Animals and plants in Delhi

Ever since getting here I have been tempted to ask the traffic police why they sit in their huts and ignore the motor scooters on pavements and people going the wrong way (where there is a crossing here it might be observed especially in posher areas, unlike Rishikesh where they were totally ignored) but I felt perhaps aggravating the police was not such a good idea, but then to my delight today just after a scooter ran through the red light whilst I was trying to cross it was nabbed! And yesterday a kindly police officer negotiated a rickshaw for me and at a much cheaper price than I would manage when I got lost trying to walk to the Red Fort from what turned out to be a less than ideal underground.  Rickshaws aside it seems bargaining is a thing of the past and foreigners pay more for entry into places, but that seems okay as while the price is a lot higher it is not too expensive so today whilst heading for one Mughal Tomb instead I landed up at another one which cost 300 rupees to go to.  It was lovely and quiet and peaceful till a school of young girls arrived, half of whom said hello and shook my hand.  They were quite fun.  Only a short distance away was the delightful Lodhi gardens,which are free,  if it had had a cafe, I would have stayed all day, but only a few hawkers appeared and the many Indians had their own picnics with them.  I had no energy to do anything other than sit rather than doing in depth clambering over mausoleums and stayed so long I began to get peckish So going onto the zoo rather than another tomb seemed the quickest way to find somewhere to eat and stay outside.  Hygienically I am not sure about the canteen, but the price for coffee and something chat was very good value.  I debated the zoo,  I used to love taking Nathan to London zoo, but it is very expensive there and of course zoos are mired in controversy too these days, but what if they are the only way to see animals.  Having spotted four elephants, and several types of deer at the National Park at some distance, I needed little excuse to head  inside to see how their wildlife is presented to Indians. I was amazed how many people were pouring in and as per usual we were all searched and scanned. Inside the area is very green and some animals have a lot of space and some breeding has been helping endangered species like the White Tiger, but others like

the hippo seemed almost too close for comfort packed in like huge bellowing Walls sausages,  I am sure the sight of this one white face intrigued this hippo.  I sometimes feel I am a bit like someone in a zoo here, as I am starred at and commented upon both nicely and dismissively but given that I am taking photos of those commenting on me it seems fair enough though I do not really enjoy it.   However, having compared the Indian and the African elephant, and been riveting by the tigers and the gibbon, I rewarded myself with a return trip to have some excellent Indian tea to end my trip back at the Craft Museum.    Compared to 10 years ago India seems to have done a lot to improve transport eg with the metro, there are lots of signs up to support women's safety and green living,   Everywhere there is water provided and lots of free toilets, some of which are very well looked after and none of which have been unbearable.   I have been able to explore large areas on foot, whilst tuk tuk's have been ever ready to swoop me up when too tired to go further .  Delhi is much nicer than I had imagined, whilst one can still suddenly be somewhere smelly and unsettling,  however, there are also swathes of lovely open parks in which to just relax on the grass and watch the world go buy. And while they mainly cater for rich Indians and westerners there are one or two places for really good tea and coffee, and where ever I have been the food cheap or more costly has been brilliant.     There has been so much to focus on it has really taken me out of myself to be here.  Most days people have chatted to me so one never feels alone, though it has been great to meet up in the evenings with Om.   And it has been lovely to be in the warmth.  I could have spent a fortune on clothes looking at the lovely range of outfits the women wear,  but here in Delhi so far have not found the kind of shops that were available in Rishikesh but which were shut when I wanted to go back and buy something, but I have some shoes bought from the local market and a book from the second hand book stall, called White Tiger to entertain me on the flight home. 

Delhi metro takes me around town.

I was dreading Delhi by the time I left Rishikesh as I was ill and tired and worried about the pollution and my arrival at Paharganj was not helped by the delay to the flight and the fact that the promised onsite cafe had been closed by Government decree and the only place remotely okay in which to grab a tea was Mc Donalds.  My hotel seemed dark and depressing and dangerous, but attempts to find out from Booking.com as to what my rights were as a result of their misleading description resulted in me almost being asked to leave.  Booking.com did not answer my question, instead they went against my request and just asked the hotel to cancel my booking. Furious with their incompetence.  Luckily some of the safety issues were resolved and once Om was found, it became clear that opposite him was a good cafe and that he was only minutes down the road, the area became doable, but at first the dying rats and the more aggressive wild dogs worried me. However, a nice meal with Om and his girl sorted me out, but unfortunately she was ill after that.   Meanwhile I have discovered how much I like going round Delhi on my own. The extended metro meant that yesterday I could get up to the parliament area and have a look around aspects of the building even if I could not get inside. It was green, the day warm but with a nice breeze and overall it was a brilliant day for example lunch at the

