Delhi, Agra, Varanasi
In Delhi I stayed in the backpackers ghetto near the New Delhi train station. Unfortunately the local Sikhs also picked the same street for their procession celebrating Nanak Jayanti, the birthday of their founder Guru Nanak. This meant a huge traffic jam all around the area. I wanted to take an autorickshaw to do my sightseeing but by the time I had walked past all the traffic I couldn't find one to take me. I ended up walking the 4km or so all the way to the Jama Mosque. The walk through the streets of Old Delhi was a very interesting one, across train tracks that aren't meant to be crossed, through bazaars, and past many temples. The last time I was here with Regina we took taxis and autorickshaws from tourist site to tourist site and saw all the sights but didn't really see the city. I realize now that you don't know anything about a city until you've walked it. I decided to walk back as well and took a different route through more bazaars and interesting areas.
When I got back the procession was still going on. Here they are doing what they are famous for, giving out food.(Actually this man is probably a Hindu hired for the event.) This turned the entire street into a jam packed filty disgusting mess, and I had to walk through it to get to my hotel. The worst part though was the sweepers who came ahead of the different parts of the procession sweeping all the trash into the crowd that lined the road and also sweeping dust and dirt into the air for everyone to breath in.
Groups of serious looking Sikhs likes these made up the main parts of the procession.
From Delhi my next stop was Agra where I wanted to visit some friends I had made on my previous trip.
This is Adil, who owns a carpet store/internet cafe. I spent two days here, the first one meeting all of his friends and going to some interesting places. My visit would have also included some great home cooked food but the first day I had no appetite. The second day I spent resting and going to the toilet, my lack of appetite was just a forwarning of getting very sick from either something I ate in Delhi or the food served on the train to Agra. Someone tried to explain to me that it was because I wasn't used to the spicy food here. I said no, that it was actually because I wasn't used to food that contains generous portions of fecal matter.
In looking back on the different times food has made me sick (4) I am happy to report that it has always been from resturants. One of them was a really dodgy restuarant, but food from street vendors has never been the culprit.
From Agra I made a quick trip to Varanasi to see the Ghats that line the Ganges River.
When I got back the procession was still going on. Here they are doing what they are famous for, giving out food.(Actually this man is probably a Hindu hired for the event.) This turned the entire street into a jam packed filty disgusting mess, and I had to walk through it to get to my hotel. The worst part though was the sweepers who came ahead of the different parts of the procession sweeping all the trash into the crowd that lined the road and also sweeping dust and dirt into the air for everyone to breath in.
Groups of serious looking Sikhs likes these made up the main parts of the procession.
From Delhi my next stop was Agra where I wanted to visit some friends I had made on my previous trip.
This is Adil, who owns a carpet store/internet cafe. I spent two days here, the first one meeting all of his friends and going to some interesting places. My visit would have also included some great home cooked food but the first day I had no appetite. The second day I spent resting and going to the toilet, my lack of appetite was just a forwarning of getting very sick from either something I ate in Delhi or the food served on the train to Agra. Someone tried to explain to me that it was because I wasn't used to the spicy food here. I said no, that it was actually because I wasn't used to food that contains generous portions of fecal matter.
In looking back on the different times food has made me sick (4) I am happy to report that it has always been from resturants. One of them was a really dodgy restuarant, but food from street vendors has never been the culprit.
From Agra I made a quick trip to Varanasi to see the Ghats that line the Ganges River.
posted by Jake at 12:01 AM
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