India
New Delhi

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    • Day 627

      Namaste

      November 21, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

      Wenigsten ging die Weiterreise vom selben Flughafen weiter. So konnten wir ganz entspannt mit der U-Bahn zum Flughafen gondeln.
      Nach einem problemlosen Flug nach Riad und einem leckeren Stück Pizza, stiegen wir wieder in ein Flugzeug ein und hörten zum zweiten Mal das Gebet, welches vor dem Start der Saudi-arabischen-Airline durch das Flugzeug schallt. Nach vier Stunden landeten wir in unserer vorerst finalen Destination: Neu Delhi, Indien.
      Wir wussten bereits, dass uns Smog erwarten würde und bei der Landung mitten in der Nacht, konnten wir tatsächlich nicht einmal die Stadt sehen, nur einige Lichter kämpften sich durch die dicken Schwaden.
      Der Geruch nach verbrannter Holzkohle und Feuerwerkskörper rochen wir schon an der Flugzeugtüre.
      Der Smog, welcher sich als leichter Nebel über alles legte, war auch im Flughafen deutlich zu sehen. An der Passkontrolle wurden wir erst Mal über unseren Beziehungsstatus ausgefragt. Als wir dann zögernd zugaben, weder verlobt, noch verheiratet zu sein, hatten die Beamten was zum Kichern. Wir haben den Stempel trotzdem erhalten und klatschten freudig ab.
      Da war es bereits fast fünf Uhr morgens, aber da wir gut gelaunt und noch voller Energie waren, entschieden wir uns noch schnell bei Airtel eine SIM-Karte zu holen, was zu unserem Erstaunen sehr einfach war.
      An dem offiziellen Taxistand besorgten wir uns ein Taxi und bezahlten die Strecke im voraus. Wir hatten so früh am Morgen keine Lust mehr ÖV zu fahren.
      Der Taxifahrer nahm das mit der Adresse aber nicht so genau und fuhr neben dem Hotel vorbei, obwohl wir ihm gesagt haben, wo er anhalten soll. Er fuhr zuerst viel zu weit und dann in die heruntergekommenste Gasse, in einem ohnehin nicht schönen Quartier.
      So nahmen wir unser Smartphone aus der Hosentasche und erklärten dem Herrn noch einmal wo wir gerne hin möchten.
      Mit Widerwillen und einigen Worten Hindi fuhr er schliesslich weiter.
      Als wir fast bei dem Hotel ankamen, schloss der nette Herr die Türen und sagte, dass er mehr Geld will. Der hat uns ganz klar verarscht.
      Reaktionsschnell wie in einem Horrorfilm kurbelte Chantal das Fester herunter und versuchte die Türe von aussen zu öffnen. Wenn der Fahrer nicht die Tür freigegeben hätte, wäre es nur noch ein paar Millisekunden gegangen und sie hätte sich durch das offene Fenster gewunden.
      Aufgeputscht und voller Adrenalin, lagen wir zum ersten Mal in einem Bett in Indien, gespannt auf die nächsten Tage versuchten wir einzuschlafen.
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    • Day 2

      Welcome to Delhi

      December 10, 2023 in India ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      With wide open arms this lively city welcomed me and pulled me directly under its spell. I arrived after 6.5 hours flight from Cairo safely in Delhi. Although the flight has been far comfy(operated by Egypt Air and it is definitely not recommended) I had nice and talkative young Indian next to me and we were chatting like
      twittering birds… after the Immagration which went astonishing quick as as well as the luggage handling I exchanged money, bought a SIM card and booked a prepaid taxi. After the check in the hotel, I went on a stroll through the pulsing city. It’s loud, and colorful, full of strange fragrances. You can find hundreds of little food stables from fruit, to fried dough balls, from roasted nuts to huge pots of soup… and smells so delicious…. Store after store is lined up like a string of 1000 different colored pearls, offering products and services for everyday needs. I go for a stroll and get a new haircut. Considering that first impressions count, I look forward to every single day and can hardly wait to see, smell, taste and feel more. Speaking of taste I had a wonderful aloo ghobi with rice, a vegetarian dish with cauliflower and potatoes in a spicy and slightly hot tomato sauce that was a real taste explosion. Definitely looking forward to more Indian food
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    • Day 3

