Delhi – Toad's Wild Ride

India, a Self-Drive Adventure-Jaipur

This isn’t that long of a trip in terms of distance, only 255 km (158 miles), but even Google which is always a bit optimistic on drive times, indicates it’s more than four hours. In my case it was five and a half. About every 30 minutes or so, there’s a toll booth to pay, it’s a bit crazy to be honest, the road is mostly not existent most of the time, in fact after the toll booths you are rerouted back to a dirt road the runs parallel to where the “highway” will run if it is ever finished. The way it works now, is they route traffic onto a paved road just before a toll booth, then back off the road and onto the old road right after the toll. More annoying is the frequency of the tolls, since they are around eight cents each time! But, hey I guess it’s putting people to work to collect tolls, so it’s not all bad.

The condition of these roads though is shockingly horrible in places, and I found myself being awed by the durability of the Hyundai, and with the tires especially. As recently as ten years ago, something like this trip I am certain would have resulted in at least one flat tire and it was something I fretted about the entire trip, but in the end I never experienced a flat tire.

After five plus hours of driving though you will feel like you have driven 14 hours in any western country with efficient motorways. After getting turned around in Jaipur a couple of times, finding the road to the Le Meridien Jaipur came more naturally, I was beginning to understand the logic here, already, I’ve gone the wrong way a couple of times myself, because it’s easier than going the long way around.

The Le Meridien Jaipur, isn’t really in Jaipur at all, in fact I’m not sure it should even have Jaipur in the name. But, this is something of a pattern for Le Meridien Hotels, in Paris the call use “Etoile” in the name of the Le Meridien, even though it’s not near the Etoile at all and is in fact more than a kilometer or three metro stops away.

I focus on this dear reader, for good reason: I screwed up, and hope someone benefits from my mistake. I should never have booked this hotel, as my primary intent was to stay in Jaipur for the Holi Festivities, and the Le Meridien’s location was far enough away to make it inconvenient. I’d either have to drive my car there hoping to find parking, or I’d have to hire a hotel car take me. I opted for the latter, but that wasn’t so easy either as the hotel resisted taking me, saying once again “it would not be safe”. When I asked if they were refusing a car and driver because concerned about my safety, they said yes. So, I asked what would be safer for their driver to take me, or for me to drive myself, because I was going to Holi, of that there was no question…they conceded it’d be safer to have their driver take me. The moral of the story, if you’re going to Jaipur for the Holi Festival, book one of the hotels right in town.

Your's truly in Holi Color, the white T-Shirt is still a souvenir, and the Lufthansa first class pajama bottoms were very convenient. — Your’s truly in Holi Color, the white T-Shirt is still a souvenir, and the Lufthansa first class pajama bottoms were very convenient.

Since Jaipur was likely only to be toured now for the brief Holi visit (the hotel had limited me to 2 hours) there isn’t much in the report about the buildings or sites within the town, and rather the focus is on the Amer (Amber) Fort, and the Jaigarh Fort as well as scenes from the village of Amer.

The Amer Palace and Fort is by far the most impressive of all the Forts I visited on this trip to India. A good many tourists will ride an elephant up the narrow road and through the Sun Gate to enter the Fort complex. I did not. It was warm, and I felt bad for the elephants, and also getting into and out of the parking area was worse than trying to leave the Hollywood Bowl after the Fourth of July concert (trust me that’s bad).

Rather I parked on a street in the village of Amer, and walked up the hill to the Fort entrance, and was glad I’d gone that route, when I saw the slow moving conga line of cars trying to leave later on. Amer Fort was begun in 967 by the Meenas, and was taken over by Kachwaha Raijput’s in a cowardly act of shameful conspiracy that left the Meenas massacred “filling the reservoirs in which the Meenas bathed with their dead bodies.” The shame was that this was done when the Meenas were performing rituals of Pitra Trapan on the Diwali, the most important festival in Hinduism, which the Meenas traditionally honored by shedding their weapons.

The Ganesh Pol Entrance is grand and ornate, above which are three screened windows that upon closer examination appear to be carved from thin slabs of marble.

Lattice screen window above Ganesh Gate-Amer Fort

Detail of the Lattice Window screen detail shows they are carved from a thin slab of marble.

