I am now nearing the end of my stay in Delhi, as tomorrow I will be flying off to Bhutan. I must say that after two days in Delhi, Bhutan cannot come soon enough!
Delhi is definitely leading the list of most unpleasant cities I have ever been to. This is unfortunate as I had high hopes for my visit to India. My disappointment in Delhi may be because my expectations were high, but I do not think I could possibly judge the whole of India from Delhi alone. This would be like judging the entire United States from a two-day visit to NYC – obviously I don't think any American would appreciate that – so my expectations for other places in India will remain high as I hope to visit more places away from big Indian metropolises.
The unfortunate timing of my visit was probably a factor in my opinion of Delhi. What I mean is that I came to Delhi at the height of the summer season, and both days I walked around Delhi reached around 110 degrees (the "feels like" temperature) with high humidity and a searing sun that seemed to ignore the perpetual haze that blankets the city.
When you first hit the Delhi streets, the aroma is the first thing to hit you. The smells are hard to separate into their elements – and eventually they just become the aroma of Delhi – but I would categorize it as a combination of jasmine, urine, sandalwood, feces, curry, garbage, turmeric, and other incenses and spices that are unfamiliar to me. It is an arresting combination to say the least.
The smells and the weather I can tolerate, but what made Delhi unpleasant was the constant harassment from people on the streets. If there is such a thing as "white racial profiling," I definitely experienced it. If you come to Delhi, you will have to constantly fend off your peace of mind from people trying to sell you things, trying to get you to come to their "tourist office" (there is only one official tourist office), trying to take your photo (for a price), trying to get you to take a photo of them (for a price), trying to give you a personal tour (for a price), trying to get you to ride their rickshaw/autorickshaw/taxi, trying to steer you towards a shop/mall/emporium/market, etc. etc.. Besides the constant harassment, these Delhi "entrepreneurs" will also consistently grossly overcharge you. I quickly learned my lesson at the airport when I was sold a taxi ride that ended up costing me 1000% more than it should have. My excuse was that I was tired and a Delhi neophyte, but I should have known better than to go with a guy trying to sell his taxi. ALWAYS – I cannot stress this enough – pre-pay a taxi fare at an airport office rather than let some guy on the street whisk your luggage away.
These are personal preferences, of course, and some people may enjoy the hustle and bustle of Delhi. I, for one, prefer that people left me alone while I travel and tour. Even while visiting the Red Fort, which I paid money to enter, I was harassed by people. They are persistent too, and I was followed by one group of male teenagers almost the entire tour. So here's an example of what I'm talking about:
I have encountered cultures where street haggling and selling is a way of life – like in Zambia, for example – but never before have I encountered it in an unfriendly and aggressive manner like in Delhi. Like I said, I really wanted to like Delhi, but these experiences really turned me off from recommending it to friends and family.
The street noise is another un-selling point. Delhi drivers honk their horns ... all the time. Mostly this is because no one seems to follow basic traffic rules such as being in a lane, or stopping, or yielding to pedestrians. Because of this, the drivers honk their horn to let other drivers/pedestrians know that they are there. With jam-packed roads full of drivers letting other know "they are there," the noise is overwhelming. Eventually, if you are out there long enough, it will become white noise ... albeit very loud white noise.
It is unfortunate, as well, because Delhi does have some things to offer in terms of culture and history. Yesterday I visited the India Gate, Indian Parliament, and the National Museum. Today I went to the Red Fort, a sprawling complex built by the Mughals several hundred years ago. These would be neat things to see, and I would have spent more time looking at them and seeking out other historical treasures, had it not been for the harassment.