      Jama Masjid Mosque & PG time

      December 11, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      What a surprising encountering happened this morning while enjoying my Masala Chai! Meeting PG, a Cologne guy with Indians roots and very Delhi experienced started a conversation with me. It turned out we both own not only the same passion for discovering new places by traveling , we share also the same approach to discovering those. So we decided promptly to go on a stroll together. That turned out to a huge advantage for me. I got a first hand deep dive into the Indian culture, got lessons how to move (by Metro… easy!!!), what and where to eat or even not, how to behave in special situations along interesting exchange of business ideas. PG was not getting tired to show me his fav places. Delhi is overwhelming. It's noisy, full of people rushing from one point to another, bicycle or motorcycle rickshaws, cars or carriages pulled by cows or horses are in a daily competition to move forward as fast as possible, framed by loud honking (which is actually meaningless if everyone is doing it) to show how the strongest is.... so crazy! every vehicle tries to cut a path through the chaotic traffic... people don't have time to stop at the pedestrian, they just walk and look straight ahead, don't look left or right... the others wait.... a stubborn strategy to get ahead, but it works. Actually, there would be no point in looking left or right before crossing the road because you can't realize the direction of the traffic flow..... But not only your ears are permanent demanded, your eyes as well. Everything happens on the street. There is barber shaping the beard or cutting the hair. the Smithers hammer there metal, there is a specialist for cleaning the ears, the light traders shops are enlightening the dirt of small lanes, the sellers of cloth shops offer various gorgeous fabrics from cotton to silk, rich of hand made embroidery or decorated of thousands shining pearls and jems , from which the sewers create fairytale Saris or Kurtis…. runners carry huge packages of goods destination oriented through the streets, the street food cooks take of the 30 millions of Delhi who are hungry….

      All the walking and watching made us hungry and thirsty… PG and I shared masala chai on the street and delicious veggie chicken peas & kidney beans curry at a small restaurant. The desert came swum in Sugar and ghee and though I am not a big fan of sweets I must admit that was fantastic!
      So many things to see, so interesting to talk to people, so strange, so intense… Delhi is pure human - turbulent lively and I love it!!!
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    • Day 12

      Willst du mit mir … 

      October 3 in India ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

      … Drogen nehmen? Ja, so fängt der Liedtext von Alligatoah an. 

      Doch mir ging es nicht ums Drogen nehmen und ich wollte auch nicht die klassische Frage stellen: Willst du meine Frau werden? 

      Das hört sich für mich komisch an, daher entschloss ich mich zu fragen: Wollen wir gemeinsam unser Leben verbringen? 

      Sie hat Ja gesagt!!!

      Es wird noch viele Fragen im Leben geben. Als Paar denke ich, ist es wichtig, eine gemeinsame Vision zu haben. 

      Was soll ich sonst über den Tag berichten, es ging um 2:30 Uhr in der Nacht los, um frühzeitig beim Taj Mahal zu sein. Die Idee hatten noch viele andere und trotzdem verteilte sich die Menschenmenge ganz gut. 

      Als Abschluss sahen wir noch das Rote Fort von Agra. Es ist ein riesiges Areal, welches nur zu 25 % für Besucher zugänglich ist. Der Rest nutzt das Militär für sich. 

      Ich hoffe, die Bilder erzählen die Geschichten großartiger Baumeister, tausenden von Arbeitern und verschwenderischen Machthabern. 