Craft Museum excellent and the actual museum itself amazing.  There were craft workers there and I felt sorry that I did not feel I could just buy and buy but inside the museum too it was a delight from huge terracotta horses to huge skinny statues that looked like beings from Dr Who programmes to elephants in all shapes and sizes and from serious to comical.   There were also lots of styles of wall art.  I did not get back to my hotel till 6.   Om had a late tea with me and it was just nice to be in his presence.   Then today back onto the metro, with a long and restful stop at Connaught Place were I began to go red under the sun and was subject to a pleasant and extended series of questions from two young men who wanted to know how to progress their careers - as if that was something I had the knowledge to help them with. Then it was up to the Red Fort just to sit and admire it followed by an extended walk through the local market area, which proved very disappointing in terms of sales items, but interesting to just walk through, but the highlight was the lunch stop at a place called Haldiram's which was very lively, cool and busy and where I got a lovely like lunch of aloo tikka.  Much better than the McD one of the day before!  I sat in the small Mahatma Gandhi park after where every patch was a cricket game, but did not stay long as I was shattered.  Back through the metro,  everyone has to go through security at each station, and it is wonderful that the women's queue is always shorter than the men's ones. There is even a woman's carriage and a ladies seat in each carriage, which is nice sometimes to use.   At RAvik Chowk there are lots of cafes too so one can get refreshments on route.  And it is clean. 

Safari time

Have just said my farewells to Om,  it has been lovely being able to dip into his world whilst in India with his guru, to be able to have time with him and his colleagues and yet also be able to do my own thing too. 

On the Wednesday in Rishikesh he was working so we did not get to catch up but I had a gentle day partly revising some of the things we had done on the Monday but I also dipped into the Rishikesh Film Festival, and then had to run back to the hotel to see if my Thursday trip to the National Park had been sorted.  It had not been but eventually it was sorted, so in the morning I said goodbye to Hari Om with one of his lovely porridge breakfasts and veg sandwich, then walked down tot he Ganga where I chatted to a female Indian birdwatcher, who birdlike herself described the 35 species she had seen whilst in Rishikesh, then I picked up my nice top made by the local tailor.

In the afternoon I was out of the noise of Riskikesh on a well made road running along a sort of canal of the Ganges that feeds a water power plant, and then at the entrance to the National Park, where I swopped my taxi for a jeep.  I cannot claim to have seen many animals in the 2.5 hours that followed, but we went through a whole range of terrains, and weathers and by the end were racing through the rain to get home. At times we could have been in Richmond Park seeing the deer and parakeets, but seeing peacocks running around in the long grass was great fun and despite many breakdowns and some helpful observations like tree, burnt tree, my driver (did not pay for a guide) proved adept at spotting the one or two elephants that were on our route. They were quite a way away, and my old camera so useless, you cannot even see that that is what I am taking a picture of but I definitely saw elephants on my trip to India.  And there was even a small bonus as my jeep carried stuff up to a building inside the nature reserve that turned out to be the elephant orphanage,  I only got a brief glimpse when I stood up just to work out what the buildings might be but I was rewarded with the most gorgeous site of a couple of youngsters trotting alongside the keeper.

I felt very bad, that despite being back in time, I did not do puja which the flowers bought for the purpose the day before whilst on the beach, but I was cold tired and just did not have the energy to battle with the traffic and people to return to the Ganga.  I hope mother ganga will forgive me that instead I had a lovely meal of paneer pasanda and biriyani rice and that I left my offering at the elephant good kept in the hotel when I creeped out at 6 to get my taxi to the airport. 

Getting out and about in Rishikesh.

It has been all about food, drink and pottering in wider Rishikesh.  After vegetable cheese toast at Om Hari's where I am called Auntie,  it was a short walk to the Ganges.  When we got to Rhamjhula footbridge we stopped for fruit lassi and porridge and once over the ganges (I managed the footbridge with assistance! and some laughter from my son as I edged my way across) and then it was time for a hit of healthy Himalayas juice of banana spirulina and added apricots.  I was hoping to arrange an ayuvedic appointment a tuk tuk ride away, but he was shut, but the organic tea cafe with brownies and wonderful view made for a nice alternative.    This evening I have returned to the Triveni Ghat and the fire ceremony and am now full of rice and saag paneer from the hotel restaurant.      A good day's pottering with Om and T.

Water

Watching something like the equivalent of The Voice in my hotel room on Anjan channel.  I like my hotel room despite its poor outlook - not the mountain view promised - and somewhat shabby furnishings but it is nice and big and warm and feels safe up away from the traffic of Rishikesh. Eyes sting from the dust but at least know my way from the hotel to the ashram, despite a few odd twists and turns. And this morning sitting drinking chai and eating porridge with loved ones, suddenly India seemed doable.

