Delhi and the train to Jaisalmer

(Lesley) We are in Canada, well, sort of. We are at the Canadian High Commission Enclave in Delhi. Our friend Scott has a sister living here with her family. We are visiting for the weekend and loving it. It is really neat to be here and to relax with a family that comes from a similar place and mindset. We melted when their son ran up to greet us each with a big welcome hug. Their daughter is just a little younger than Mhari and both children are bright and engaging and lovely.

And, we are sleeping in sheets, clean ones, and have washed our clothes in a top loading washing machine with warm water! We are enjoying a reprieve from India.

Yesterday, we ventured out into Delhi and tackled it head on. We tried the metro. It was quick, clean and very crowded (on certain stretches). Mhari and I discovered the less crowded ladies carriages at the front. In Delhi we saw the Red Fort but from the exterior only, we didn't queue to go in as it was a Saturday and the line practically wrapped around the fort. Then Sam and I toured Jama Masjid, the big mosque, and climbed the minaret. The steps up were narrow and narrowing as we got higher. We had to pass a lot of people in the dark stairwell too so it proved quite interesting at times. Claustrophobic folks wouldn't have enjoyed it. The view from the top was worth it. Unfortunately, I had left the camera with John down below.

We all hit the small streets around the bazaar and lost ourselves in them. Well, I use the word lost loosely as we didn't have a destination, we just meandered around with eyes open wide going nowhere in particular. We will include some photos to give you a taste. The streets were interesting, they were organized by wares. We walked for a bit on the auto spare parts street then turned onto the stationary street, which became a booksellers street. We turned onto the sari street until it turned into fancy trims, brocades and tassells. Eventually we found the poori block and Sam got a much sought snack. It was impossible to find a cold drink while off the cold drink street. Not literally, but just about.

Just before getting back to a metro station we found a dairy store and for the first time in India found that they had chocolate among their flavoured milk assortments. Yum! Big cities can be very good for things like that.

A quick metro back followed by a 3 km rickshaw ride got us back to our deluxe accommodations and the friendly greetings and hugs from our youngest host.

For supper, we learned we aren't the only Canadian family to make home made pizza on the weekend. We didn't have a DeLuca's to hit for the ready made dough, but one can buy good Canadian flour at the special import shop where our host family goes for some tastes of home.

Sam and Mhari have been socializing with a lot of adults lately as there aren't too many families on the road, so it was great last night to see the kids painting at the table as the adults prepared the pizzas.

(John) Our second full day in Delhi was a little less adventurous. We started very late after a great nights sleep and a fantastic breakfast on the patio. Our host drove us to a local market where we fought off men trying to sell us belts and sunglasses and did a little shopping. I was able to finally buy a pair of reading glasses to replace the pair I sat on two weeks ago. I was making do with the broken armless ones and a pair I had purchased in Alleppy that are awful. We also bought some shirts and a little lunch, some fruit and another blanket. Then we returned to the Compound, watched Star Wars, drank tea, ate cookies, chatted, had spaghetti for supper, drank a little wine and kind of forgot we were in India.

On day three we were a little more rested so after doing some serious trip planning, we set out to see some more of Delhi. Sam has covered the highlights I haven't much to add. I have been impressed with the metro here and really it is no more cramped than the one in Paris. The security measures are carried out very quickly, they probably act more as a deterrent than anything else but I understand why they do it. India takes terrorist threats very seriously, there are a lot of security personnel on the streets and even some shops have armed guards.

Today when we boarded the metro there was an attendant at every door as the train pulled in. They directed people to stand in the right place so that passengers can get off the metro before people started getting on. As a result the crowds were managed easily.

(Lesley) On our last day in Delhi, John and Sam went to see the Lotus Temple. Mhari and I went back to the market with our hosts to get Mhari a shirt from our favourite shop but the shop owner hadn't shown up yet with his keys so we gave up just before lunch.

We really enjoyed our stay in Delhi. We enjoyed getting to know our hosts, sharing stories, opinions and experiences. The comforts of home were a bonus too.

Then we set out on a 19 hour train journey to Jaisalmer. The train ride was different, as each train ride is. We were on the wait list for berths, which means we needed to see the station master prior to boarding and we were doubled up two to a berth. Sam and John had one berth very close to the one that Mhari and I were sharing. We have done the wait list thing before and by 11:00 pm we usually have each our own berths for the night. What was interesting on this ride was the number of people on the train just out of Delhi. At our first, stop hundreds of people boarded the train, well, hundreds boarded our carriage and there was no room for everyone to sit. We trundled along full beyond capacity for a few hours but it thinned out as time went on. And by bedtime, we were at capacity with two extra berths so that we didn't need to sleep doubled up at night.

The passengers near me enjoyed themselves until about midnight (eating, drinking and chatting) then they quickly settled to sleep. Hare Krishna music and singing started just out of Delhi and carried on until about 10:00 pm when the Hare Krishnas all got off. It was really musical and catchy. Folky actually. They passed around jalebis bits (Indian sweet) and sugar to everyone in the carriage.

Around 6:00 AM most of the passengers near me got off and a new group boarded and had an animated card game that drew a crowd. I would have loved to have slept longer like John and Mhari were doing, a little further along in our carriage, but... I suppose I had built in entertainment. Quite frankly, I had built in entertainment all night long: You can't imagine the sound effects that can be heard on a sleeper train in India. I'm sure the lady a few beds over was going to cough up a lung; I've never heard such scary coughing. And the farting! Well, I could describe it but I fear you would all wet your pants laughing so I'll save you the change of clothes and just let you know that I found it noteworthy.

When we arrived in Jaisalmer, I marvelled at how dirty my hands were. Only two days ago in Delhi, I was exclaiming about how clean my hand were after my shower. What a difference! John's lungs feel better now after our stay in Delhi too. As he puts it: we healed in Delhi. That wouldn't be most travellers experience of Delhi but most travellers don't benefit from the hospitality that we enjoyed.

Lotus Temple - Delhi

Sleeper Class after the crowds had left