So I had to bribe them, so damn what?

People had warned me about monkeys attacking me, stealing my belongings. But no, no monkey came. Any time I got a little close, they scurried off. Maybe it was my feet- permanently stinky from those horrendous barefooted walks in mosques and temples (thank goodness for marble).

And so it was that I had to fork out 30 Rupees to buy a bunch of bananas. And they sure as hell came. Sharma had warned us about the pink faced monkeys. They're the terrible ones. So in India, even the monkeys want their pockets lined.

I don't think the street cleaner appreciated White Boy's shenanigans. Not so much because I must have put my life at risk, facing off those ferocious creatures, but because the critters left a trail of banana peels on the floor moments after he'd cleaned it off.

So I tipped him too, and gave him a cheeky kids smile "Sorry!". :)


They can peel bananas.



India's getting expensive. It's supposed to be the cheap destination, but already I've spent a hell of a lot more than I spend on my typical vacations. OK, so maybe a stay at the Meridien didn't help matters much. On the other hand, I was about to pay almost triple for a night at the Rambagh!

So we've sampled a little bit of everything: some nature, some city, tourist traps, archealogical sites, religious sites. Every country has a city where the Garbz would live, if he had to. And if I had to live anywhere in India, it would be Delhi (based on this limited sample set). 

Delhi is not high up in the list of where one would think I would actually live. I prefer smaller, more walkable spaces. And Delhi is the furthest thing from being a walkable city. I remember arguing with the travel agent about the real need for a hired car since I like to walk. That changed very quickly once we arrived. Between the uninviting roads (they were the best roads we saw in the trip with actual pedestrian pavements and whatnot) and the sweltering heat and humidity, walking really is a morning activity or a late evening one.

One good thing about Delhi is that it does have a fairly good Metro system, although with limited time, we did not try it. It's also not so immediately clear to me how most Indians make use of it once you venture beyond the main touristy points. You still need a car or a means to get to your destination, but I suppose that's what the Tuk-Tuks and busses are for (in Delhi, we actually visited people who live in the burbs, so we got a little opportunity to go where tourists don't typically flock to).

Since Ghada had only the one day in Delhi, while I had two, I left most tourist points visits for the second day I was there, and we made the first day a Ghada day.

Lina's niece lives in Gurgaon, and my flight was at 19:30 on the 14th. I myself was not overly eager on a full day of driving around in traffic jams, so I thought long and hard, and picked the one place I thought was worth visiting- the Qutab Minar. With Lina eager to walk, we also managed to get out of the hotel at 6:00 in the morning and visited, on foot the India Gate, the Parliament buildings, the monkeys, a couple of Gurdwaras and churches.

[Note to self: need to figure out how to stop the fogging effect on the camera lens during the morning dues].

At the Qutab Minar, we had forgotten Lina's cell in the car, and so we had no means of contacting the driver by the time we were out. Fortunately, I had his card in my wallet, and so we went looking for a phone to borrow so that we may call him.

We found a bunch of Punjabi fellows standing.

"May we use your phone, we forgot our phone in the car, and need to call the driver", we asked.

"Yes of course. Aren't you staying at the Meridien?", they asked Lina, "I serve the Meridien and saw you there".

Either the drivers are talking, or we've become the talk of the town. Even here, 10km or more from Connaught place, where we are staying, the Punjabi community seems to be privy to which hotel we are staying at. We have been branded. More on this point in Part 2 of Good deals and Fair prices post.

The India Gate.. how do I get rid of the fogging of the camera lens!

Security is heavy in Delhi

Gurdwara in Delhi

Qutab Minar- Highlight of Delhi

Qutab Minar