      Für uns heißt der heutige Besuch, ein weiteres der sieben Weltwunder gesehen zu haben. Ein Schritt näher zu unseren fünf großen Zielen fürs Leben. 
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    • Day 2

      Visiting the Sikh Tempel

      November 12 in India ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      Heute habe ich in einer sozialen Großküche eines Sikh Tempels, wo täglich an die 2000 Essen gratis ausgegeben werden, eine Einschulung ins Chapatimachen bekommen.
      Es steht jeder Person unabhängig von Religion, Herkunft und sozialem Stand frei, sich zum Essen in den riesigen Speisesaal zu setzen. Dort bekommt man so lange Essen angeboten, bis man satt ist.
      Das sind soo liebe Menschen! Die allermeisten machen es ehrenamtlich, für gutes Karma im nächsten Leben 😉
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    • Day 98

      Delhi, India Day 2

      March 26 in India ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

      We had breakfast at 8 AM and met Raj, our wonderful tour guide, in the hotel lobby for a long day of touring. Dale opted to stay at the hotel in the air conditioning.

      We began by making our way to Humanyun's Tomb. We exited our van and began walking toward Humanyun's Tomb. Before we reached the gate of Humanyun's Tomb, we arrived at the Tomb of Isa Khan. This mausoleum is octagonal in shape and built mainly of red sandstone. It was built in 1547–1548 during the reign of Sher Shah Suri.

      We stopped at the Tomb of Isa Khan briefly for history and photos.

      We then proceed to the gate of Humayun's Tomb. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which was built in 1570. It is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal.

      Humayun's Tomb is truly impressive with carved, stone screens allowing for airflow. But I am struck at the lack of emphasis on preservation of these structures.

      Throughout our tour, Raj gave us a ton of background information. It struck us that India is a country who has been constantly attacked and conquered.

      We continued our day by driving to the Jama Masjid. Jama Masjid is located at the heart of Old Delhi. Jama Masjid is the capital's largest mosque. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656, and inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari. Jama Masjid is situated in the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad (today Old Delhi) and served as the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors until the demise of the empire in 1857. The Jama Masjid was regarded as a symbolic gesture of Islamic power across India, well into the colonial era. It was also a site of political significance during several key periods of British rule. It remains in active use, and is one of Delhi's most iconic sites, closely identified with the ethos of Old Delhi.

      In order to tour Jama Masjid, we had to remove our shoes. I forgot my socks in the van but still decided to tour the mosque. We also had to wear a Indian dress. I thought that I would be able to not have to wear something over my dress but I think that the 'gate keeper' wanted to be able to charge us all for the privilege of wearing one of their dresses. And to add insult to injury, I was given an awful looking orange dress which clashed with my pink scarf.

      Bob opted to remain outside the mosque and people watch.

      We then proceeded into the courtyard. The pavement was very hot. I thought that I would have blisters on the bottom of my feet.

      In the center of the courtyard is a large pool for cleaning feet, hands and face. Luckily, we did not have to participate in the cleansing just to tour the mosque. I could not imagine washing my feet let alone my face in this pool.

      I had several people approach me and ask to have my picture taken with them. At first I thought it was because I looked so ridiculous in my orange and pink outfit but I think it was because of my height and pale skin.

      We next made our way out of the mosque and boarded a bicycle rickshaw for a ride through Old Delhi's narrow streets lined with ancient shops. These streets are truly chaotic with people, vehicles, rickshaws, and animals everywhere all going in different directions.

      We stopped at a tea and spice shop. Bob and I bought some Kashmiri Saffron before finishing our rickshaw ride and making our way back to our van.

      As we were all hungry by this time, our guide took us to a restaurant. The food was fantastic (we are praying that we will not experience any illnesses from eating here). I had Sweet and Sour Chicken. Bob had Butter Chicken with Naan.

      Having had our hunger satiated, we boarded our van and made our way to Bungla Sahib which is a Sikh Temple. This is one of the main worship places for Sikhs. It is a white building topped with a golden dome which has a pool inside the complex where the devotees take a bath before entering the temple. The holy rhymes of Gurbani are continually read. There is a large community kitchen inside the temple which serves free food daily to all the visitors and devotees of all religions, society, cast, and creed.