I would also not recommend the place that I stayed: Treetops Bed & Breakfast. When I arrived (from my extremely expensive taxi), some staff let me in and carried my bags into the living room. They didn't speak any English and I still haven't figured out where the owners are (with whom I booked the stay, and who DO speak English). I was confused from the get-go, and it never really let up as they shuffled me from one room to the other and didn't say anything or give any of the check-in information. In fact, I had to ASK them for a key. The whole thing was weird. Eventually, I figured out that they would serve breakfast around 9am, so I came down to the dining room then but no one was there. After sitting there for awhile, I wandered into the kitchen and eventually figured out that I had to tell them what I wanted. Soon after, a nice French couple came down that were staying in another room. They had done a lot of traveling – both in India and in other places – and they were equally weirded out by this place.
As I write this, I am actually at the Radisson near the airport. There was a confluence of factors that lead me here this evening. First of all, I had asked one of the B&B staff if I could get a taxi for tomorrow morning at 8am to take me to the airport for my Bhutan flight. He seemed very confused about the whole thing, and I was never confident that he would/could get me there on-time. Second, the B&B is in a neighborhood in South Delhi that isn't very pleasant and there are no restaurants nearby. I actually went without supper last night as it was dark and I wasn't too keen to wander around at night. I wanted to avoid that tonight as there are several restaurants in this hotel (that do not require me to wander around in the humidity and the dust and the smells). When I went back to get my bags, no one was around again so I'm not sure how or if I pay for my one night. The Radisson is expensive, even by American standards, but they have excellent service, amazing rooms, rain showers (!), and – most importantly – complimentary airport shuttles. I think it was worth a little peace of mind. I was so desperate to get out of South Delhi that I even stuffed an autorickshaw full of my bags and we puttered along many kilometers to get here. (I tried to book a taxi, but was having troubles as they wanted a mobile number and I kept telling them that I didn't have one in India.)
...
After reading through what I just wrote stream-of-consciously, I want to apologize to the reader for such a negative tone. Normally, I am not one to complain but I guess I had just had it with Delhi. I want to also implore that I am not a picky tourist; expecting cleanliness and luxury. It is just unfortunate that the color of my skin invited harassment because they think I have money and no wherewithal. Actually, I barely saw anyone at all that wasn't Indian.
If you do go to Delhi, I would recommend taking the Metro. It's pretty clean and efficient and you don't get harassed by anyone (although you will get some stares as I don't think foreigners take the metro much). However, be warned that when you exit the metro station you will be extremely disorientated because nothing is marked and you will have no idea where you just exited to. Maps are pretty useless because streets just aren't marked well, so you will have to navigate by instinct. (I got lost a lot, but also found that I could use the sun to at least give me the right direction ... thanks Boy Scouts!)
It seems weird to say, but I would actually recommend trying an Indian McDonald's. For lunch today I had the McSpicy Paneer with Puri Puri Fries. Here are some other awesome additions to the Indian menu: http://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/menu.html For some reason, McDonald's is always better outside of the United States. Maybe it's because in other countries it is a place that people choose to go, rather than a restaurant of desperation.
I think Bhutan will be very different for many reasons, and all of them are reasons that I am looking forward to going there tomorrow. First of all, Delhi packs in 12.8 million people, which is 18 times larger than the entire population of Bhutan. Second, I am confident that cultural norms will be more peaceful and friendly. Third, the climate will be more pleasant and there will be big mountains in the scenery!
Here are some pictures (click to make bigger):
Next time I write you, I will be in Bhutan!
Delhi is definitely leading the list of most unpleasant cities I have ever been to. This is unfortunate as I had high hopes for my visit to India. My disappointment in Delhi may be because my expectations were high, but I do not think I could possibly judge the whole of India from Delhi alone. This would be like judging the entire United States from a two-day visit to NYC – obviously I don't think any American would appreciate that – so my expectations for other places in India will remain high as I hope to visit more places away from big Indian metropolises.
The unfortunate timing of my visit was probably a factor in my opinion of Delhi. What I mean is that I came to Delhi at the height of the summer season, and both days I walked around Delhi reached around 110 degrees (the "feels like" temperature) with high humidity and a searing sun that seemed to ignore the perpetual haze that blankets the city.
