Sunday April 27, 2014
So, a day of pure tourism and heat!
We decided it was finally time to explore Delhi a bit more, at least get a look at some of all the fabulous sights in Delhi.
As always, the way there was at least as exciting to us as the actual goal of our excursion! (Pictures taken from the car ...)
Do you see the lady in the back cooking on her little stove? Ian and I just saw a programm from BBC (Horizon) about these little stoves - they make people ill because of all the smoke they produce, and they are not very fuel efficient, which of course is a disadvantage where resources are scarce or too expensive. Over 2 million people die every year because of this, mostly women and small children who stay close to their cooking mothers. I found this site - and Ian had the idea that we could buy a load of these and simply distribute them in the villages in the area. It sounds too simple somehow, but why does it have to be complicated and expensive to help? What do you think? Would anyone else like to help? I will certainly look into this more.
We see people, sometimes families with small children, who live under fly-overs or under a tree on the strip of dirt in the middle of roads.
It makes me think hard about the 40' container jam packed with our stuff making its way here as we speak. How much does a person really need?!
By 10.45 we were on a HOHO (hop on hop off) bus armed with a ticket for the Red Line that would take us past some of the museums and monuments. They advertise "air-conditioned environment friendly luxury buses" ... well, the airconditionning consisted of the same kind of ventilation you would find in an airplane, only VERY noisy, backed up with VERY noisy fans. The intercom system did not work, so the poor guide was shouting at the top of her voice. She did the very best she could, and was probably very knowledgeable, but, frankly, we did not really know when she was speaking in English and when she was speaking in Hindi! That is, when we could hear her at all over all the noise in the bus and all the honking outside. The luxury bit ... we might have to go back and look harder ...
Wise as she is, Maia had brought a doughnut from the breakfast buffet (!) to up the blood sugar when needed :-)
In any case, the bus took us around to the Red Fort, Raj Ghat - Mahatma Gandhi's grave, the National Museum, Nehru Museum and a few more places. We hopped off at India Gate, a monument commemorating the Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting as British allies in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
We had to cross two streets - yes, we are still alive ...! - and saw these guys doing the same.
On the way we also came across a hospital with this fantastic creation outside of it - I think it is buckets hanging in a tree.
Somebody could not be bothered with HOHO, they had brought their own car and their own driver ... who passes his time on the phone in a very relaxed position ...
This family had just been for a visit, and were leaving as we arrived. They smiled and the little boy waved to us.
The arc is surrounded by a rather large park and there were people having a lazy Sunday or even a pick-nick in the grass.
Others were hard a work in the 38 degree heat. The woman in the back is holding the "dust pan" in her hand. She pushed the dirt collected by the woman with the broom with one piece of cardboard onto the other piece of cardboard and carried it to the nearest dustbin.
These men were cleaning up a pool around a fountain with the help of shoves and brooms made of sticks tied together at one end.
Inside the arc is an eternal flame marking the tomb of the unknown soldier - very much like the Arc de Triomph in another capital.
On the other side of the arc is a boulevard leading to the presidential palace - very much like in Paris.
Check out the very last word on this sign! :-) Don't know about you, but I can't help but having my doubts ...
However, after a few minutes he started it and drove away. Later we saw more tuk-tuk drivers do the same - tuk-tuks probably do not reverse.
Unfortunatelly I was not quick enough with my camera, and this bicycle turned before I could get a good picture. It looked like he had a whole circus packed on that thing.
Finally, our luxury bus arrived and we got on. This time, another bus, another guide AND a working intercom! Now, we could hear that she was talking ... but still not quite discerne when she was speaking what language ...
Next HO for us - Indira Gandhi Museum.
... to be continued ...
So, a day of pure tourism and heat!
We decided it was finally time to explore Delhi a bit more, at least get a look at some of all the fabulous sights in Delhi.
As always, the way there was at least as exciting to us as the actual goal of our excursion! (Pictures taken from the car ...)
 | |
| A lazy Sunday playing cards maybe |
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| Your local stop for a snack and a soft drink |
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| A fully loaded bicycle! |
 | |
By 10.45 we were on a HOHO (hop on hop off) bus armed with a ticket for the Red Line that would take us past some of the museums and monuments. They advertise "air-conditioned environment friendly luxury buses" ... well, the airconditionning consisted of the same kind of ventilation you would find in an airplane, only VERY noisy, backed up with VERY noisy fans. The intercom system did not work, so the poor guide was shouting at the top of her voice. She did the very best she could, and was probably very knowledgeable, but, frankly, we did not really know when she was speaking in English and when she was speaking in Hindi! That is, when we could hear her at all over all the noise in the bus and all the honking outside. The luxury bit ... we might have to go back and look harder ...
In any case, the bus took us around to the Red Fort, Raj Ghat - Mahatma Gandhi's grave, the National Museum, Nehru Museum and a few more places. We hopped off at India Gate, a monument commemorating the Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting as British allies in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War.
We had to cross two streets - yes, we are still alive ...! - and saw these guys doing the same.
On the way we also came across a hospital with this fantastic creation outside of it - I think it is buckets hanging in a tree.
Somebody could not be bothered with HOHO, they had brought their own car and their own driver ... who passes his time on the phone in a very relaxed position ...
This family had just been for a visit, and were leaving as we arrived. They smiled and the little boy waved to us.
 |
| The local MC gang? |
Almost there!
Others were hard a work in the 38 degree heat. The woman in the back is holding the "dust pan" in her hand. She pushed the dirt collected by the woman with the broom with one piece of cardboard onto the other piece of cardboard and carried it to the nearest dustbin.
These men were cleaning up a pool around a fountain with the help of shoves and brooms made of sticks tied together at one end.
Inside the arc is an eternal flame marking the tomb of the unknown soldier - very much like the Arc de Triomph in another capital.
We saw and we conquered ... and got really hot and bothered ... so we started heading back to the HOHO bus stop.
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| "Keep India clean" ...? |
Waiting for the bus would have been a very entertaining 20 minutes ... had it not been for the heat!
We thought that this tuk-tuk was broken - the man was pushing it backward into the space where we were standing.
However, after a few minutes he started it and drove away. Later we saw more tuk-tuk drivers do the same - tuk-tuks probably do not reverse.
Unfortunatelly I was not quick enough with my camera, and this bicycle turned before I could get a good picture. It looked like he had a whole circus packed on that thing.
 |
| Later, the ice cream van drove by |
Finally, our luxury bus arrived and we got on. This time, another bus, another guide AND a working intercom! Now, we could hear that she was talking ... but still not quite discerne when she was speaking what language ...
Next HO for us - Indira Gandhi Museum.
... to be continued ...
what a great experience with such a lovely young lady! (Travis)
ReplyDeleteLove the pics and philosophical insights! How far is it from Berlin to where you are? I'll be there in the last part of July. (April)