Ganesh Pol entrance of the Amer Palace. I gave up trying to get a good picture without crowds of people posing for their own pictures. Photo credit: By Firoze Edassery (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Amer Palace and Jaigarh Fort are basically part of the same complex. Jaigarh Fort, is on the hill top above Amer Palace, and there is an underground connector between the two, that could be used by the royal family to escape should they come under attack. Of interest is that Jaigarh Fort was also home to a cannon foundry. The foundry had a massive wind tunnel that pushed air from the high mountains into its allowing temperatures to reach 2400 °F (1315 °C). The foundry routinely made 16 ft (5 meter) cannons, but 1720 it made the Jaivana Cannon, at the time the world’s largest cannon on wheels. At 20.9 feet (6.15 meters) it fired a 110 lb (50 kg) ball a distance of 22 miles (35 km) using 220 lbs (100 kg) of gun powder! It was only fired that one time, and was never used in battle.

Arrival of tourists by elephant Amer Fort

Courtyard with Palace of Man Singh1, and seen on the hilltop is the Jaigarh Fort.

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Mirrored Ceiling in the Mirror Palace Amer Fort

Overlooking Amer Fort from Jaigarh Fort.

Rooftop perspective showing layout of Amer Fort Complex

As I walked back to my car in the Village of Amer, I came across one of the stepped wells that I’d seen so often in films set in India. I was always fascinated by the symmetrical architecture of them, and they’d be used for every from gathering water, to getting relief from the heat.

And I also came across two young boys bathing at a street well pipe. I was trying very hard to be discreet in taking a picture, but when I got back to the hotel that evening and looked closely at the photo, I notice the one boy was looking at me and smiling.

Other sites in the village included a Hindu temple, and ruins of building that clearly must have been most relevant at one time, as well as animals in the street. I don’t think these are things I’d see if I was using a typical tourist service, which I could always find, as they were clearly marked white vehicles that said “TOURIST” over the back window.

Galta Ji Monkey Temple with Jaipur City Gate in background. Sadly, the complex was closed beyond this point in honor of the Holi Festival.

My evenings I’d spend at the outdoor café of the Le Meridien for a cold beer, and some very amazing food. I’d have naan bread a few dozen times in my life, but until now I had no idea how it is supposed to taste, the slathering fresh butter, I’m sure had no small part of that. But, the bread is soft, chewy, with crispy bits where there’s a bubble in the dough as it bakes, it is not the dry, stuff we get that honestly tastes more like cardboard than bread. Sadly, now naan bread falls into one of those foods, that I most likely will usually be disappointed with, when I have it somewhere else…it has become the food equivalent in India that Crème Brulee is for me in France, disappointing most of the time when compared to what you get there. But, isn’t this exactly why we travel? To discover and experience a place, it’s feeling, air, culture, food, and people! India I found to be intense and extreme in every sense imaginable.

At the end of my journey, I had arrived at the Four Points by Sheraton Delhi Airport Hotel, and once again sat in the car, waiting for the valet to notice me, and approach, which never happens. It seems they are simply too shocked to see a single white guy driving a car himself in India, they don’t know what you are doing there. I took my bags out of the trunk, and checked in, handing them the key at the desk with instructions of who would be coming to pick up the car from Hyundai Motor, and they still seemed very perplexed.

The hotel was basic and nice enough, I’d not be there long, my flight was a midnight, but I hoped to catch a short nap and a meal before taking the complementary hotel shuttle to the airport, and for this purpose it was perfectly suited, and prepared me for the long journey ahead flying from Delhi, to Frankfurt in first class on Lufthansa, and then on to San Francisco and finally to Los Angeles, on what United calls business class, which I know will be a huge fall from the Lufthansa experience.

After dropping the car off, I had this feeling of “whew, am I glad that’s over!” India is a cacophony of noise and frenetic energy, with brief moments of harmony. In those moments and for the next couple of weeks, I was relieved to leave India behind. It’s not a common feeling with a place, but it happens, I had the same feeling with Egypt. But, with India, two-weeks later, I was looking at pictures with friends, and had this overwhelming desire to go back, which I know I will someday return to India. That is where the experience with India is so different from Egypt, which is a place I have no desire at all to return.

India a Self-Drive Adventure–Delhi

The first project of any new city is to figure out how to use the metro. Delhi’s is extensive, efficient, fast and practically free. Though, as with most things in India there’s a bit of a hidden “tourist tax” you’ll need to buy a card, and put so much credit on it, you’ll get some of that credit back, but not all of it when you turn the card in at the end.

I had basically two and a half days to explore Delhi, the first day was my arrival day, and it was mostly half over by the time I got settled. All the same, heading out of the hotel, I was only about 6 blocks from the Rajpath (Kings Way). Similar in concept to the “mall” in Washington D.C. the Rajpath is a long green field with the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the official residence of the President of India) on one end, and the National Stadium on the other end, in the middle is the India Gate. Quite different from the Mall though, is that there is a major boulevard running down it, separating the green field in half. Add to this, several cross streets some of with include a traffic circle…this would be no problem typically, but this is India, and getting across those streets as a pedestrian is very risky business. The locals seem to walk out there with a deep faith that drivers will swerve around them; I do not have such a strong faith however.

