Incredible !ndia (New Delhi)

Member Name: michelle670

Product:	New Delhi
Date:	05/09/08 (51 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: so many things to do and see,cheap,developing,anyt hing is available, history,culturally rich

Disadvantages: dirty,the poverty, pollution, over-crowding, agra not being that clean

Another review about my travelling experiences. I went to Delhi when I was 5 years old which was quite a long time ago, but I still have many memories most of which I will try to highlight in this review.

The first hurdle was getting all the necessary injections. I recall going to the doctor and being told to drop my trousers so she could give me an injection in my behind. I didn't understand what was going on, but did it all the same. I think I had about 5 injections in total and sometimes to this day I get mild twinges in my arm from all the injections I had.

This was the first ever time I had been on an aeroplane and being a 5 year old child I was pretty excited with all the attention I was getting from the flight attendants. I thought it was Christmas with the amount of colouring books and stickers I got! It definitely kept me occupied for the whole trip. During the flight we did experience some turbulence which made people a little anxious but this soon settled. The captain assured us it was just some bad weather which was over Pakistan. When we were coming into land I felt very unwell and very nauseous. I told the flight attendant and I remember her mopping my brow because I was very stressed about the decent. All I can remember is using my mothers lap as a vomit bag instead of the one provided. I felt embarrassed but it was probably because I was worried about coming into land.

As soon as we came off the aeroplane the moist, humid climate hit you even though it was in the small hours of the morning. Indian men came rushing up to us all draping us in marigold garlands in bright orange which smelled really pungent. I remember being quickly bundled into a taxi and whisked away into the heart of the capital. I remember sitting next to a talk, lean Indian man who was squashing me in the back seat of the taxi. I was later told me was my Uncle! We got there all a little drained and tired from the flight and we were shown to our room. I cannot recall anything from that night, but I do remember the fact that my Brother and I slept for 2 days.

We woke one morning to the sounds of chatter and laughter with the faint aroma of cooking emulating from the kitchen. My Grandmother was making some chapattis for breakfast and my first thought was "yuck what the hell is that Mummy". It was then explained that this is what they eat for breakfast of which I tried and it tasted pretty much like a pancake but thicker. I decided to stick to my cereal which Mum had brought from England. I remember there being a saucepan of chai being left on the "hob" and my Grandmother rushing around to fill up the empty cups. I remember the taste of the chai. It was nothing like I had tasted before. It was strong, sweet and filled with herbs which tasted unusual at first. I did however stick to drink limca (an Indian fruity soft drink). I remember going for a walk with my Dad especially to get limca, I was really happy when I got it, it was so refreshing considering it was so humid.


There are a few gaps in my memory, but I do remember when we went shopping. We all went, everyone! I remember making a real fuss because I wanted this particular Barbie doll which you couldn't get in the UK and sure enough I got it. I was over the moon. I didn't want to take her out of the packaging. The Indian locals must have thought I was a spoilt brat because I ended up getting another two dolls one of which was dressed in an Indian Sari and I called her Sita. I loved them, I was elated, I didn't want anything else this was more than enough for a 5 year old child. I had never been spoilt like this before so it felt quite strange. This other lady who was my "auntie" but technically she wasn't, she always had a habit of sitting me on her knee talking to me in Panjabi and squeezing me cheeks. I ended up going on a shopping trip with her and she bought me some blue gingham shoes which were completely fowl, but I thought I looked great and so did she!

I remember going to an Indian wedding, which was so grand I didn't know where to look. We were all wearing our best and stuck closely together. Now I know I was only 5 but one thing that I can still remember was the cappuccino I had. To this day I have never tasted anything like it! I have been trying to recreate it for years but have been unsuccessful! Apparently it was something to do with the milk they used and various ingredients that they put in which made it extra bubbly. It was such a luxurious occasion from what I can remember. The theme was red and gold (very traditional) and the groom entered on a white horse like Prince Charming. It was magical!
If you ever have the opportunity to go to an Asian wedding, then I strongly recommend you do, you will be blown away. Indian parents live to marry their children into the best families they can and often spend thousands on getting the best wedding so that everyone is talking about it.