      Everyone had to take of their shoes in order to enter the temple. I removed my shoes and put on a pair of socks. A young lady said that I could not wear my socks. I took off my socks but as we prepared to walk up to the entrance to the temple, I saw that we had to walk through water. I opted to not proceed. Bob had also decided not to enter the Temple but, at this point, I could not find him so I just did some people watching.

      When the group finished their tour, we reclaimed our shoes and proceeded to the van.

      We drove to Raj Ghat. This is located on the banks of the Yamuna River and is a well maintained park containing the simple black marble platform marking the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated following his assassination in 1948.

      Prior to entering the park, we had to both walk through a metal detector and enter a "frisking" room. The men and women are directed into separate "frisking" rooms where one receives a thorough pat down.

      After being frisked, we made a brief walk to where we once again had to remove our shoes. Bob and Ron opted to not proceed any further.

      This memorial is the cleanest area that I have seen so far in India. As I approached the black marble platform, I was once again asked for a photo. I happily took a photo with an Indian woman.

      Our final stop for the day was to be Swaminarayan Akshardham. We were to tour this temple and watch a light/water show.

      On the way from Raj Ghat to Swaminarayan Akshardham, our driver actually drove the wrong way down a 3 lane expressway. Driving in the correct direction is harrowing enough. We all held our breath as 3 lanes of traffic came towards us. It seems as if the Indians think nothing of driving in the wrong direction. I think that the only reason that there are not more accidents is because there is so much traffic that it impossible to travel quickly. But the honking everywhere is crazy. No one stays in their lane. I previously thought that driving with Bill DeGroodt (AKA Mario) in South Africa was scary. South Africa's driving craziness is nothing compared to India.

      As we pulled up to the Swaminarayan Akshardham entrance, we all asked how long this would take and if we had to take off our shoes. We were told that we would have to take off our shoes and it would be a little over an hour. We took a vote. We all decided to return to the hotel instead of touring Swaminarayan Akshardham.

      I know that our guide is thinking, "what is up with these Americans and their hesitancy to remove shoes". It is such a cultural distinction.

      Upon returning to the hotel, I immediately jumped into the shower, donned my mask and went to bed.
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    • Day 32

      Jour final à Delhi

      August 2 in India ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

      On se réveille tranquillement, on va dans un café. On apprend que la Tombe d'Humanyun, un monument magnifique de Delhi, n'est ouvert que le soir et donc on ne pourra pas y aller... On va alors à l'observatoire de Jantar Mantar qui est un ensemble de construction du 18ieme servant à mesurer différents paramètres des atres. C'est très complexe mais agréable petit parc! On va ensuite dans un magasin indien très chic mais on ne fait pas d'affaires. On mange dans un bon resto mais il est déjà l'heure de plier bagage ! On récupère nos bagages à l'hôtel,on prend le métro et on arrive en avance à l'aéroport. On prends une paire de bière pour fêter la fin du voyage. On a trois heures de vol jusqu'à Dubaï puis 15h d'escale avant le vol pour Milan !Read more

    • Day 23

      Hello Delhi!

      April 26, 2023 in India ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

      We are staying at another lovely hotel, this one being conveniently situated in New Delhi close enough to Old Delhi. After we got situated we took a walk to a nearby area of markets and shops called Connaught Place where we were planning find a place to eat dinner. We ended up also enjoying a walk around a lovely park called Central Park that was created in the hub where several large streets meet.

      On our way out of the hotel we ended up chatting with the concierge for a while about tour ideas for Delhi and beyond. The disappointing thing we learned is that the Taj Mahal is not open for night viewing during the full moon in the first week of May, which I’d really been hoping to experience. After talking with him, we were contemplating hiring a driver for a couple days to visit at least one nearby city.

      On our walk three different people ended up telling us that we should visit one of the tourist centers if we wanted to set up any tours, because you pay a big mark-up doing anything through the hotels. When our tuk-tuk (rickshaw taxi!) driver after dinner encouraged us to get a free map from on of the centers, we decided to go in and check it out.