The 138 (42 meter) high India Gate while resembling a triumphant arch, is actually a war memorial commissioned after the end of WW I to commemorate those killed in action. Inscribed below the word INDIA is the following: TO THE DEAD OF THE INDIAN ARMIES WHO FELL AND ARE HONOURED IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSIA EAST AFRICA GALLIPOLI AND ELSEWHERE IN THE NEAR AND THE FAR-EAST AND IN SACRED MEMORY ALSO OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE HERE RECORDED AND WHO FELL IN INDIA OR THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER AND DURING THE THIRD AFGHAN WAR. There are 13,218 names inscribed on the structure, and in 1972 the Amar Jawan Jyoti (flame of the immortal soldier) a black marble plinth with four flames was added, and has since served as India’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

India Gate from a distance away on the Rajpath.

Full Ceremonial Dress for Indian Soldiers.

Amar Jawan Jyoti, India's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. — Amar Jawan Jyoti, India’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

At the west end of the Rajpath is the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Estate), and what an estate it is. It has to be one of the largest if not possibly the largest official residences of any national leader. A monumental doomed building with 340 rooms and 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of space, that seems more likely to be a capitol building than a residence. The “house” sits on 320 acres (130-hectare) of land, most of it comprising the impressive Mughal Gardens. As the compound is closed to access to the public most of the year, I wasn’t able to get any photos, but the one seen here. However, I don’t mind linking to the Wikipedia page describing it, and its history from first having been built as the British Viceroy’s house.

Rashtrapati Bhavan, Presidential Residence.

Having explored the Rajpath which was walking distance from my hotel, the next day, I hopped on the metro which had a station very near the hotel, and took it Chandni Chowk stop. From there I walked through a maze of paths that came out to an intersection, that I had no idea how I was going to cross. It was a chaos of cars, scooters, hand carts, cows, chickens, and the occasional leper lying right in the middle of it all. I knew of such scenes, but I was still not prepared to be witness to one, and it shocked and saddened me at the same time. I tried to put it out of my mind, but honestly the image is still there to this day.

Red Fort in Delhi was built by the Mughal Emperor, Mirza Shahabuddin Baig Muhammad Khan Shah Jahan (Shah Jahan) the very same man whose contributions to architecture are much of what most tourists to India—particularly those who travel the golden triangle comprising the cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur—will see. The Jama Masjid, the Wazir Khan Mosque, the Moti Masjid, the Shalimar Gardens, parts of Agra Fort and Lahore Fort, and of course his most famous building of all the Taj Mahal.

Take a good look, this is the only map you'll see of the Red Fort layout. — Take a good look, this is the only map you’ll see of the Red Fort layout.

The Red Fort was built when Shah Jahan decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Sitting on 255 acres of land, the fort is massive, and there’s little chance you’ll be able to explore all of it in day, but there’s probably not much need to explore all of it either. There are major buildings that are in good condition still but, many of the most beautiful features of the fort such as the water features are no longer working, and in fact are dug up in such a way they look worse than if they had just been left empty.

Hayat Bakhsh Bagh "Life Bestowing Garden" features a dry (and now ripped up) reservoir which at one time made the red Zafar Mahal appear to float on the water. — Hayat Bakhsh Bagh “Life Bestowing Garden” features a dry (and now ripped up) reservoir which at one time made the red Zafar Mahal appear to float on the water.

The columns and engrailed arches of Diwan-i-Aam (public audience hall), are stunning, and provide such a testament to the craftsmanship of the skilled workers. The Diwan-i-Khas (Private Audience Hall) is constructed from white marble with beautiful arches and ornate columns and a ceiling that was once covered in silver tiles (but is now wood) once housed the Peacock Throne, sat upon by Mughal rulers for decades before it was taken as a war trophy by the Persian king, Nadir Shah and has never been seen since.

The beautiful red sandstone arches of the Diwan-i-Am "hall of public audience". — The beautiful red sandstone arches of the Diwan-i-Am “hall of public audience”.

Diwan-i-Khas “hall of private audience.”