We did a lot of travelling by taxi's because they were very cheap and easy to get hold of. I remember sitting in the back of one particular taxi and being so scared because the door was falling off! The driver was being a bit reckless so we ended up getting out and getting another. This is one thing with Indian drivers; there is no road rage at all! They beep at one another to tell them they are there and to watch out, not because they are angry because someone had cut them up they don't care! It could be compared to stock car racing, cars dashing all over the place in every direction with no one giving way! I couldn't understand why there wasn't a crash especially as there were cows walking in the middle of the road! Not only were there cows but there was an elephant. I couldn't understand what was going on, it was most unusual. So not only are you dodging other drivers you are also looking out for cows. You literally are taking you life in your own hands whilst you travel around India. No wonder to this day I still run across the road!
I remember driving in a taxi to a relatives house and being stuck in traffic when this woman came rushing up to the taxi window with her baby clutching her asking for money. I didn't know what to do; I was too young to understand. I was told to keep my arms in the taxi and my Dad gave her some rupees of which she appreciated and left. I didn't really understand what was going on when I saw people begging on the streets. It didn't acknowledge with me that these people were starving and had no money to get food. There were many occasions where I was grabbed and told to look away because there were many sick people on the street, people who were helpless and left there to suffer. My family felt it was inappropriate for both me and my Brother to see especially as we were so young and had lead a very sheltered life, where we had never been exposed to anything like this.

We visited many temples whilst we stayed in India. The concept of leaving my blue gingham shoes outside was too much for me to handle and I was worried something was going to take them. I remember it being peaceful, calm and a perfect place to reflect. Everything looked expensive, decked in gold and marigold garlands offered to the gods. I think I was too young to appreciate that this really meant.
We also went to a temple named lotus because it really did look like a giant white lotus flower. It certainly has the wow factor. I remember it being so bright that it hurt my eyes looking at it as it was pure white. Inside camera's and video recorders were not allowed which explains why I probably can't remember much.

Many people had heard we were in the area and we were constantly getting visitors. I felt very jealous because everyone was paying attention to my Brother (being the only boy in the family) I felt really left out. There are so many pictures of my looking really grumpy because he was getting all the attention and presents. Even though this traditional was explained to me, I still didn't like it and still thought it was unfair! People had come as far as Australia to see us. I remember this one particular couple being very friendly and she gave me a little toy which she had brought from Australia. I felt special again! All the guests that came to visit us bought a box of burfi. I had never tasted it before and found myself eating so much of the stuff it ended up making me feel really ill. The best way I can describe it is the texture is like fudge and is often very rich, so rich you can only have a small amount otherwise you will feel ill, like me. They come in a variety of flavours, coconut, vanilla, carrot, nut, and my favourite pistachio! It was so nice, I loved it! I still love it!
One family that did come and visit us was the one from across the road. They had children the same age as us and you would have thought we would have got along, but we didn't. The boy stole my Brothers teddy bear and he went mad, like properly mad! My Brother was screaming his head off and this little boy still wouldn't give it back. It turned out that the little boy from across the street didn't give it back for a week. For the whole holiday they were giving evils to one another over the fence.

I remember having a lot of problems with the food over there, because their diet was extreme compared to mine. We went on the hunt for something "Englishy" and stumbled upon Wimpy. Now, cows are sacred in India and therefore they don't sell beef. So instead of getting a beef burger, we got veggie ones! To be honest, all I can remember was how good it tasted to have something different! There was also an amazing ice cream shop just down the road from Wimpy. You could have any flavour you wanted. My scoop of chocolate was quite possibly bigger than my head and more than I could manage, it was nice though!

Toilet issues were high on the complaint list. When I went there were NO English style toilets. When I saw this hole in the ground I couldn't understand where I was supposed to go? I didn't like it; thankfully they are catching on to the English style being more appropriate. I was probably put off as well by the fact that there was a massive lizard on the wall. I screamed my head off and my Grandma came running. She had no fear! She grabbed it, smacked it with her flip flop and threw it over the wall into the street which would be picked up by a cleaner!

Because we were so young and irritable at times, a trip to the Taj Mahal was ruled out because it would take too long to get there. My brother went there last year (I didn't go) and his experience was one that he wouldn't forget. For starters he was feeling a little weak. He hadn't been feeling well for several days and had a mild spot of "Delhi belly", which made the train journey a little uncomfortable. They got to Agra and oh dear what was this place! He couldn't believe where he was, that this is where the famous Taj Mahal was, behind all this waste, excrement and strong smelling stench! Now he is not one to complain but he was shocked and with another "Delhi belly" attack looming, when he had to go he had to go. My Dad was so disgusted and ashamed with the facilities he told the man to clean the toilet again. It still wasn't any better and they couldn't believe that so many millions of tourists visit the Taj every year and they cannot even provide clean facilities, what impression does this give the world about India? The motto " When you got to go, you got to go" was applicable in this situation. There was a little boy pestering my Dad to buy this wire bicycle. My Dad wasn't interested he didn't want it and explained this to the boy. The boy was persistent and kept on and on at him. My Dad felt sorry for him and offered to give him some money, but not buy the bicycle. The boy was fuming, he went mad and started hurling abuse at my Dad in Panjabi. The reason behind this is that they are trying to earn their money instead of getting hand outs form rich tourists. They would rather provide a service and get paid for it. I would like to add that the shoe shine boys on the side of the street are amazing! Not only are you paying for a service and potentially putting food on his families table, you are getting the best shiny shoes you have ever seen! It is such a shame that India has so many positive things in her country (notice the personification of India as being a woman as this is what Indian people perceive as their mother) that they are often over shadowed by things that we take for granted like going home to a cooked meal on the table.

