D Jonas happily ate away, got seconds of what he liked best, and somehow managed to finish it all. Quite impressive!

Oh, and of course, there was dessert <3 I finished every bowl of dessert ;) After the meal, a waiter came to the table with bowls and a water jug, functioning as a faucet so you could wash your hands without getting up. Quite fancy :)

Gaurav insisted on treating us and ignored our protest, but at least we added something to the tip. It was so cool that he took us to this restaurant! We probably would have never gone there on our own because we didn't know about it and we would have missed out on the opportunity to try typical Indian food. So, thanks Gaurav! ;-)

After the meal, we went to a bar for a drink and we agreed that we could at least treat Gaurav to a drink^^ Since he would drive us home afterwards, his drink was non-alcoholic, but Jonas had whiskey and I had a mojito. The bar had a very British/American vibe and almost invited you to dance. They also had hookah that you could have ordered (which we didn't do, to my relief :p I don't really like the smell^^) and overall, everything was very chic and obviously designed for the upper class. Oh yes. At the entrance, Gaurav had to leave his name and phone number for security reasons. They are very cautious here!

After the drink and more really cool conversations, Gaurav drove us back to the hostel. He mentioned that he has been driving since he was 13. His father had a transportation company, so he grew up with cars anyway. Once, when he was with his father at a pharmacy, Gaurav, who was 13 at the time, just sat at the wheel and started driving. He doesn't remember for sure how he knew how to drive a manual car, but he just could^^ From then on, he insisted on driving himself. His family had four cars and their own drivers. One of those drivers then taught Gaurav how to navigate in Indian traffic and yeah.

I found this story so funny^^ It's like a few decades ago in Germany, where you could more or less drive without rules, especially in rural areas, if you knew the village police officer well enough ;-)

So overall, we had a super cool evening! We didn't get back to the hostel until around 11 pm or so and thanks to our "dawdling," we already had a plan for the next day: Lodhi Garden, Hauz Khas, and Decathlon :D