      I’m excited to say that we now have an INCREDIBLE itinerary lined up for our last 10 days in India thanks to this tour operator. The next two days are guided day tours in Old and New Delhi, and then we will travel to four cities slightly further afield from Delhi for guided visits (including a boat trip on the Ganges!) - heading out on this adventure by plane and back by train!! We are super excited to have the last part of our trip all planned out and packed full of sights to visit.

      When our tuk-tuk driver this evening learned that Eric had driven a rickshaw 3500+km, he couldn’t believe it. He proceeded to let Eric drive his rickshaw the last block or so back to our hotel! 🤣🤣🤣🛺💨
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    • Day 33

      Eternal Flame

      November 2, 2023 in India ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

      Ich war schon um vier Uhr wach, da ich in einem 6 Frauen Zimmer schlafe.
      Anscheinend nehmen indische Frauen keine Rücksicht auf ihre Zimmergenossen. Gestern abend hatte ich sie schon gebeten leiser zu sein..
      Um viertel vor fünf war ich am Ganges, wollte den Sonnenaufgang sehen, probieren zwischen den heiligen Männern zu meditieren und meine Wunschblume ins Wasser lassen.
      Es zog mich zum Feuer, ich traf den Guide von gestern und sagte ich finde nicht die richtige Stelle zum meditieren.
      Er sagte, komm setz dich vor die eternal Flame, die heiligste Stelle zum meditieren.
      Er fasste in die Flamme, nahm Asche, gab sie in meine Hände. Das sollte ich auf meine Stirn reiben.
      Ja, das war die richtige Stelle für mich!
      Es wurde windstill in mir, ein glatter See, ruhig, weit,....

      Danach wollte ich die Wunschblume auf den Ganges lassen und traf auf Gwen.
      Mein sehnlichster Wunsch schwimmt jetzt auf dem Ganges.
      Ich tauschte mich wieder mit Gwen aus, sie sagte Sätze, die ich vor ein paar Wochen zu einer Freundin über mich selbst gesagt hatte. Same, same.
      Irgendwann habe ich laut gelacht, weil es fast schon ein bisschen verrückt war.
      Wir spiegeln uns!!!

      Danach waren wir im besten Lassi Shop von ganz Indien!
      Blue Lassi Shop!
      Der köstlichste Lassi, den ich in Indien getrunken habe!!!
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    • Day 4

      Tuk Tuk fahren in Delhi

      November 10, 2023 in India ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

      Um dem Lärm und der Hektik von unserem Viertel etwas zu entgehen, sind wir heute mit einem Tuk Tuk zum Center Park gefahren.

      Da das Wetter umgeschlagen ist, blieben wir aber nicht allzu lange und schlenderten durch die den Central Park umgebende Connaugh Place, mit seinen vielen kleinen Geschäften und Restaurants.

      Ein Gutes hatte der Regen aber, der Feinstaub/Smog in der Luft ging deutlich zurück.
      Jetzt ist die Luftqualität laut unserer Wetter-App nicht mehr „Extrem Schlecht“, sondern nur noch „sehr schlecht“ 🤪
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    New Delhi, Neu-Delhi, ኒው ዴሊ, Nueba Deli, نيودلهي, নয়া দিল্লী, ནེའུ་དིལ་ལིའི, Nova Delhi, Nové Dillí, Νέο Δελχί, Nov-Delhio, Nueva Delhi, Nova Deli - नई दिल्ली, ניו דלהי, नई दिल्ली, Նյու Դելի, Nova-Delhi, Nýja Delí, Nuova Delhi, ニューデリー, ნიუ-დელი, 뉴델리, Dellium Novum, Њу Делхи, Nòva Delhi, Nova Deli, Нью-Дели, Dillí, புது தில்லி, นิวเดลี, Yeni Delhi, 新德里

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