Jaisalmer to Delhi

Settling in to our seats on the train, we were looking forward to a comfortable trip back to Delhi. Expecting to have 2 others in our berth, we were a little surprised when enough luggage to fill a small shipping container was brought in piece by piece, and packed into every free space around us. Surprise turned to alarm when 2 adults, 2 children and a 16 week old beagle puppy boarded the train and made themselves comfortable. Knowing we could expect nothing less in India, it didn't take long for minor frustration to turn into amusement, and we settled for hoping the puppy was housetrained. A few minutes after we left the station, the first of many incidents made it clear he wasn't. On top of that, he didn't much like travelling on the train and barked and whined most of the night, especially after he fell from where he was sleeping with a loud thud. Deciding I'd prefer to avoid working during our holiday, I suggested that maybe the top bunk wasn't the best place to put a puppy to bed. The people were actually lovely, and we were lucky as they were very open with us about their culture. It was very interesting to hear about their lives as a middle class family. The most striking thing for me was their strong opinion that we were very lucky to be getting to know one another before decide if we want to get married- not a privilege they had been lucky enough to enjoy. Though we didn't get the peace we had hoped for, I'm sure it's a trip we won't forget, and we’ll probably never again travel with a dog on a train.

We were a little apprehensive about how much we were going to enjoy Delhi after talking to a few people who had found it too overwhelming to be enjoyable. We had a day and a half up our

sleeves so we eased our way into it by spending the first afternoon in the markets in New Delhi. New Delhi was designed and built outside the walls of the old city by the British in the early 1900’s, when they transferred the capital of India from Kolkata to Delhi. Compared with Old Delhi it has a reputation for being much more relaxing and less chaotic. Though we enjoyed it, by evening we were ready for the clutter, chaos, and pandemonium the old city has to offer. The following morning we rode around Old Delhi with a tour starting at 6.30am while the streets were still navigable by bike. This turned out to be one of the best things we chose to do in India. One of the first streets we headed down passed the city's main butchering areas. At this time of the morning slabs of steaming meat, and other body parts, were carried along the streets to carts waiting to distribute them around the city. Most members of the tour declared they were squeamish and considering becoming vegetarians for life. Liam said out loud that after 3 weeks without a steak he couldn’t stop salivating. I thought an English woman in the group looked like she might vomit, so I reassured her he would cook it first. Carrying on, we spent the next few hours swerving around offerings to the gods in the middle of streets, goats, dogs, cats, cows, monkeys and humans, and watched the city waking up. Highlights included well-built bullocks pulling carts down narrow streets, thousands of sacks of chillies being unloaded at the spice market, playing with the only de-sexed street dog in India, and passing a labour market- a street for labourers to be employed for short term jobs. We decided exploring a city by bike has to be one of the best ways to get around.

Later in the morning we caught a cycle rickshaw to the Jama Musjid, built by Shan Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. After a quarrel at the gate over whether an iPad constitutes a camera, we paid the camera fee, and dressed in the robes provided. It was a very different experience to the many hindu temples we had visited. The mosque was interesting from a historical point of view, as the Mughals founded the Old City of Delhi, but the building itself wasn’t as striking as we had imagined.

In the afternoon we walked through the many wholesale markets Old Delhi is well renowned for. The spice market was my favourite, a wonderful assault to the senses. Stall after stall displayed marvellous arrays of dried fruits, nuts, teas, and every spice imaginable. One narrow covered alleyway lead to the chilli stands. It was impossible to walk through without choking and coughing. Initially we thought it was just us, but even some of the locals were struggling. We had to wonder about the long term effect on the lungs for the workers. Though the spice market was bliss for me, Liam was at home along the wholesale streets for hardware, where anything and everything you would ever need engineering and building was available. A handyman’s heaven.

Though I thought it would feel like Old Delhi was in a hectic state of confusion and disorder, the sensation I experienced was the opposite. Underneath the superficial bustle and perpetual activity, there is timeless order which underpins the long-standing congregation of so many people in one place. The Old Delhi experience is certainly not one I will soon forget.