Whilst I was in India I had a very unsettling experience with the malaria tablets I was taking. For starters I was taking daily and weekly. Now for a 5 year old child it was too much to have to take tablets all the time. I had difficulty taking them because they were so big. My Mum had to conceal them in a banana to make sure I took them, but in the end I sussed it and ended up sieving the banana in my mouth to find the tablet and spit it out. Whilst in India I became very ill. I went to the doctor who poked and prodded me and ended up giving me some different tablets which made me worse and resulted in me being sick for a few days. After this mild episode we went back and he advised my parents to stop giving me the tablets.

In terms of shopping, I wont go into that in too much detail because you can get basically anything in India which is a lot cheaper than what you would pay back home. You can take your prescription (eyes) to an optician, select designer frames and the best lenses in the shop and it is still cheaper than back home. This is why I end up stocking up, because I refuse to pay the prices that Vision Express quote me when I know I can get a few better pairs for the same price, madness! India also has many jewellery shops and the gold is often of a very different colour to what you would expect. Some think it looks cheap, but it's actually of a higher carat than most gold. It is more yellow and used on everything! You will often see men with guns standing outside these shops. I was petrified when I saw this! So basically you can get anything you want, but make sure you bargain for it. They will drop the price down if they know they are loosing a customer.

It is very important to be vigilant which is the case when you go anywhere really. My Uncle was unfortunate to get "conned" by what appeared to be a well dressed businessman who said his wife needed to get to hospital because she was having a baby and could he have money for a taxi. My Uncle gave him the money for the taxi and off he went. My Uncle went into the next shop to see the same name giving the same story to another shopper. The man in question saw my Uncle and did a runner before he was set upon by the guards standing outside the shop. Crafty hey!

One thing to mention as well is be prepared to be stared at especially if you are white. This really annoyed me, I was only 5 and it annoyed me so much. I kept asking "Mummy why are they looking at me". The only reason why they stare is because some of them have never seen a white person before, its strange to them and to see someone with blonde hair that's a completely different ball game, so be careful!

If you are able to go to India go during one of the colourful festivals; Holi or Diwali. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Festival celebrations can last for hours and sometimes days, which can be annoying when people are STILL letting off bangers at 4am in the morning! It's a great atmosphere, everyone decorates their houses with lights and people go out especially to buy brightly colour powders to hurl at each other. Great fun!
India from my experience has the potential to be up there with America and be super power country. However, until things are not sorted this will not happen. For example, I have been told about various incidents in the past which have involved the law and were often over-thrown by handing out a quick bribe to the police to settle the case swiftly. The problem is that you have people in 3 sometimes 4 storey houses who are very wealthy indeed and then you have people who are struggling to make ends meet. Admittedly the rich poor divide is narrowing somewhat, which is pleasing to see. It will be interesting to see how Delhi and India in particular, copes under the pressure to deliver a culturally rich Common wealth games in 2010. It promises to be a cultural rich event, displaying the best that India has to offer and you would expect this isn't too much to ask from a country with such a large population. India has already built a very successful metro which shows that it does have the potential to develop, but can it be ready in time for when the world comes for the Common wealth games, I'm not too sure.

Places to visit in India:
1) Taj Mahal- this is a must, despite the long train journey and passing through the not so pleasing Agra it is definitely worth visiting to say "I've been there".
2) The Golden Temple- Amritsar. I haven't actually been here but I would love to. Made from gold you can expect to be blown away by its beauty.
3) Red fort- Great for history and a striking building because it's red! Full of snake charmers and monkey dancers doing quirky little dances.
4) India Gate- I would recommend you see this in the dark to truly appreciate it.
5) The lotus temple- Its so beautiful it takes your breathe away, it's so tranquil and peaceful.
6) Akshardam temple- this is quite new and took so many man hours to build. The architecture is amazing, its breath taking. It looks especially enchanting during the night when it is all lit up.
7) Qutab minar- Another landmark you could say that it worth a visit to say you have been there.

Summary: India is developing for the better!