From the Red Fort it’s a short walk to the Jama Masjid, a Mosque of grand scale and I am sure at one time glamorous as well. I’ve visited mosques in Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, I know the rules and am very respectful of anyone’s religious believes. This was the first Mosque where I was made to feel completely unwelcome. Though my entire visit to India, there was a noticeable difference in the way Muslims treated me and how Hindus or Sikhs treated me. Or maybe, much of that was about how the experience at this Mosque affected my perception from then on.

I went to the entrance, with my shoes off, and in my bag and observed people walking in, even though I did see there was a man there watching the entrance. As I approached, he stopped me and said it would be 300 Rupees ($5) for me to enter. I asked why, other’s don’t have to pay, and he flat out told me it was because I was white. Even more insulting was that fact that later that, I pulled up Jama Masjid on the official tourism website for the government of Delhi, and notice under entry fee that it is free. It’s not about the money, I’ll never quibble over five bucks to see something I will never have the chance to see again, it was the in-hospitality. From this moment I simply called the place the “hostile Mosque”. As a sad consequence, I apologize for not putting in much effort to capture the architectural splendor of this building.

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Jama Masjid Courtyard Viewed from outer walls.

Inside court yard of Jama Masjid looking back at entrance gate.

I spent my final day in Delhi exploring markets, neighborhoods, and simply wandering around the city. Some of the highlights were the spice market, if you are remotely a cook at all, this place will boggle the mind with spices you’ve never even heard of, and amazing prices on those you know and use all the time.

Shop I bought some spices, including "tail pepper" yes, black pepper with a tail on it, more mild with a brighter flavor than regular black pepper. — Shop I bought some spices, including “tail pepper” yes, black pepper with a tail on it, more mild with a brighter flavor than regular black pepper.

The street leading to the spice market, talk about total grid lock and chaos.

If the colors of the dresses women wear are as dazzling to your eye as they are to mine, you’ll need to visit a few of the fabric shops. I was soooooo, very glad my sister was not with me when I found these stores, we’d probably still be in India.

Get your car fixed or find parts for it, your hair cut, buy color paint powder for the upcoming Holi Festival, or get new tires for your bicycle the street shops of Delhi, or even if there is no shop, and it’s directly on the street, it’s all available.

A smile from someone in India is never far away.

Electrician's Nightmare — Electrician’s Nightmare

Mechanic's Row-Dehli — Mechanic’s Row-Dehli

Hey, there's a clutch for a 1998 Maruiti. — Hey, there’s a clutch for a 1998 Maruiti.

Hindustan Ambassador, the ubiquitous "official" government car for decades. — Hindustan Ambassador, the ubiquitous “official” government car for decades.

India-Getting There

India. Just the name conjures many images that are often in conflict with one another. Bright/Despair, Colorful/Somber, Rich/Poor, Cheerful/Bitter, Delicious Food/Hunger, Calmly Peaceful/Chaotic Noise–it is a land of contradiction.

From the west coast of the USA, it’s a long trip no matter how you do it, so I decided I’d go when I was already in Europe for other business. I flew from Munich to New Delhi on Lufthansa, using United miles on an award ticket in first class (before United began charging a King’s ransom for these awards). The Lufthansa service in first class it as you’d expect it, superb! But, even more impressive is the first class lounge at the airport. Full service dining, passport control service inside the lounge, escort to your plane when it’s time to board, not just showers to refresh, but even soaking tubs…the place exudes luxury. If you ever have the opportunity, cash in those miles and do it!

Upon arrival in Delhi, the service continued, but was somewhat hampered by the logistics or lack thereof surrounding the immigration process. Once through you are on your own, and I would have thought there would be ground transportation provided, as even Virgin Atlantic does this, with just business class service. Oh…the tortures of luxury travel.

I used a pre-booked car service for transport from the airport to the hotel, as at the time I didn’t want to mess with the unknowns of taxis. After hearing the horror story of couple of Ukrainian travelers I met later in my trip, I was very glad I spent the extra $30. Viator.com is an excellent choice. The driver was great; he even stopped at a Citibank office so I could withdraw cash on the way to the Le Meridien Hotel.

Upon check-in at the hotel front desk, I was informed that as a SPG Platinum member my room had been upgraded to a suite…which is always a nice thing to hear, though even better when you are with someone special and not traveling solo. The suite was beautiful, with soaking tub, huge separate rain shower, large bedroom, and good sized living room.

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Business-Suite---Living-room — Suite living room, comfortable and relaxing.

There was also, a great lounge that I was given access to, complete with evening hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and I got some tastes my first true Indian food…and King Fisher beer (which I quite liked). I found this lounge to be the perfect respite each evening, to bring my computer and send emails, go though the pictures I took that day, and catch up with people on Skype, all, while having some nice snacks and that very tasty beer.