Delightful Delhi

So we’ve gone from a population of 2 million people in Rishikesh to around 22 million people in Dehli. For context there are around 9 million people in London and 3 million people in the whole of Wales. Some streets and areas feel busier than others, but safe to say the sights, smells and sounds are more than we’re used to… but fabulous!

We met our lovely guide Sid outside the metro station at 8.30am for our culinary tour. He gave us some background info on Delhi’s rich history (Sultans, Mughals, British rule, Ghandi, to present day), before guiding Rach, myself and Sherrie (another tour companion) onto the metro. The coolest thing here, aside from a slight similarity in logo/layout to the London Underground, was that the first 2 carriages are reserved for women only. These were much calmer, quieter and pleasant than the other overcrowded mixed carriages.

Each of our chosen eateries were over 100 years old with outstanding reputations, some visited by delegates and presidents, though all seemingly ordinary casual street food places. Our first stop was Old Delhi, where we sampled Bedmi puri with aloo chole sabji and Nagori halwa (delicious fruity Semolina) .

The chole (chickpeas) at our next stop was also so delicious - flavours so tasty each spice seemed to bring something differently delicious and flavourful. We learned that chickpeas were not native to India and introduced by the Turks.

As we wandered through bazzaar streets (thankfully a little quieter due to being Sunday) we stopped to enjoy a masala chai tea in a quiet courtyard. It was peaceful here and we enjoyed Sid’s stories and insights. Masala tea was also not naive to India but brought from China. The Indians then added warming cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves, which were delicious with a hint of sugar, and blended with hot milk.

Our next and most famous eatery was pt gaya prashad shiv charan, established in 1872. Highlights here were tamarind with banana, fresh mint sauce, aloo gobi, and bombay aloo. I also enjoyed the sweet lassi (yogurt based drink much like a smoothie)… Rach still isn’t over her Nepali lassi incident.

After a short rickshaw ride we tried lovely vegetable samosas (also originally not Indian, but from Persia and traditionally made with meat). Lastly, we tried the highest selling dessert in India - cashew nut cake and a delicious warm carrot (and coconut) pudding. The yummy food was washed down with a traditional Lemonade - masala, black pepper, salt, cumin powder, lemon juice and soda.

We then said goodbye to Sid, but he gave us some helpful metro directions to visit Akshardham Temple. This was just incredible, a huge site with pristine gardens. We had to leave our electronic devices outside and undergo security scanning, so just one paid photo taken. I’ll certainly remember the impression left by the thousands of intricate stone carved arch ways, animals and dieties, sprawling the huge temple and surrounding grounds. The museum section was the most interactive I’ve ever seen for any site, let alone a Hindu temple. As we walked from room to room it told the history through moving figures (much like the small small world ride at Disneyland) and there was even a boat trip section. Inside the main temple building the ceiling was jewelled and mesmerising.

During the evening we met Anu our guide and contact for the next week. It was lovely to meet the other 14 travellers and learn more about India, as well as the upcoming week. Anu said that India is easily the most diverse country in the world, with 15 languages, 1000+ dialects (meaning many Indians communicate with people from even neighbouring regions in English), and interesting cultural and religious diversity (80% Hindu, 11% Muslim, and the remaining 9% Buddhism, Jainism, and many others.

We all went for dinner at a nearby restaurant (delicious mushroom tikka masala and paneer), then headed back to get organised for our adventure!Read more