When you first hit the Delhi streets, the aroma is the first thing to hit you. The smells are hard to separate into their elements – and eventually they just become the aroma of Delhi – but I would categorize it as a combination of jasmine, urine, sandalwood, feces, curry, garbage, turmeric, and other incenses and spices that are unfamiliar to me. It is an arresting combination to say the least.
The smells and the weather I can tolerate, but what made Delhi unpleasant was the constant harassment from people on the streets. If there is such a thing as "white racial profiling," I definitely experienced it. If you come to Delhi, you will have to constantly fend off your peace of mind from people trying to sell you things, trying to get you to come to their "tourist office" (there is only one official tourist office), trying to take your photo (for a price), trying to get you to take a photo of them (for a price), trying to give you a personal tour (for a price), trying to get you to ride their rickshaw/autorickshaw/taxi, trying to steer you towards a shop/mall/emporium/market, etc. etc.. Besides the constant harassment, these Delhi "entrepreneurs" will also consistently grossly overcharge you. I quickly learned my lesson at the airport when I was sold a taxi ride that ended up costing me 1000% more than it should have. My excuse was that I was tired and a Delhi neophyte, but I should have known better than to go with a guy trying to sell his taxi. ALWAYS – I cannot stress this enough – pre-pay a taxi fare at an airport office rather than let some guy on the street whisk your luggage away.
These are personal preferences, of course, and some people may enjoy the hustle and bustle of Delhi. I, for one, prefer that people left me alone while I travel and tour. Even while visiting the Red Fort, which I paid money to enter, I was harassed by people. They are persistent too, and I was followed by one group of male teenagers almost the entire tour. So here's an example of what I'm talking about:
- Got out of the metro stop near the Red Fort, harassed by autorickshaw drivers to take me to the Red Fort (seriously, they won't leave you alone)
- On route to the Red Fort, on the street was told to enter this shop or buy this postcard or use this service (they even offered to clean my ears!)
- Right outside of the Red Fort, I was harassed by people selling postcards, souvenir booklets, water, personal tours, and people claiming they could get me in "for free"
- After buying my ticket FROM THE TICKET OFFICE, and entering the Fort, there are a series of vendors that will call out to you to come see their wares, I fought my way through that
- Once inside the Fort, numerous people asked to take my photo, wanted to give me personal tours, etc. (including the boys that followed me around and never stopped talking to me)
I have encountered cultures where street haggling and selling is a way of life – like in Zambia, for example – but never before have I encountered it in an unfriendly and aggressive manner like in Delhi. Like I said, I really wanted to like Delhi, but these experiences really turned me off from recommending it to friends and family.
The street noise is another un-selling point. Delhi drivers honk their horns ... all the time. Mostly this is because no one seems to follow basic traffic rules such as being in a lane, or stopping, or yielding to pedestrians. Because of this, the drivers honk their horn to let other drivers/pedestrians know that they are there. With jam-packed roads full of drivers letting other know "they are there," the noise is overwhelming. Eventually, if you are out there long enough, it will become white noise ... albeit very loud white noise.
It is unfortunate, as well, because Delhi does have some things to offer in terms of culture and history. Yesterday I visited the India Gate, Indian Parliament, and the National Museum. Today I went to the Red Fort, a sprawling complex built by the Mughals several hundred years ago. These would be neat things to see, and I would have spent more time looking at them and seeking out other historical treasures, had it not been for the harassment.
I would also not recommend the place that I stayed: Treetops Bed & Breakfast. When I arrived (from my extremely expensive taxi), some staff let me in and carried my bags into the living room. They didn't speak any English and I still haven't figured out where the owners are (with whom I booked the stay, and who DO speak English). I was confused from the get-go, and it never really let up as they shuffled me from one room to the other and didn't say anything or give any of the check-in information. In fact, I had to ASK them for a key. The whole thing was weird. Eventually, I figured out that they would serve breakfast around 9am, so I came down to the dining room then but no one was there. After sitting there for awhile, I wandered into the kitchen and eventually figured out that I had to tell them what I wanted. Soon after, a nice French couple came down that were staying in another room. They had done a lot of traveling – both in India and in other places – and they were equally weirded out by this place.
