I have decided to skip London for the moment, will get back to that later. Arrived in Delhi late on Tuesday 24th September. We were held up at Heathrow nearly an hour because the aircraft we were on was brand new, it was the first flight and had to have extra checks the Captain told us. So nice to be on, but not much room in economy! It was a 777-300 from memory.
Delhi looked the same - but its the first time I have arrived to - rain! When arriving at Paharganj after midnight, I hardly recognized it, it looked like a demolition site, wiring and power lines everywhere (more than usual), muddy roads and buildings looking as though they were half pulled down, with the front off and rooms exposed everywhere - very depressing. When I went out the next morning in the rain, I had to walk through so much mud on the road to and along Main Bazaar, where the footpaths are being constructed with pavers. The problem is there has been so much rain that the piles of sand-mud mix that had been placed all along the roads had been washed over the new concrete roads that had been done a few months ago and it was in fact worse than before. All along the shop fronts, the poor owners were struggling with trying to get customers into their shops due to the water and mud. I asked my "friend" Ali (everyone is your friend in Pahar Ganj!)how long it had been like that, and he said six months. They started the work and just left it in chaos, and since have not been able to do much since the rains came. To make it worse,the rain should have started receding at the beginning of September, but had a revisit due to El Nino in the south. I have read that this it the wettest September since 1945, and the fifth wettest in memory. So of course this is the reason that so much of the work that should have been done for the Commonwealth Games sites has not been able to be done - never mind that it should have been done months ago. There is much arguing and finger-pointing by all the departments involved of course, and I am sure heads will roll, after the event. But they announced today that the Government has taken over - so hopefully, it will work out. I think they have pulled a lot of people off the street building here to work at the sites.
Walked out yesterday,and oh joy, the sun was shining! I thought it might be, because I woke to the sound of concrete mixers and shoveling. What a difference a day makes. I still love the energy around this area, although for the first day or two avoiding the touts is time and energy consuming, then they recognise that you aren't a new arrival and leave you alone. One came up to me and said "Hello Australia - nice to see you back in Delhi". I had bought my Lonely Planet and a couple of books from him 2 years ago, and had had a few chais with him then - so that was nice. He is from Kashmir and had tried to encourage me to do a tour there last time, but I knew it wasn't safe.
Walked to Connaught Place, major work going on there also. If only they could get it done in time it would be brilliant, it has the potential to be a great shopping area, and actually is, with classy shops and restaurants, but it isn't the glamour place that westerners would expect to find, as the capital. The buildings, all colonial, are quite grand, but that hasn't been maintained, and I remember on my first trip to Delhi 3 years ago feeling that a coat of paint would make all the difference. And it does, if only they could get it all done. Even if they do get it smartened up ( the monsoon rains destroy the paint each year), a lot of Westerners will still suffer from culture shock, because it will not look anything like they would expect, comparing it to other major cities like London and Paris - maybe even Shanghai. I would like to think people will be able to enjoy the different experience. These days everywhere you go in the world the cities are all starting to look the same - all glass and metal with the same chain shops worldwide. At least here they will know they have been somewhere different. The Indian people have a lovely spirit, once you get past the bartering side of things, and are genuinely interested in you. And folk have to prepare to be on "Indian Time" then it will be much easier! I wasn't able to get back to Connaught Place to take photos, which is a shame, because it is an interesting town centre. Planned in concentric circles radiating out from a central park, it feels open and looks attractive (once all painted).
I have noticed that there are no cows around Pahrganj, they must have moved them out for doing the streets up for the Games visitors - such a shame not to see them, they make the place feel more homely.
I planned to go to Manali from here, but due to the floods and landslides, the buses were not going, only small private buses and cars could get through. So I have decided to go to Nainital on my way to Bageshwar. I am still not sure if my train is going tonight, as in the news today there is still major flooding on the plains, flash flooding and landslides all around Utteranchal, nowhere seems to have escaped. The roads around Nainital are still flooded, but the train approaches from a different direction, so we will see how far I get.
Great surprise, ran into my friends from Sydney, Dave and Keiko, who had just arrived in Paharganj - such excitement! They didn't know I was still here, because I was supposed to be here last week, but decided to stay in London a week longer, so we thought we would miss each other. They had planned to go straight to Rishikesh, but can't get there because of the flooding, apparently its very bad there as well. We are going to have dinner tonight at at nice little veg restaurant called Cafe Fiesta (very Indian name!). Its right opposite my hotel "Cottage Yes Please", which has been great. Nice marble staircases, and good rooms with hot water. Have had my Deet on all the time because of the danger of Dengue, haven't had to use it other times in India.
Saturday 25th Sept
Well, I made it to Haldwani! A nice train trip, leaving at 11.10 instead of 10.40, which is really on time. As I sat on the platform watching the huge trolleys of cotton-packed bales being hauled along by workers, I was listening to the usual updates - lots of trains cancelled (please, not mine) and a few quite late one of them 11 hours, another 3 and a half. Still the recording of the lady apologising for the delay with "the deepest regret for it". Warnings about not to light firecrackers or gas stoves on the train, or fires of any kind. And new warnings about making sure the luggage under your seat, above your head, and bedside you belonged to you. If we saw anything suspicious, like firearms or mobile phones or watches left "please urgently inform the staff". So feeling quite secure off we went. I shared my second class sleeper with some lovely Indian couples and baby, it was very companiable, and got good sleep, even though there are many stops during the night, a seven hour trip. I read about an Australian girl being assaulted on one of the trains last week, by a staff member, and couldn't help wondering if she had been travelling by herself in the closed, private 1st class sleeper carriages. The chance of it happening in 2nd class with all the people around I would think are minimal. Plus I always feel they are looking out for me.
So - Haldwani! I have to say it is the only place I have been in India its been virtually impossible to get any information about the town, the hotels, eating places, and how to get out of here, apart from train. Lonely Planet has nothing about the place, apart from mentioning that it it is a major transport centre. Somebody has commented that they were surprised that for such an important transit city that it wasn't mentioned. Couldn't find anything helpful on line either. It seems to be a predominantly Muslim town, and very much a market town where I am staying at Hotel Nanak, but I just can't even place where it is as far as the township goes. So I got a rickshaw to the taxi stand a mile or so towards the outskirts (as far as I could tell) and booked a taxi to Nainital for the morning. They all say that the buses cannot go on the roads yet, and it is a long way round so of course will cost. Instead of 35km it will be 65, and quite hilly and winding. The bus normally costs 32 rupees, taxi 350 because they have to come back empty.I still cant help feeling that maybe its a bit of a scam, but what can you do - just go with it.