It started relatively well. The delays to the flight meant that I actually got to Delhi at a more sensible time and had less time to hang around.  The flight was basically good,   sleep possible, but aslo disturbed by turbulence, food, etc, but I definitely dozed for a bit and just about managed to watch the movie Dunkirk by the time we arrived. The flight took an extra hour as we could not fly over Pakistani airspace which created a moment's tension but luckily we were blissfully unaware of any issue till the flight arrived.  Delhi airport is huge and I was heading for the transfers, but could not access any information on departures.  A man with a big gun, both of which were tucked by a sign saying not to come near, suddenly asked if he could help, but he could make sense of where I was trying to get to. I then headed outside the airport for some fresher air and to try and find some money, but failed was all the ATM would tell me.  It took a while to work out how to get back into the airport, but eventually succeeded.   Luckily having got some rupees at Heathrow airport I was able to buy a delicious plate of samosas and good coffee, before queuing up go through the stringent security checks to await my short flight to Dunradun.   I even found a quiet spot and a lounger to relax on.  Nationwide kindly told me that suspicious activity had been spotted on my card and to await further instrutions. Just as I was about to board the next flight, and too late to sort out any more money, I got word my card had been unblocked.    Luckily I had enough money with me for the 45 minute pre arranged taxi and travelling through the dark got to Nature Care Village was able to have yet another meal, whilst sitting outside in the chill air, trying to assimilate where I was.  My affable but slightly aloof host, told this dishevelled older women, in effect to chill, but throughout my stay I never quite got the hang of things, and each night I was very cold, but that aside, I thought the location and guest house lovely and the other guests made for a sort of Agatha Christie type cast of characters all sequestered in an out of the way location where they are all held together to answer questions from Poirot.

I am pleased to say however, that there was no murder, just dogs, good and scary, loud music from the wedding next door to dance to,  rivers to fall into, elephants heard but not seen,  children and water buffalo, soft light, and wonderful food.   and that great cast of characters with whom to pass the brief days spent in an Indian village just outside Rishikesh.


I was attracted to the place because I wanted a quiet place to recover from the overnight flight and I was interested in the promise of Ayuvedic plants organic homegrown food and the beach and

river.  In some ways some of this was delivered - e.g. a talk on the various plants, which was very interesting, and a walk to the river at sunrise which was fun and enabled me to see a bit more of the area.  Having a wedding next door was also fun, though it meant the place was not quiet, but I enjoyed going to see the groom arrive and was invited in but resisted.  I also loved walking down to the river and seeing the animals and child- herders and just sitting and hoping an elephant would appear. I found it hard to sleep as it was cold and there were so many intriguing sounds e.g. the birds were stunning. (For example saw a kingfisher, egrets, parrakeets)    And everyone who stayed had amazing qualities from people with huge knowledge of cooking, a man from America on his first trip abroad, who turned out to be part First Nation,  an Indian looking woman, who actually came from NZ but lived in Switzerland and a single mum on her first trip by herself, drawn by Mooji to India, but who preferred the quiet of our spot, to staying in town to hear more satsangs.  It felt like a real treat. and the home grown organic food was lovely.   I think some of the claims for the place are a bit exaggerated at present, e.g. wellness centre, beach, but in time the place could be amazing, (though probably more expensive) and at present it just has a great unspoilt charm and lovely feel to it. No wonder Rishikesh was such an assault on the senses when I first arrived and today I have almost been mown down several times but I am surviving and enjoying aspects of it, not least seeing Nathan.   And it is also good to have been able to attend satsangs and hear music and be part of the visit of the Sangha to here. That is pretty special.   

My camera got damaged from falling in the river (which stopped me filming the ayuvedic tour) and in the satsang we cannot take pictures which is also a shame as the atmosphere ranged from electric to really funny to obnoxious, but suddenly tonight down by the Ganges my camera started to work again enabling me to capture scenes from Triveni Ghat arati or evening worship.

Unless you want to be asphyxiated don't come to Rishikesh.

When two people leave Rishikesh and come out to your idyllic guest house in the country because Rishikesh is too noisy, you know the city is a potential challenge, but that does not even begin to describe what a nightmare it is to get around.  I will be lucky if I do not have a heart attack if I am not run down or poisoned by the air.  This is more challenging than anticipated, especially after the joy of staying out in the countryside and eating organic food.   Wonder if they would have space for me to come back!  Except I am here to see Nathan so I must brave the beeps and machines coming for me head on,  and risk life and limb to see him!