As I write this, I am actually at the Radisson near the airport. There was a confluence of factors that lead me here this evening. First of all, I had asked one of the B&B staff if I could get a taxi for tomorrow morning at 8am to take me to the airport for my Bhutan flight. He seemed very confused about the whole thing, and I was never confident that he would/could get me there on-time. Second, the B&B is in a neighborhood in South Delhi that isn't very pleasant and there are no restaurants nearby. I actually went without supper last night as it was dark and I wasn't too keen to wander around at night. I wanted to avoid that tonight as there are several restaurants in this hotel (that do not require me to wander around in the humidity and the dust and the smells). When I went back to get my bags, no one was around again so I'm not sure how or if I pay for my one night. The Radisson is expensive, even by American standards, but they have excellent service, amazing rooms, rain showers (!), and – most importantly – complimentary airport shuttles. I think it was worth a little peace of mind. I was so desperate to get out of South Delhi that I even stuffed an autorickshaw full of my bags and we puttered along many kilometers to get here. (I tried to book a taxi, but was having troubles as they wanted a mobile number and I kept telling them that I didn't have one in India.)
...
After reading through what I just wrote stream-of-consciously, I want to apologize to the reader for such a negative tone. Normally, I am not one to complain but I guess I had just had it with Delhi. I want to also implore that I am not a picky tourist; expecting cleanliness and luxury. It is just unfortunate that the color of my skin invited harassment because they think I have money and no wherewithal. Actually, I barely saw anyone at all that wasn't Indian.
If you do go to Delhi, I would recommend taking the Metro. It's pretty clean and efficient and you don't get harassed by anyone (although you will get some stares as I don't think foreigners take the metro much). However, be warned that when you exit the metro station you will be extremely disorientated because nothing is marked and you will have no idea where you just exited to. Maps are pretty useless because streets just aren't marked well, so you will have to navigate by instinct. (I got lost a lot, but also found that I could use the sun to at least give me the right direction ... thanks Boy Scouts!)
It seems weird to say, but I would actually recommend trying an Indian McDonald's. For lunch today I had the McSpicy Paneer with Puri Puri Fries. Here are some other awesome additions to the Indian menu: http://www.mcdonaldsindia.com/menu.html For some reason, McDonald's is always better outside of the United States. Maybe it's because in other countries it is a place that people choose to go, rather than a restaurant of desperation.
I think Bhutan will be very different for many reasons, and all of them are reasons that I am looking forward to going there tomorrow. First of all, Delhi packs in 12.8 million people, which is 18 times larger than the entire population of Bhutan. Second, I am confident that cultural norms will be more peaceful and friendly. Third, the climate will be more pleasant and there will be big mountains in the scenery!
Here are some pictures (click to make bigger):
Walking towards the India Gate. Notice the ubiquitous green and yellow autorickshaws.
One of the parliamentary houses.
Closer to the India Gate.
One of the most important relics in the National Museum: the original reliquary containing the ashes of Buddha (in the jars below the stupa).
Typical street in Delhi.
The Lahore Gate, entering the Red Fort.
Pictures from inside of the Red Fort.
Fortunately, an Australian couple was standing next to me and thought I should have a picture of myself. Fair enough.
Next time I write you, I will be in Bhutan!
Very interesting post but must admit it doesn't make me at all anxious to visit Delhi. Definitely would find the harrassment very tiring. Would just make me want to sit in my hotel and not venture out which would be a shame. Glad you switched hotels! Very weird about the B & B.
ReplyDeleteWill be most anxious to hear your impressions of Bhutan!
ReplyDelete